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-- Professional Reflection
Oriented Focus on Inquiry-based Learning and Education through
Science
PROFILES is
currently one of the largest European FP7 funded project in the
field of “Science in Society.” The consortium consists of 22
partners from 20 different countries.
PROFILES promotes IBSE through raising the self-efficacy of science
teachers to take ownership of more effective ways of teaching
students, supported by stakeholders.
The proposal innovation is through working with teacher partnerships
to implement existing, exemplary context-led, IBSE focussed, science
teaching materials enhanced by inspired, teacher relevant, training
and intervention programmes. This is undertaken by reflection,
interactions and seeking to meaningfully raise teacher skills in
developing creative, scientific problem-solving and socio-scientific
decision-making abilities in students.
The measures of success are through (a) determining the self-efficacy
of science teachers in developing self-satisfying science teaching
methods and (b) in the attitudes of students toward this more
student-involved approach. Dissemination of approaches, reactions,
and reflections form a further key project target, making much use
of the internet and other formats useful for sharing science teacher
profiles in an interactive forum.
PROFILES involves the development of teachers on four fronts (teacher
as learner, teacher as effective teacher, teacher as reflective
practitioner, teacher as leader) consolidating their ownership of
society-led, IBSE approaches and incorporating use-inspired research,
evaluative methods and stakeholder networking.
The project disseminates its innovation with trained lead teachers
spearheading further teacher development at pre- and in-service
levels and initiating a series of workshops for key stakeholders
nationwide.
The project focuses on open inquiry approaches as a major teaching
target and pays much attention to both intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation of students in the learning of science.
The intended outcome is school science teaching becoming more
meaningful, related to 21st century science and incorporating
interdisciplinary socio-scientific issues and IBSE-related teaching,
taking particular note of gender factors.
to read more:
http://www.icaseonline.net/profiles
-- BrEaking New Ground IN the SciencE
Education Realm (ENGINEER)
ENGINEER will support the widespread
adoption in Europe of innovative methods of science teaching and
provide extensive teacher training on inquiry-based methods. It will
be based on the proven ―Engineering is Elementary‖ (EiE) program
developed by Boston‘s Museum of Science (BMOS) since 2003-04 and now
widely used in primary schools throughout the U.S. Evaluations of
EiE have found that incorporating engineering in science teaching,
using inquiry-based pedagogic methods, results in highly desirable
impacts on students and teachers, raising students‘ interest in
science and engineering. BMOS will play an instructional and
advisory role in ENGINEER.
ENGINEER will develop 10 engineering design challenge units suited
to European environments using EiE‘s Engineering Design Plan model.
Each unit will focus on one engineering field and will use
inexpensive materials for student-led design problem-solving.
ENGINEER will adapt and enhance EiE teacher training materials.
Project materials will be tested in pilot applications and refined
before use in outreach.
Science museums will lead the outreach effort that targets schools,
teachers and science museums. Teachers trained in using ENGINEER‘s
materials will incorporate the units into science teaching in their
classes. Museums will offer programs for student groups as well as
for the general public. Training will be provided to 1,000 teachers,
and trained teachers and school/museum activities will reach 27,000
students during outreach.
Dissemination activities will increase awareness of ENGINEER and
help promote participation. An advocacy program is specifically
aimed at influencing education policy makers throughout Europe. Its
major goal is to promote the much more widespread future deployment
of ENGINEER‘s tools after the project formally ends.
ENGINEER‘s consortium features 10 science museums and 10 schools, as
well as universities and other organizations that will contribute
expertise to project tasks.
to read more:
www.engineer-project.eu
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Popularity and Relevance of Science Education for Scientific
Literacy (PARSEL)
To promote scientific literacy and to enhance popularity and
relevance of science teaching and learning. The main objectives of
PARSEL are to develop, test and disseminate pan-european science
education modules for teaching in grade 7 upwards. These modules are
being developed, according to a common model, by a consortium
involving 8 Universities (from Estonia, Denmark, Germany(2), Greece,
Israel, Portugal and Sweden) and the International Council of
Associations for Science Education (UK). PARSEL modules are intended
to promote scientific literacy and to enhance the popularity and the
relevance of science teaching. Teachers are being asked to try out
some of the modules in each of the countries and to report back to
PARSEL team on their suitability for enhancing the popularity and
relevance of science teaching.
to read more: http://www.parsel.eu |