New Perspectives in Science Education
ISE – Inspiring Science Education Large Scale Experimentation Scenarios to Mainstream eLearning in Science, Mathematics and Technology in Primary and Secondary Schools
Monica Turrini, Sophia R&I (Italy)
Francesco Fedele, Sophia R&I (Italy)
Abstract
This paper presents the project mission and activities of ISE- Inspiring Science Education
Large Scale Experimentation Scenarios to Mainstream eLearning in Science, Mathematics and Technology in Primary and Secondary Schools project, funded with support from the European Commission in the context of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
The Inspiring Science Education project intends to highlight and promote the best practices STEM education in schools.
The mission of the project is to provide digital resources and opportunities for teachers to help them make science education more attractive and relevant to students’ lives.
Inspirational science teachers are at the heart of successful science teaching – ask any scientific Nobel prize-winner who had the greatest influence on their decision to become a scientist and invariably the answer will be –my Science Teacher! So what is it that makes a science teacher truly inspirational? That’s one of the conundrums the project aims to unravel in the Inspiring Science Education project. That’s why the project team is setting up workshops and exchanges, communities of practice and learning opportunities for science teachers and teacher trainers aimed at helping them find ways to make their teaching of science more inspirational.
Large-scale take-up amongst European Science teachers is the project’s aim. Pilot activities are taking place in 5000 primary and secondary schools in 15 European countries.
Inspiring Science Education approach conceives the goals of science education not in terms of the knowledge of a body of facts and theories but a progression towards key ideas which together enable understanding of events and phenomena of relevance to students’ lives during and beyond their school years.
The educational approach of Inspiring Science Education builds upon the existing knowledge and develops a pedagogical model that will boost the adoption of eLearning resources, which have been put in practice in large scale activities and future national and European initiatives
