EUGENE TETTEH-OWUSU OKWEI

Profile

Experienced Physics / Science Lecturer with a demonstrated history of working in the Physics / Science Education institution. Skilled in Higher Education Research, Educational Measurement, Academic Development, Science, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy Education and Microsoft Office. Strong education professional with a Master’s Degree focused in Science Education (Physics) from the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana and also a Bachelor's degree in Physics and PostGraduate Diploma in Education-Science (Physics) from the University of Cape Coast also in Ghana. My research interests are Physics Education Research (PER) and Astronomy Education Research (AER). Mr. Okwei is currently pursuing his PhD in Physics and Astronomy at the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds and also a Physics / Science Lecturer at the Department of Science, Komenda College of Education, Komenda in Ghana. Mr. Okwei is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS) and also a member of other professional and / or scientific bodies. 

Mr. Okwei has served on many institutional and national committees. He was one of the postgraduate trainees who successfully completed the Radio Astronomy training programme in Ghana by the Royal Society, UK / Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI), SKA, South Africa (Cohort 1). I started the postgraduate training in Radio Astronomy the same year with my Masters degree as I have developed much interest in Astronomy / Astrophysics and that informed my decision to research on a related field. His master's thesis focused on using astronomical models to improve students' attitudes and achievements in Physics. He is the Founder and Patron of the Astronomy club in the college he teaches. As the Founder and Chief Patron of the Astronomy club in my college, I have been working tiredly to enrich students’ knowledge on fundamentals of astronomy, Physics concepts and general space science / astronomy concepts. After finishing his BSc Physics degree, he worked as a Research Assistant / Teaching Assistant at the Department of Physics, University of Cape Coast. During his work he associated himself to the Research Team and played a vital role in helping students in finding solutions to problems. He was a National / Local Treasurer of the Physics Students Association of Ghana (PHYSAG) in 2005. He has participated in several trainings, seminars, symposiums, workshops and conferences in Mathematics, Science, Physics and Astronomy etc. An Outreach Team Member of the Promoting Radio Astronomy in Ghana through School visits and Astronomy Clubs (PRAGSAC) :https://pragsac.org/

Research interests

His research interests are Physics Education Research (PER) and Astronomy Education Research (AER). 

RESEARCH WORK / EXPERIENCE

1. Using Astronomical models to improve students’ attitudes and achievements in Physics at Komenda College of Education. (A thesis work submitted for Master of Philosophy in Science Education).

My thesis work focused on using astronomical models to improve students’ attitudes and achievements in Physics. The instruments used for the study were attitudes towards Physics scale (ATPS), test and interview. The attitudes towards Physics scale (ATPS) was used to measure students attitudes towards Physics. The test and interview was used to examine students’ knowledge and ability acquired in Physics concepts and general space science / astronomy concepts. The findings of my thesis showed that students improved their basic astronomy concepts in a statistically significant way and their attitudes towards physics improved. The results showed that the use of astronomical models is effective in eliminating misconceptions and thus led to high achievement scores in Physics. This research enabled me to understand the use of the astronomical models in teaching, fundamentals of astronomy, Physics concepts and general space science / astronomy concepts.

2. Attitudes of female science students in selected mixed schools in the Greater Accra Region towards the study of Physics. (A dissertation work submitted for PostGraduate Diploma in Education).

3. Harnessing solar energy by means of satellites in outer space. (A project work submitted for Bachelor of Science in Physics).

4. Promoting Radio Astronomy in Ghana through School visits and Astronomy Clubs (PRAGSAC) https://pragsac.org/

Overview of PhD Research

National and international investment in large radio astronomy projects, such as the Leeds-led DARA (Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy) HCD project, the African VLBI Network and the Square Kilometre Array, has the potential to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers in the participating African countries. This research project will investigate the impact of these projects in Ghana as a vehicle for inspiring school age students to both engage with Physics learning and provide a source of inspiration to engage in further study of Physics at University. Several outreach interventions have been designed and delivered as a result of these projects, however little is known about the longer-term impact of these interventions on students’ attitudes towards and engagement with physics learning in Ghana. The impact on the relationship between studying physics and career aspirations will also be examined.

A mixed-methods longitudinal study will examine the impact of Astronomy outreach interventions on student engagement with physics. A multi-site study based predominantly in Ghana will examine student attitudes pre- and post- intervention, with ongoing evaluation to investigate if there are any longer term impacts on learning and/or career aspirations. The project will consider both student and teacher perspectives, and in a range of educational settings. This study will focus on Ghana, however, other appropriate African nations may be included and also a comparison may be made between the UK and Ghana with respect to the impact of such outreach interventions on attitudes to physics as a discipline, science learning and career aspirations.

Qualifications

• MPHIL. IN SCIENCE EDUCATION (PHYSICS)
• POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION-SCIENCE (PHYSICS)
• BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (PHYSICS)