Relevant initiatives

Storytelling@Teaching Model (S@TM)

National and Kapodistrian UNiversity of Athens

2011-2013

European

Yes

LLP, Comenius

Storytelling@Teaching Model (S@TM); a contribution to science teachers professional development

National and Kapodistrian UNiversity of Athens

518094-LLP-1-2011-1-GR-COMENIUS-CMP

Online course, Teaching Methodology, Didactical resource

Chemistry, Physics, Biology

Polish, Other EU, English

Teachers, Students

To improve science education fundamentally, we propose that the academic tradition of primary and secondary science education be subordinated to a humanistic rendering of the science discipline as a means to engage the learners meaningfully. In this context, the inclusion of history of science plays a vital role. Some writers maintain that the humanizing and clarifying influence of history of science brings the science to life and enables the student to construct relationships that would have been impossible to be perceived through the traditional method of science teaching. Through such a teaching approach, students come to appreciate science as a value-laden activity, where objectivity, curiosity, pursuit of truth, intellectual honesty, humility, and commitment to human welfare are central.

As a cognitive tool, stories are embedded in culture and, therefore, can serve as a mediator between the children’s imagination and scientific endeavours. Fostering imagination in children contributes to the development of abstract thought and symbolic func-tion. Some writers argue that romantic understanding is a prerequisite to conceptual understanding, as it enables students, through their imagination, to experience curiosity, mystery, and even wonder. Furthermore, storytelling, itself, inextricably linked to imagination, contributes to the development of romantic understanding.

The project offers a wide range of resources to support a new pedagogical practice of story telling in science education. The resources start from how to apply the methodology: http://www.science-story-telling.eu/en/node/250 ; continue with e-course http://www.science-story-telling.eu/en/node/251 ; and then provide stories which teachers can directly use in their practice: http://www.science-story-telling.eu/en/node/263 The project even supports a wiki page with all the necessary terms science teachers might need explained in their stories: http://wiki-en.science-story-telling.eu/index.php?title=Main_Page

The idea of using story telling as pedagogical practice might not seem new, but in terms of science teaching it is. It is a very good idea, which can present the difficult and complex topics in an interesting and more effective way to attract student’s attention and improve their comprehension of science. It is a strong side of the project that on the one hand it gives teachers detailed explanation of the methodology and offers a course on it, but on the other hand it also gives the tools in terms of ready stories, which teachers can directly use in their practice.

If science is taught in the form of story telling I strongly believe students will be much more interested in science and will understand much better all topics. When the lessons are presented as stories they are much more easily remembered and also stories give an idea of the broader application of science knowledge also in everyday life.