The Inspiring Science Education Project
Working Group:Low Achievers in ScienceCountry:Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United KingdomLanguages:EnglishAge of students (target group/s):13-14, 15-18Links, resources:http://www.inspiring-science-edu...
The project aims at providing resources and opportunities for teachers to make science in specific fields (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth science, Environmental sciences, Geography, Physics) more attractive to their students. The project includes: (a) an online portal that provides with an interactive inventory of e-learning tools and resources from research centres and other facilities (b) easy access to online tools and resources to be used in science teaching (c) development of scenarios and methodologies to support science teachers and trainers (d) revitalisation of a platform that can be used by both students and teachers in and outside the classroom (e) provision of ideas through which the students can be involved in scientific and research activities and which will motivate them to collaborate with one another.Strong points and opportunities:• The project is conceived with an integrated operational design whose outcome is a coordinated educational environment for both students and teachers.
• Throughout the pilot activities, teachers will be able to access interactive simulations, educational games and E-science applications integrating them with extra-curricular activities.
• Teachers will be able to access remote and online labs, and relevant scenarios for their use in the school classroom.Limitations:Some of the proposed materials may be a link to extra-curriculum activities, as they combine more than one scientific topics. This is beneficial for teaching science and demonstrating its link to everyday life. It may also pose time constraints in order to follow the curriculum, a fact that requires better organization from teachers.Added value with regards to the 3 topics of the MASS project:Inspiring Science Education is about providing the tools to make science education more challenging, more playful and above all more imaginative and inspiring for today’s students. The program holds a strong potential to challenge and attract low achievers to science in the classroom and in everyday life.Any prerequisites needed:PSc and Internet connection.




MASS project intends to identify, analyze, evaluate and disseminate practical tools and methods in teaching science which will effectively lead to arise students' motivation and acquire higher level of basic skills in science. We will explore what happens in science lessons at schools and increase the knowledge of good practice in teaching science in three research areas: Science for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low achievers in Science (See more: Main topics).

 

Main project activities include:

1. Identification of the national examples of good practices
The initial phase of the project is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses and potential in the particular area of science education method in each partner country. It will include identification of good practices on raising students motivation for science on the national level. Examples identified will be collected in the online database.

See more: Good practices repository

 

2. Development of pilot teaching materials and testing phase
Findings from the research phase of the project will form the ground for development of the pilot version of educational materials in each Working Group.

Piloting stage of the project, with the involvement of target group, will raise the quality and exploitability of the products.

 

3. Development of the final version of teaching materials
Final version of educational products will be developed after summing up the piloting phase. They will be available in each partner language. The final project results will bring a change at the classroom level. Teachers will be aware of the key factor for motivation of their students to learn science. They will use a wide range of methods effectively and appropriately to the learning needs and preferences of their students. More teachers will be confident and successful in use such of methods. They will make teaching science more relevant and accessible to students.

Final products will be widely presented and disseminated during the Open Conference III in the middle of 2016.

To help teachers to become empowered, skillful and self-confident, we work on:

for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low Achievers in Science.

 

If you want to help us to improve these materials by taking part in piloting, please contact leader of each Working Group:

   Leonie de Vries (Digital Learners), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Lenka Pachmanova (Early Inquiry), e mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Daiga Kalnina (Low Achievers), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

or the MASS project partner in your country:

   Czech Republic, TEREZA Educational Center 

   Lenka Pachmanova e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Cyprus, Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education (CY.C.E.R.E.)

   Chrisis Kleovoulou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Estonia, Estonian Physical Society

   Kaido Reivelt, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Germany, University of Cologne Geographical Institute

   Astrid Hensel, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Greece, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

   Thalia Mavrakou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Latvia, Children's Environmental School

   Inese Liepina, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Netherlands, SME Advies

   Bregje van den Brand, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre

   Elżbieta Wołoszyńska-Wiśniewska, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.