Doris Jorde

Science Education Research and Practice in Europe

In editing this volume of The World of Science Education devoted to Europe, we have invited a range of authors to describe their research in the context of developments in the continent and further afield. In this chapter, we begin by considering what we mean by Europe and then look at the historical, social and political contexts that have driven developments in science education research over the years. We finish with a look forward to where science education in Europe might be going in the years to come.

Technology-Enhanced Collaborative Inquiry Learning: Four Approaches under Common Aspects

Collaborative inquiry is seen as a promising, but also a demanding way of learning. Over the past years several computer learning environments have been designed to support learners in doing inquiry. Students may investigate complex problems from everyday life or socio-scientific issues using simulations, datasets, media-enriched content information, text editors, mapping tools, graphical modelling etc. This paper describes and compares four different approaches to collaborative inquiry, developed in the projects ParIS, WISE, Viten, and Co-Lab. Commonalities and differences in their models of inquiry learning are highlighted. Building on and synthesizing research results from these projects the paper draws conclusions on issues relevant for designing collaborative inquiry learning environments, like guidance and freedom, knowledge construction, and integration of external knowledge

Expert views on the implementation of teacher professional development in European countries

International comparisons in science (and mathematics) education show the relevance of teaching quality for learning outcomes. Teacher professional development (TPD) is hence considered particularly relevant for improving teaching and learning in science. The study at hand is part of a European network initiative named Mind the Gap that explores the conditions of TPD. In our project, expert interviews were used to build a knowledge base that includes both the status quo and challenges of TPD in European countries. As a method, we used semi-structured interviews with designated experts from five European countries. The interview questions were based on criteria identified by research on effective TPD conditions. The results of qualitative analyses reveal specific patterns of TPD in groups of European countries, with some countries matching effective TPD conditions closer than others. Experts from all five countries (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom) identified basic organizational and monetary support for participating in TPD as a major challenge for future development.

Scientific Literacy: From Theory to Practice

Gerhard Schaefer (1998), in his keynote address at the second International IPN-Symposium on Scientific Literacy, thought about educational aims for citizens in a changing world: “Taking into account the growing complexity of our world, caused by the opening of national borders and by almost infinite electronic communication and the increasing speed of global ecological, economic and political changes, number one of the educational challenges of the next century seems to be: high flexibility, both in storing and using knowledge and in international communication.” Thus, he argues for “life-competence” as a goal of school education. This ESERA symposium focussed on the part the sciences have to play to contribute to this goal. Three examples from educational research and classroom teaching illustrate the theoretical references of the second International Symposium on Scientific Literacy.

Research about the Use of Information Technology in Science Education

In this paper, we investigate some aspects of effectiveness in two different kinds of learning environments with use of information technology. The first part shows research results related to a web-based integrated science environment (WISE) and its effects on changing the role of the teacher, the curriculum, and the student. In the second part, three different approaches for scaffolding conceptual development in physics by using interactive computer models are analysed. Research results about different aspects of their effectiveness are presented. Both parts together show empirical results in relation to different promising approaches of using information technology in science education.

Improving Science Education Through European Models of Sustainable Teacher Professional Development

Science education research, especially in Europe, is strongly linked to the improvement of teaching practice. When considering how to improve teaching practice we think about the school system, the curriculum, teachers and students - all of which are intricately woven together in the classroom. In this chapter, we will consider the role of teacher professional development (TPD) in improving science teaching. We look at how capacities for more effective and more sustainable models of TPD may be developed, looking at examples from European countries where cultural diversity is large. Our experiences are based on two European projects: Mind the Gap and Science-Teacher Education Advanced Methods (S-TEAM).

TOWARD A DESIGN FRAMEWORK FOR INTERNATIONAL PEER DISCUSSIONS: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DISPARATE PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIO-SCIENTIFIC ISSUES

This paper describes how we have adapted the WISE technology and curriculum for use in an international setting. We also report on a cross-cultural collaboration between the two authors, representing the WISE project in the U.S. and its counterpart, called Viten (see http://viten.no) in Norway. After introducing the WISE platform and describing our collaboration, we present a brief comparison of the Norwegian and U.S. educational systems. We then describe “Viten.no,” the national level program that has grown around this effort. Next, we present our designs for a collaborative activity where students from our two countries first perform a WISE (or Viten, respectively) inquiry project concerning wolf populations and biodiversity, followed by a sequence of online discussions designed to capitalize on cultural and geographic differences for purposes of conceptual learning. Finally, we describe the outcomes of our classroom trials of this international curriculum, which are limited in scale but sufficient to allow the framing of some design principles. We close with a discussion of the implications of such curriculum, and our own current efforts to continue this line of research.

Sharing Science: Primary Science for Both Teachers and Pupils

The following is a story about two primary school teachers, Sara and Elizabeth, and their science teaching experiences. Sara and Elizabeth have the same educational background including attending a teacher training school after completion of high school. Both have concentrated on languages at the high school level and later in their education courses. Both have four years’ experience and currently are teaching grade 5. They teach in the same school district but in two different schools.

Policy Aspects: How to Change Practice and in What Direction

The ASSIST-ME project has a dual aim: (1) to provide a research base on the effective uptake of formative and summative assessment for inquiry-based, competence-oriented Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) education and (2) to use this research base to give policy-makers and other stakeholders guidelines for ensuring that assessment enhances learning in STM education. This chapter describes how the second aim, the policy-oriented aspects, was dealt with in ASSIST-ME. It describes the establishment of National Stakeholder Panels (NSP) through the use of social network analysis as well as the work and outcomes of the national NSPs. In a wider perspective, it analyses how research results have and can influence STM education, both the educational practices and the political climate and decisions framing education. At this point, the chapter goes beyond ASSIST-ME and draws upon other project experiences across Europe. Finally, the policy recommendations for the transformation process based on the ASSIST-ME experiences will be put forward.