The Complexity of the 2-5-2 Distance Education Teacher Training Model

Mathias Sithole is a Physics Lecturer in the Department of Science and Mathematics at Marymount Teachers' College. His teaching and research interest are in the teaching and learning of Physics by distance means and its challenges. He has also passion in indigenous knowledge systems in Physics.

Introduction. One of the major concerns of science educators and other society members is the decline in student teachers academic achievement. An area of particular concern is the physics education. High level of physics thinking skills and problem solving techniques are necessary for a successful success technological society. For this reason such crucial skills need to be continuously developed and maintained (Smith & Westhoff, in Gay, Mills, & Airasian, Jul. 28, 2011). Furthermore, research is constantly providing new proven methods for physics learners to use and technology has developed all kinds of tools ideally suited for use by the student teacher learning through distance education. One such tool is the computer technology using appropriate internet software. The internet provides student teachers with an intensive amount of data in number of different formats including text, sound and video, making it possible to appeal to the different learning styles of the student teachers and to offer a variety of materials for students to analyze (Howsen & Davis, in Gay, et.al, Jul. 28, 2011).