Title of Initiative / Project
Preparing science educators for everyday science
Name of Organiser
University of Nicosia
Start and ending date of the Initiative
2012-2014
Was the initiative carried out in the framework of a funded project?
Yes
Funding Programme
Comenius/Lifelong Learning Funded Project
Title of the project
Preparing Science Educators for Everyday Science
Promoter
Preparing Science Educators for Everyday Science
Type of deliverables
Online course, Teaching Methodology, Didactical resource
Language of the deliverable
Other EU, Romanian, Spanish, English
Target Group
Teachers, Students
Description of the initiative
PreSEES is an EU funded project (Comenius/Life Long Learning), and the main aim of the project is to engage elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in critical discussions of everyday science through socioscientific issues (SSI) and prepare them to teach SSI.
More specifically, during the lifetime of the project we aim to achieve the following:
(1) Design an initial framework on which the SSI modules will be developed. This framework will include pedagogical guidelines to teach SSI, and theoretical aspects concerning SSI and everyday science approaches. The framework will be informed by published research and relevant policies in the partner countries.
(2) Design three modules for pre-service teacher training (elementary and secondary) to promote SSI as a means to promote everyday science, and other aspects of science (e.g. argumentation, history of science, nature of science, attitude change, use of technology). All modules will be collaboratively developed by the partner institutions and will be focusing on issues that are common across Europe (e.g. climate change) to emphasize in this way the European dimension and European identity.
(3) Implement the modules and collect data that will help evaluate SSI learning, and other related areas of interest (NOS, argumentation, history of science etc) as described in the work packages.
(4) Re-design the modules based on the data collected and publish the revised modules along with a short theoretical introduction, and a summary of the results. The modules will be published in the languages of the partner institutions and in English and will also be posted on the project's web site.
(5) Provide case studies about how pre-service teachers transfer their SSI knowledge into their teaching practices.
(6) Provide evidence of how pre-service teachers can collaborate to provide answers regarding SSI issues of concern for all partner countries.
More Information
Strengths
Preparing science educators for everyday science
Developing/Enhancing/Improving professional competencies for science teachers.
Involving elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in stimulating training activities by engaging them in critical discussions on everyday science through socioscientific issues (SSI).
Challenging teachers by involving teachers in developing SSI modules (which include pedagogical guidelines to teach SSI, and theoretical aspects concerning SSI and everyday science approaches).
Developing teachers’ training materials: designing three modules for pre-service teacher training (elementary and secondary) to promote SSI as a means to promote everyday science, piloting and evaluating them.
Providing case studies about how pre-service teachers transfer their SSI knowledge into their teaching practices.
Enhancing teachers’ collaboration and communication in order to provide answers regarding SSI issues.
Weaknesses
Takes time to promote and organize training courses.
Teachers’ Opinion
Strengths
Preparing science educators for everyday science
Developing/Enhancing/Improving professional competencies for science teachers.
Engaging elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in critical discussions of everyday science through socioscientific issues (SSI).
Engaging teachers in developing SSI modules (which include pedagogical guidelines to teach SSI, and theoretical aspects concerning SSI and everyday science approaches).
Providing teachers with the necessary materials in order to train them to promote SSI as a means to raise students’ interest in everyday science.
Providing case studies about how pre-service teachers transfer their SSI knowledge into their teaching practices.
Enhancing teachers’ collaboration and communication in order to provide answers regarding SSI issues.
Weaknesses
Teachers’ availability for the training courses- personal, institutional or professional reasons
Students’ Opinion
Strengths
Providing teachers with new materials and new methods which definitely will make their classes more accessible and attractive
Linking theory with practice (everyday science)
Stimulating students’ creativity, critical thinking
Weaknesses …………………………………………………….
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