OPTIMIZING TEACHING AND LEARNING OF PHYSICS N THE NEW NORMAL: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD

Abstract

he purpose of this paper was to look at the prospects and challenges of optimizing teaching and learning of physics in the new normal. There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemics and its secondary effects have both immediate and also long-term implications for science education,especially, physics. The sudden change to online delivery implemented by physics educators has sustained learning and students' academic progress throughout the crisis. Covid-19 has caused education disruption and prolonged school closure all over the world, which has affected almost 90% of the world's students' population and led most countries to think about alternative method of providing education for their citizens to ensure that learning never stops.

The implementation of lockdown and social distancing were enforced as means of the preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus infection which was resulted in complete paralysis of global activities, especially education. However,bearing the continuity of education in mind, many countries quickly resolved to online platform, which set off an unplanned and rapid shift in education sector and opened the door to many opportunities, highlighted existing and new disparities and gave rise to several prospects and challenges. Therefore, this paper reviewed the benefits and challenges of optimizing online teaching and learning of physics after Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The paper provided the way forward for online for continuity of teaching and learning of physics in Nigeria.