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The objective of ESTABLISH was the dissemination and use of an inquiry-based teaching method for science with second level students (age 12-18 years) on a large scale in Europe by creating authentic learning environments, involving all stakeholders to drive change in the classroom. ESTABLISH teaching and learning units can be downloaded from the website at http://establish-fp7.eu/resources/units and information on the ESTABLISH Teacher Education Programme is available at http://establish-fp7.eu/resources/programmes.
SAILS
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ESTABLISH has, over its lifetime (2010-2014), facilitated and widened the use of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) for second level students (age 12-18 years) across Europe by bringing together, within a collaborative environment, the key stakeholders in science education to generate a suite of substantial teaching and learning materials (Units) as well as a series of educational supports for both in-service and pre-service teachers.
Specifically the ESTABLISH partners have sought to:
- Identify, develop and localise inquiry-based teaching and learning materials;
- Provide supports for teachers to successfully implement IBSE;
- Share inquiry approaches and learn from one another’s experiences to promote IBSE across Europe;
- Stimulate student learning and promote careers opportunities in science to young people;
- Foster a mutually beneficial relationships between industrial, scientific, teaching and educational communities;
- Promote the experiential and educational benefits of IBSE.
The result of these collaborations have been a number of teaching and learning materials (ESTABLISH Units) enriched with industrial contexts and knowledge together with a series of educational supports for both in-service and pre-service teachers (ESTABLISH Teacher Education Programmes) designed to promote the use of Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) in classrooms across Europe. In addition ESTABLISH co-hosted the international Science and Mathematics Education Conference in 2012 in Dublin (http://www.dcu.ie/smec/2012/index.shtml). During this conference, teachers from each of the ESTABLISH beneficiary countries travelled to Dublin to share and learn from one another experiences of using inquiry in their classrooms.
ESTABLISH teaching and learning units can be downloaded from the website at http://establish-fp7.eu/resources/units and information on the ESTABLISH Teacher Education Programme is available at http://establish-fp7.eu/resources/programmes.
SAILS
The aim of this project is to support teachers in adopting an inquiry approach in teaching science at second level (students aged 12-18 years) across Europe. This will be achieved by utilising existing resources and models for teacher education in IBSE, both pre-service and in-service. In addition to SAILS partners adopting IBSE curricula and implementing teacher education in their countries, the SAILS project will develop appropriate strategies and frameworks for the assessment of IBSE skills and competences and prepare teachers not only to be able to teach through IBSE, but also to be confident and competent in the assessment of their students‟ learning. Through this unified approach of implementing all the necessary components for transforming classroom practice, i.e. teacher education, curriculum and assessment around an IBSE pedagogy, a sustainable model for IBSE will be achieved. SAILS will provide teacher education workshops in IBSE across the twelve participating countries and promote a self-sustaining model encouraging teachers to share experiences and practice of inquiry approaches to teaching, learning and assessment by building a community of practice.
The SAILS consortium consists of fourteen partner organisations, including universities, SMEs and a multi-national organisation, from across twelve European countries. The strength of this consortium lies in its vast experience and expertise in the areas of science education, teacher training and resource development for teaching, learning and assessment.
- Dublin City University, Ireland
- Audiovisual Technologies, Informatics & Telecommunications, Belgium
- INTEL Research and Innovation Ireland Limited, Ireland
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany
- Hacettepe University, Turkey
- Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
- Jagiellonian University, Poland
- King's College London, United Kingdom
- Kristianstad University, Sweden
- Malmö University, Sweden
- University of Piraeus Research Centre, Greece
- University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
- University of Szeged, Hungary
- Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safárika v Kosiciach, Slovakia
By using a pan-European approach, SAILS will ensure that the diverse practices built up in each country can be analysed and shared, resulting in the development of models of best practice. These can be used not only in all the consortium countries but will also be available for other countries to adopt. This European approach raises the standard for everyone by encouraging national implementation, and by extending and promoting innovation in science teaching and learning in the classroomThe aim of SAILS is to support teachers in adopting an inquiry approach in teaching science at second level (students age 12-18 years) across Europe. The SAILS project will develop appropriate strategies and frameworks for the assessment of IBSE skills and competences and prepare teachers not only to be able to teach through IBSE, but also to be confident and competent in the assessment of their students’ learning.
Recent project deliverables can be found at http://www.sails-project.eu/portal/resources.
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