26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
The S-TEAM ProjectScience-Teacher Education Advanced Methods
Geir Karlsen & Peter GrayPresentation for:
DG EAC & MST Cluster
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Four themes
• An overview of S-TEAM• The S-TEAM deliverables• Issues from the FP7 process • A long view of science and teacher
education research in Europe
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
What is S-TEAM?
• 100 people/25 institutions/15 countries• Involved in science teacher education• Potentially 480,000 science teachers• Providing a tool kit for science teacher
education
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
SPAIN
SCOTLAND
TURKEY
SWEDEN
FINLAND
CYPRUS
ENGLAND
ISRAEL
FRANCE
CZECH
NORWAY
ESTONIA
LITHUANIA
GERMANYDK
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Institutions
•IPN•Strathclyde•NTNU•UPMF
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
The S-TEAM story
• Original Idea - improve teacher education in Europe
• SiS 2008, action 2.2.1.1 : widest possible dissemination of inquiry based methods in science teaching (IBST)
• AHA!: improve teacher education and science education at the same time!
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
The Number is three…
• Three vital key-words: Partnership, Life-Long-Learning, Repertoire of Actions
• Three levels: Policy-level, action level, teacher education and professional development level
• Three phases: Gathering, production, dissemination
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26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Why S-TEAM?
• Comprehensive geographical and technical coverage relative to Call
• Multiplier effects through teacher education and range of training packages
• Critically listening to the Call
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
The consortium
• Building on Mind the Gap• Adding SINUS• Gaining critical mass• An open door?• Many ideas, one proposal
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
S-TEAM Aims
• Improve scientific literacy and..• Increase popularity of MST careers• Through....• Better student engagement• Through...• Better teaching
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
S-TEAM ObjectivesAll science teacher educators in the participating institutions, and
all science teacher education departments in participating countries, will be informed about S-TEAM (achieved by M18)
All new science teachers graduating from participating institutions in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years will have been told about S-TEAM and will be able to access information on IBST from either the project itself or the European Central Information Provider (ECIP) (achieved by M30)
At least 50% of science teachers in the participating countries will have heard about S-TEAM and will be avble to access relevant material (achieved by M30)
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Success criteria for S-TEAM
• Crossing boundaries between science education and teacher education
• Moving from information to learning• Taking account of national contexts and
agendas through National Liaison Partners• Creating a European pedagogical field in
(science) education
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Working principles
• Regular communication• Strong central team (4-6 persons)• Competent WP leaders (x 10)• Listening to partners• Diversity: more than one way...
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Work Packages
1. Management2. Policy overview of the interaction between science and
teacher education in Europe3. Powerful learning environments: disseminating the successful
SINUS programme4. Teacher collaboration in changing science education.5. Innovative methods in initial teacher education for science
teaching.6. Professional development for science teaching
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Work Packages, ctd.
7. Argumentation in science teaching; structures underpinning talk about science in the classroom
8. Scientific Literacies: engaging with the discourses of science
9. Indicators - measuring our results10.Media and dissemination: making sure
our results are widely known
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Delivery
• Multiplicity: Wide range of support materials for teacher education in science
• Diversity: Comprehensive overview of policy regarding IBST and other science teaching innovations in national contexts
• Amplification: enabling teachers’ voices to reach European policy arenas
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
What are the Deliverables?
• National Workshops (15 +)• Conferences (2)• Reports (14)• Training packages (43)• Books (2)• DVDs(2)...
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
More deliverables:
• Workbooks for teachers• Guidelines for teacher educators• TV documentary on IBST• Website and digital repository• Indicators, Instruments and data• Conference presentations/papers
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Science education in S-TEAM (1)
• Scientific literacy:– Argumentation– Nature of Science– Sustainable development– Use of art, drama, design & technology in
science education
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
science education in S-TEAM (2)
• Teaching & pedagogy:– Teacher collaboration– Cross-curricular work– Subject differences– Dialogic teaching– Multi-lingual contexts
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
science education in S-TEAM (3)
• School-University collaboration• Parents and IBST• Student motivation in science• Use of computer-based animations• Teachers and Social networking
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
An example
• Work (sub)package 6g: the use of open investigations and Vee-heuristics within science education (Abo Akademi University, Finland)
• Deliverable 6.10 - a training package with supporting book chapter in 6.15
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Contents of training package 6.10: (1)
1.What is a V diagram?/What are Vee-heuristics?
a.Theoretical background: PowerPoint presentation.
b.How can Vee-heuristics be used in the classroom? Description of practical teaching examples.
2.What is an open investigation?. Text. Examples.
3.How can open investigations and Vee-heuristics be used in the classroom?
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Contents of training package (2)
Approx. 20-minute DVD and/or protected web material showing classroom work
(in Swedish, with English subtitles). 4.How can open investigations and Vee-
heuristics be used in the classroom? Text. 5.Guidelines on how the learning of both
content and language of students from non-mainstream backgrounds can be supported. Text on-line, including comments on recorded material, + book chapter.
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The Process
∆ Complex - need for experienced administrative and financial team
∆ Expensive - even if successful∆ Need for better integration of documents ∆ More scope for collaboration with
unsuccessful applicants?
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
Benefits of
∆ SiS provides challenges and opportunities for Teacher Education Research in Europe
∆ Developing the European Pedagogical Field
∆ Projects can provide strategic leadership across national contexts
∆ Legitimacy - internal and external
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The Pedagogical field and European Science Education
• The pedagogy of science education in any national context is determined by– Curriculum design– Assessment frameworks– Teacher knowledge base – Teacher education – Research influence and dissemination – Resources – Prevailing social policies and attitudes
26/03/09 S-TEAM Brussels MST cluster meeting
S-TEAM and the European Pedagogical Field
• In order for there to be change at a European level, S-TEAM has to become part of the pedagogical field in a large group of countries. Teacher education is the best way into the field, as a catalyst for sustainable change.
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The European field
• Joining up the isolated players• Supporting FP7 and the DGs• Jumping into the unknown - expected
results, unexpected reactions
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The future
• Building research and support capacity• Synergy as a result of coordination• Moving towards common teacher
education frameworks?• Democratic research & support -
moving development upstream
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Start up meeting
• 7/9 May 2009, Trondheim