Science Teaching in Schools in Europe' Policies and Research

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Science Teaching in Schools in Europe. Policies
and Research

• Nathalie Baïdak
• EURYDICE
• The Information Network on Education in Europe
• http//eacea.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/Eury
  dice

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• Three parts
• Short presentation of Eurydice
• European political context in education
• Study on Science Teaching in Schools in Europe

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Eurydice The Information Network on Education in
Europe
1 European Unit
35 national Units
Providing, Checking information
Collecting, Analysing information
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• Eurydice produces
• Indicators (Key Data on Teaching Languages at
  School in Europe)
• Comparative analysis (Science Teaching in
  Schools in Europe)
• National information regularly updated
• Glossaries (Glossary on examination,
  qualifications and titles)
• Information available on http//eacea.ec.europa
  .eu/portal/page/portal/Eurydice

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• We collect official, administrative data (issued
  by central educational authorities)

• We use
• Statistical data (Eurostat)
• International database (PISA, PIRLS)
• Research literature review

Normative framework for education/ education
policies
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Type of information/data used in the study
Literature review of the main findings of research
Regulations issued by education authorities

Complementary approaches
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European political context of science education

• Why does science education matter so much?
• We need high level scientists to develop strong
  high tech industries
• Science literacy necessary to understand issues
  of our modern societies and be active as citizens

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• Turn Europe into the most competitive
  knowledge-based economy in the world
• Need to promote education and training
• Science identified as one of the key competences

• European Council
• (Lisbon, 2000)

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The Education and Training 2010 Work Programme

• Literacy in science one of the 16 core
  indicators for monitoring progress towards the
  Lisbon objectives

• Benchmark for 2010 increase of at least 15 in
  the number of tertiary graduates in MST, with a
  decrease in the gender imbalance

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• Initiatives financed by the Commission
• Studies
• Conferences
• Working groups (exchanges of good practice)
• 7th Framework Programme
• Information available on http//ec.europa.eu/educa
  tion/

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Eurydice study on science teaching

• Main objectives
• Establishing how science teachers are expected to
  teach (regulations)
• Appraisal of the research-based evidence now
  available on the most effective approaches to
  teach science (literature review)
• Gender difference, contribution of ICT, pupils
  common sense understanding

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What can influence the way science is taught?

• Teacher education
• Pupils curriculum
• Standardized pupil assessment

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• Scope of the study
• Primary (ISCED 1) and lower secondary levels
  (ISCED 2)
• 2004/05
• Situation in public-sector education
• Science?

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Organisation of science teaching according to
the prescribed or recommended curriculum (ISCED
1 and 2), 2004/05
ISCED 1
ISCED 2
As an integrated subject
In separate subjects
Data not available LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Initial teacher education of science teachers

• Different types of teachers (generalists/specialis
  ts)
• Two main programmes (concurrent model/consecutive
  model)
• Regulations
• Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland and the
  Netherlands

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Skills and knowledge needed by science teachers

• Skills and knowledge needed to be teachers
  (theories of child development, creating and
  managing learning situations, etc)
• Skills and knowledge specific for science
  teaching (knowledge of school science curricula,
  knowledge of childrens common sense
  understanding of scientific phenomena, etc)
• Scientific knowledge and skills (history and
  epistemology of science or scientific
  experimentation/investigation, etc)

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Knowledge and competences to be a teacher

• Theories of child development
• Creation and management of learning situations
• Working with diverse pupil groups
• Collaborative approaches to teaching

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Regulations in initial teacher education for
general teaching knowledge and skills (ISCED 1
and 2), 2004/05
Sensitivity towards/Taking account of gender
variation
ISCED 1
ISCED 2
Top-level regulations or recommendations
Initial teacher education abroad BE de ISCED
2 LI ISCED 1 and 2
No top-level regulations or recommendations
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Skills and knowledge specific for science
teaching

• Knowledge of different teaching approaches and
  their history
• Knowledge of school science curricula and their
  objectives
• Scope for experimental/investigative activities
• Knowledge of childrens common sense
  understanding of scientific phenomena
• Taking account of childrens common sense
  understanding of scientific phenomena
• Ability to keep up to date with recent scientific
  developments

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Regulations in initial teacher education, ISCED 1
and 2, 2004/05
Taking account of childrens common sense
understanding of scientific concepts and
phenomena
Top-level regulations orrecommendations
No top-level regulations orrecommendations
Initial teacher education abroad BE de ISCED
2 LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Scientific knowledge and skills

• Scientific concepts and theories
• Scientific experimentation/investigation
• History and epistemology of science

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Qualifications and professional experience of
those responsible for the professional component
of initial teacher education for future science
teacher

• Scientific dimension often object of regulations
• Teaching dimension less often object of
  regulations

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Minimum level of science qualifications required
of teacher trainers responsiblefor the initial
professional training of science teachers (ISCED
1 and 2), 2004/05
ISCED 2
ISCED 1
Bachelor
Initial teacher education abroad BE de ISCED
2 LI ISCED 1 and 2
Doctorate
Master
No regulations or recommendations
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Teaching qualifications required of those
responsiblefor the initial professional training
of science teachers (ISCED 1 and 2), 2004/05
Compulsory
Recommended
No regulations or recommendations
Initial teacher education abroad BE de ISCED
2 LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Teaching experience required of trainers
responsible for the initial professional
training of science teachers (ISCED 1 and 2),
2004/05
Compulsory
Recommended
No top-level regulations orrecommendations
Initial teacher education abroad BE de ISCED
2 LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Science curricula

• Different organisations

• Areas of knowledge

• Specific activities to be carried out
• Objectives to be achieved

Useful in revealing teaching approaches
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Two aspects of science teaching

• Experimental and practical work

Activities demanding complex cognitive skills
present in the curricula

• Use of ICT in science teaching

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Practical work in the prescribed orrecommended
curriculum (ISCED 1 and 2), 2004/05
Proposing experimental protocols in response to
defined objectives
Included at both levels
Included at ISCED 2 level ONLY
Not at all included
Data not available LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Practical work in the prescribed orrecommended
curriculum (ISCED 1 and 2), 2004/05
Verifying a scientific law through experiment
Included at both levels
Included at ISCED 2 level ONLY
Not at all included
Data not available LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Two aspects of science teaching
Experimental and practical work
Activities demanding complex cognitive skills
present in the curricula
Use of ICT in science teaching
Researching the internet for data / simulation
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Use of ICT in the prescribed or recommended
curriculum (ISCED 1 and 2), 2004/05
Researching the Internet for data
Included at both levels
Included at ISCED 2 level ONLY
Not at all included
Data not available LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Use of ICT in the prescribed or recommended
curriculum (ISCED 1 and 2), 2004/05
Simulation
Included at both levels
Included at ISCED 2 level ONLY
Not at all included
Included at ISCED 1 level ONLY
Data not available LI ISCED 1 and 2
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Standardised Pupil Assessment
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Types of skills and knowledge assessed

• Knowledge (knowledge of experimental/investigativ
  e techniques, etc)
• Practical skills (ability to select appropriate
  apparatus and equipment, etc)
• Data handling skills (ability to summarise and
  present results and data, etc)
• Scientific thinking (ability to resolve
  problems formulated in theoretical terms, etc)

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Skills and knowledge assessed

• At lower secondary level most of them assessed
• At primary level
• Most aspects related to knowledge, practical
  skills and data handling skills assessed
• Some differences between subskills

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Type of skills assessedby standardised national
science examinations/tests (ISCED 1), 2004/05
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of and ability to apply basic
mathematical skills
Knowledge of scientific concepts/ theories
Countries concerned
Estonia Latvia Lithuania The Netherlands Poland UK
(ENG/WLS) UK (NIR)
Data not available LI
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Type of skills assessedby standardised national
science examinations/tests (ISCED 1), 2004/05
SCIENTIFIC THINKING
Ability to resolve problems formulated in
theoretical terms
Ability to frame a problem in scientific terms
Countries concerned
Estonia Latvia Lithuania The Netherlands Poland UK
(ENG/WLS) UK (NIR)
Data not available LI
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Skills and knowledge assessed

• At lower secondary level most of them assessed
• At primary level
• Most aspects related to knowledge, practical
  skills and data handling skills assessed
• Complex and comprehensive skills less often
  assessed

Consistent with the activities and learning
outcomes expressed in the curriculum
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• Conclusions
• Science politically very important topic
• Teaching qualifications/experience of teacher
  trainers a little less regulated
• Some coherence (practical work)
• Gender difference could be taken more into
  account
• ICT could be more specifically used
• Differences between primary and lower secondary
  levels

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• Muchas Gracias Thank you
• http//eacea.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/Eury
  dice