Continuing Education of Science Teachers in Primary and Lower and Upper Secondary Schools

The purpose of this project is to develop science teaching through continuing education of the teachers in the primary and lower and upper secondary school. The project will develop tools, which are subject matter didactic like teaching material and pedagogies, in close correlation between theory and the participating teachers' practice. The main idea is that the interested science teachers from schools in the same geographical area will organise in local groups. They will get support to working with central problems formulated by themselves inside the given groups of subjects.

Project participants:

Contact persons: Christine Holm, IND og Claus Jessen, Ørestad Gymnasium.
Also participating: Jens Dolin, IND, and Bjarke Skipper Petersen, Ørestad Gymnasium.

Timeline

The project starts November 2009 and will finish in October 2011 with a report in December 2011.

The project is financed by the Ministry of Education, the Department of Science Education and the participating schools.

Project description

The project is inspired by the German SINUS project, and it will furthermore incorporate experiences from other continuing education and development projects (SCIENCE TEAM-K, ...)

The purpose of this project is to develop science teaching through continuing education of the teachers in the primary and lower and upper secondary school. The project will develop tools, which are subject matter didactic like teaching material and pedagogies, in close correlation between theory and the participating teachers' practice. The developed material and the gathered experiences will be available to everybody. At the same time a regional network will be formed across the different types of schools, which in the long run will secure a better transition betweem them. Finally the project will link to a series of international science projects and in that way create exchange of experiences across national boarders.

The main idea is that the interested science teachers from schools in the same geographical area will organise in local groups. They will get support to working with central problems formulated by themselves inside the given groups of subjects. DSE organises the project, including the delivery of subject matter didactic support.

Organisation

The local groups consist of approx. 24 science teachers from the lower secondary school (7.-9. grade) and the upper secondary schools (stx and htx) in the same local area. An equal distribution between teachers from the lower and upper secondary schools is aimed at, ideally two-three from the same primary school, preferably with different subjects and science resource persons, and three-four from the same upper secondary school. A local group can therefore consist of e.g. four-five lower secondary schools and two-three upper secondary schools.

The groups meet and discuss the problems within the groups of subjects with the purpose of developing courses founded in subject matter didactics with focus on their chosen theme. DSE will secure the subject matter didactic support by giving presentations and relevant material. Between the meetings the teachers work with the project at their schools and they can communicate via a learning platform where all material will be uploaded. A reasonable meeting frequency will be to-three meetings per semester.

Each group appoints a coordinator, who will take care of the group's working flow and who is the connection to DSE. These coordinators are to play an important role as resource persons in the development of the project in the succeeding years.

Contents

The chosen themes are based upon knowledge on what is the most important problems in the science teaching in Denmark today, and where relevant didactic knowledge and appropriate material can be found. The thematisation makes it possible that DSE acquires expertise within chosen areas; develops "standard packages", so to speak, which the participants can start from. At the same time it is essential that the participants themselves formulate the subjects and problems to secure local ownership.

The SINUS project is based upon 11 moduls that adress the problems and weaknesses, which the German PISA test revealed. The central ideas in the moduls are based upon research in learning and teaching in science and mathematics with inclusion of experiences from other development projects.

In Denmark we do not have similarly thorough research tied to PISA or from the other side knowledge of what problems that are the most urgent in the Danish science teaching. The VAP project's third report (Dolin&Krogh 2009, in press) points towards deficiencies in central areas of knowledge and competences: Weak language about science, little knowledge on science and science processes especially experimental processes. Furthermore, a series of outlines point towards the same weaknesses in the Danish science teaching as in the German.

Based upon this knowledge and in consideration of the special Danish circumstances (in the reform of the upper secondary school; "Fælles Mål") we will reckon the moduls mentioned below as relevant in Danish context:

1. Orientation towards appliance of science

• Authenticity, problem-based teaching, local social education, etc.
• Science in academic interaction
• Coupling between formal and informal study environments.
• How can museums, science centres, corporations, local communities, organisations, etc be included in teaching?

2. Theory of science

Nature of Science, How science works, science methods, etc.

3. Development of an experimental didactics

4. Development of an academic language in sciences

Learn how to speak sceince. Argumentation and dialogue. Concept formation. Writing.

5. Formative evaluation in science

Use of process monitoring tools, tests (e.g. moodle, JITT, etc)

All moduls have elements of learning science and teaching with learning in mind. (Insight in newer learning theories relevant to science and their consequences for teaching and scientific literacy.)

These moduls should give a good starting point for the project. Continuously new moduls will be developed after dialogue with the participants.

Monitoring and follow-up research

The project is monitored thoroughly to secure didactic weight and focus and to investigate:

a) the implementation process
b) the teachers' need for support
c) co-operation patterns

Dissemination

The project starts with a one and a half year pilot phase where two groups are established. DSE develops a concept for reporting of the individual moduls, and DSE makes sure that the material is uploaded to the web platform.

Regional seminars to exchange experiences and a finishing conference for all participants and external guests are held. The applied budget covers this year, but it is an important part of the project to establish a foundation for the project's continuation and dissemination.

An evaluation report is worked out and possibly an article in MONA.

During the following years, with the first participants as resource persons, new local groups are established succeesively.