Notes from the Mind the Gap workshop in Lyon, May 21/22, kindly supplied by Majken Korsager
Mind the Gap Workshop on Professional Development PD Day 1
Participants:
Germany: Christoph Hammer, Götz Bieber, Tina Seidel, Katrin Lipowski, Manfred Prenzel, Matthias Stadler, Silke Rönnebeck.
Denmark: Jens Dolin, Ole Goldbeck, Brian Krogh Christensen, Robert Evans, Jesper Bruun
United Kingdom: Kathryn Thomson, Sibel Erduran, Bryan Berry.
Spain: Mari-Pilar Jimenez- Aleixandre, José Francisco Serallé Marzoa
Norway: Anders Isnes, Marit Dahl, Doris Jorde, Majken Korsager
Hungary: Monika Reti, Luca Szalay
France: Sylvain Laubé, Jerôme Godin, Jaques Vince, Rita Khanfour, Layal Malkoun, Andrée Tiberghien, Dominique Rojat, Nicolas Rosset
Subtitle Introduction
Presenter [Matthias Stadler, Doris Jorde]
Mattias is informing about the program for the workshops. Doris starts up the presentation of all participants.
Doris Jorde is presenting Mind the Gap and the ideas behind the project. Speaking about ESERA and how it started and the purpose of the network. Subject matter almost the same in all European countries, the methods differ a lot between countries due to culture. We want to take advance of the differences and share knowledge and experiences from this. The aim is to increase recruitment of students to science education all over Europe.
Subtitle SINUS
Presenter [Manfred Prenzel
Presentation of SINUS and the story of the motivation of why they started the project in Germany. The TIMSS result from 1995 was lower than expected by the German government and educational stakeholders. After revision they found out that the teaching approach was boring and traditional. After evaluation the methods in Japan (where they are doing better) they learned about methods build on task and focus on the students.
Background for development of the project
1 Shocked by the TIMSS report in 1995. In addition the TIMSS video study gave an impression that instruction was very boring. Japan showed other ways to teaching that also brought forth advanced teaching models that were also interactive.
2 Stake holders wanted change in the system.
3 Using existing knowledge, a model for tpd was made. Findings from research about instructional approaches, quality development, teacher collaboration, situation cognition, etc.
4 Looked for a short term idea and a long term idea. Changing curriculum takes at least 10 years. Changing teacher education may take 20 years. Also needed to look for an idea that convinved teachers that change was a good thing.
5 Sustainable effects were sought after for the framework that was written from colleagues coming from science and math education, teachers, psychology, administrators, etc
6 Motivation and interest, level of competencies and finally learning strategies are all equally important in the model. Social dimensions also important within a domain.
7 Levels of influence
a Individual - competencies (outcomes)
b Classroom - instruction
c Context - home, school (organization), teacher education, curriculum, peer
d System - socio-economic and cultural background
e Other ideas of cultural beliefs (relevance of education), funding
Focus on the SINUS project was on a. and b. as well as school and teacher education within c.
Multi-dimensional objectives
T he framework of the program
"To increase the efficiency of math and science instruction"
Located areas to create modules to start development of the task culture.
The outcome was creating 11 modules. The central idea is that the teachers themselves are the driving force in the process and the network. The purpose of the network is to give the teachers support in this developmental work and give them advices from a expert (Set coordinator) in professional teacher development.
Make sure that the teachers know they have the responsibility to carry out the development and they are the experts. They will have to understand and believe in that in order to make thing change in the school.
The students develop a common language; they can communicate within a subject with others.
The institutes' role is to educate and support the coordinators so they can carry out the network with teachers.
Module 1: Further development of the task culture
• working on new material
• motivate them to develop a solution themselv
• working through recently worked-on material
• understand the thoughts and processes presented within the material and to come to a solution.
• solution and to transfer their knowledge to unknown situations.
• Repeat tasks serve to recall subject matter test tasks should show what a student is capable of and where gaps still need to be filled.
Module 2: Scientific inquiry and experiments
• The planning and conception.
• The implementation
• The analysis and interpretation phase
• application phase observe the social relevance of the
• research findings.
• In the presentation reflection on and an understanding of the context.
Module 3: Learning from mistakes
• mistakes are common and are part of everyday learning.
• Learning from mistakes is especially targeted in careers in which mistakes can have very serious consequences.
• What is the situation in school; the institution in which learning is the central activity?
• Working on typical mistakes which emerged, for example, in situations of performance appraisal.
• Making mistakes in lessons visible by writing them down, preparing a drawing or recording them on video.
Module 4: Securing basic knowledge - intelligent learning
at different levels
• intelligent learning at different levels"
• students with different levels of previous knowledge can acquire a common level of basic knowledge in individual domains.
• emphasizes that basic knowledge must be available and applicable at all times
• securing of basic knowledge, it means practicing in a varied and intelligent
• The knowledge can be applied flexibly in different requirement situations.
• the practise tasks must be designed in such a way that they can be worked on at different levels of difficulty.
Module 5: Cumulative learning - making students aware of their
increasing competency
• making students aware of their increasing competency"
• new material draws on material which has already been dealt with.
• see the effort they put into learning as being worthwhile as they recognise that the previously learnt content is useful and they see which further effort is necessary.
• Experiences such as these support motivation more than external incentives such as rewards and grades or the reference to later use in professional life which is still far in the future for students.
• Which possibilities do teachers have to construct students' knowledge step by step and with which approaches have SINUS teachers had positive experiences?
Module 6: Making subject boundaries visible:
working in an interdisciplinary way and a way that connects subjects
• working in an interdisciplinary way and a way that connects subjects; learning in a subject with learning that goes beyond subject boundaries.
• The students should look at phenomena from the perspectives of different disciplines, should see how useful these different perspectives can be but also which boundaries the individual disciplines come up against.
• If questions can not be answered by one subject, students should consult the perspective of another in order to achieve a deeper understanding.
• By this access to multi perspectives, they should also be able to describe complex problems in an appropriate way and learn how to develop solution suggestions.
• tasks whose solutions must implement knowledge taken from different disciplines.
Module 7: Promoting girls and boys
• changes in instruction to remove the disadvantages which girls have in mathematics and science
• to contribute to a general increase in interest and, as a consequence, in the performance of girls and boys in these subjects.
• In the promotion of boys, the module aims to improve their arguing and cooperating ability and to support scientific work which is shared and equal between
• girls and boys.
Module 8: Developing tasks for student cooperation
• Teachers developed suitable tasks to which all of the students scould make a contribution and from which they could all also learn something.
• chose those which were best suited to the common learning aims (for example, expanding groups
• In the implementation, the teachers supported the working processes, ensured that all of the students were working towards a shared goal and intervened in group conflicts. They thus helped the students to develop the social skills necessary for successful
• cooperation.
Module 9: Strengthening students' responsibility for their learning
Module 10: Assessment - surveying and providing feedback
on competency increases
Module 11: Quality assurance within and across schools
1 Introduction of quality development at the participating schools. Teachers in Germany were autonomous. Focus for teachers was on learning how to cooperate with other teachers with a focus also on the classroom and instruction. Teachers were asked to develop materials, units and instructional approaches in a problem-and process oriented manner. Important that colleagues gave feedback to each other on successes and failures. Trying to spread the approach in the schools to other colleagues.
2 Organization - professional development means multiple schools in a network. Networks of 10 schools with one person as a moderator (teacher trainer for example in a 50% position). Universities were brought into the network - especially for the development of a new way to provide teacher education. Links to the other levels of quality assurance in the system.
3 Professional cooperation within and between schools - teachers given the opportunity to meet and decide that they were reponsible for their own change in the classroom. Teachers are the experts who must want to make change in their own teaching. Support from the principal is an important point for including leadership. Integration of SINUS in the school strategic planning document and activities. Work on only 2 modules suggested - what is the biggest problem in your school? Setting an agenda with a structure for change. Collaboration of ideas, development, evaluation of instruction. Exchange of ideas, materials and experiences at school level and between schools.
Support provided for the teachers
1 Detailed written outlines of program-related topics (good examples) and material
2 Coordination and support of the network in schools and between schools.
3 Inclusion of math and science educators and educational psychologists in conferences
4 Internet server
Evaluation of the pilot program
Comparison to Pisa results, questionnaires to teachers and students
Many types of material being developed by teachers and used on the net
Teachers getting better at interpreting materials producted by other teachers
Development of new terminology for teachers (important for teacher professional development)
Video studies showed a very similar script in most classes. Changing the script takes time but is the goal of the project
Two groups of teachers - one wanted more autonomy and the other wanting less (2000)
Group A - explorative (48%)
Group B - guidance-oriented (30%)
Group C - input-oriented (22%)
What did the students learn?
Differences appeared between SINUS school and others. Evidence showed that not only teachers changed by also student performance,
Larger school sets (10), no reduction of teaching load, portfolios
Moving from Pilot phase to scaling up
Second wave (2005 - 2007) now includes 1800 schools. Official program ended in 2007. Some of the states continue the approach. A new program started with primary level in math and science. EU high level group recognized the project.
1 Questions
What are the most successful modules and how is that measured from the students' view of point?
Module 1 was the most attractive for the teachers especially for math teachers. The impact on students varies. The aim is to a least improve on some students.
How is the organization of the network and professional teacher development, and what is the cost?
It will be expensive and cost a lot to start up the project and it demand the country to be willing change their teacher development program.
How was the groups combined and what persons was involved? What was the challenges according to inter disciplinary communication and misunderstanding?
Teacher from different subjects, and have a strong feeling for these questions in the school.
The teachers have to deliver what's demanded of the students to do on their exams. So how can the teachers do the changes without changing the context or are there examples of the teachers work changing the curriculum and the system?
We have to be aware of this and maybe be able to impact the system and make some changes. The core is to present teachers a model that allow them to be professional and how they can work with structures.
Who are choosing to the participant to the networks?
Some schools are sending teachers they see as needed in this project, other teachers ask for participating. Important is that the teachers participating are their on their own free will.
Have you have any feedback from teachers on how the modules work out and are realistic to carry out?
If the school system are aiming at improving the students knowledge and measure their assessment its obvious that only professional development that functions for this purpose is successful and going to be used. It important that the national assessment system has to correlate with these ideas.
Science educators need to have an impact on national assessment tools so that they are not just tests of factual knowledge but also able to solve problems. Important to ask questions about a countries national assessment system - what are they preparing students to do?
Germany does not have a national assessment system.
Subtitle Teacher training in Denmark
Presenter [Ole Goldbeck & Brian Krogh Christensen]
Teacher training in Denmark Compulsory school (1-9 grade)
The system is decentralized and the local authorities are staring the economy for the schools professional development. The country are concerned and are in a process of how to improve.
7 university colleges spread over the country. Content for 4 years training. Each student have to select 1st and 2nd specialization. In science:
• Biology 36 ECTS
• Geography 36 ECTS
• Physics/chemistry 72 ECTS combined with nature/technology 36 ECTS
• Nature technology 72 ECTS combined with Physics/chemistry 36 ECTS
In service training
The ministry has supported the in service training. Little or no training in IBST methods. Variety of have the schools carry out their development of a science culture. Most of the students (90%) are tough by teachers with no science education at all.
Non-compulsory; secondary school
Subtitle Teacher training in Hungary
Presenter [Monika Reti ]
The people in charge of the PD; there are little quality checks and no guaranties of who have responsibility of the development. A lot of different stakeholders. The schools are abounded and the university have lost their role as stakeholder.
Demand 120 hours every 7 th year unless they have a phd or are over 50 years old.
Problems are that the development is expensive and need a lot of administration. The teacher don't get any money to carry out their professional development. It is highly influenced by different interest. There is no policy of IBST. The average age of teachers is high; a lot above 50. A lot of main problems; the situation is quite chaotic.
Subtitle Teacher training in France
Presenter [Dominique Rojat& Jerôme Godin, Jaques Vince]
The policy is quite traditional (conservative). The main problem in France is the reflection of the gap between teaching and learning. The gap is biggest between in service teacher and new ideas who wants to be implemented into the schools. There is a conservative spirit in the teacher community. They have tried out a collaboration with teachers and researcher/adviser.
The universities are in charge of teacher professional development. The local communities are in charge of the economic. No structural approaches to the porf development. IBTS is a subject in the training period, but in in-service they learn to carry it out. The main question/focus has to work with the core curriculum and the problem is the distinct lines between science subjects. The age of teacher might be a problem. The younger teacher might be more connected than the older more experienced teachers. The recruitment is stable, and covering up the number of teachers actually needed.
Subtitle Teacher training in Spain
Presenter [Mari-Pilar Jimenez- Aleixandre]
The responsibility of the professional development are shared between the central government and 17 different autonomous regions. Different language are co-official in Spain.
The charge is department of education in each region through courses and teachers center.
Stakeholders: the director of innovation in each D.E., teacher education offices; teacher association, assessment agencies. The PD is voluntary but required for promotion. No systematic approaches but a high proportion of courses about scientific updating. The PD only randomly support the IBST.
Biggest problem in Europe is that the professionality of the teacher profession is not supported with a framework for teacher professional development and teacher networking.
Impression of the PD in the EUROPEAN countries
Professionality of the teachers' profession is not supported with a structured framework for the teacher pd and teacher network.
How to motivate PD in the EUROPEAN countries
We need to have a strong motivation within each country to implement and carry out the PD. Suggestions are results from TIMSS and PISA, increased recruitment to science educations including science teachers, other?
Subtitle Teacher training in United Kingdom
Presenter [Kathryn Thomson, Bryan Berry]
There is a great culture for PD In the UK. As a teacher you get checked for your standard against other standard which you have to get through in order to get to the next level.
The system for PD is very complicated and difficult for teachers to choose which way to go.
Science learning Centre network. There are several 9 Science learning center all over the country. The national center is located at the University of York. The school has their own economic responsibility so it is impossible to force the teachers into professional development. In Scotland have 30 hours at year to get this PD. The system is moving away from the course form and more into the network long lasting structure. The science centers main aim is to give the teacher an opportunity to update their skill according to process and subjects. The center works on evaluation of the PD in terms of a pre survey and post survey where the teachers report on their own reflecting about how this impacted the students.
www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk
Ma in teaching and learning - a type of MBA for teachers
Lots for teachers to choose from making it a bit confusing
Network of science learning centers - funded by the department of education. 9 regional centers and one national center (York). Cutting edge TPD courses.
Even with support, hard to get teachers out to these courses because of local difficulties.
Scotland has a right to have 30 hours/year for TPD.
Pedagogical issues are a large part of the courses. Trying to make courses a right for teachers.
ASE - looking also a longterm ideas for TPD.
Quality of courses important with assessment done - impact assessment. Teachers asked to be engaged in their needs before the course. During the course, and after also asked to comment.
Subtitle Teacher training in Norway
Presenter [Anders Isnes, Marit Dahl]
New curriculum in all subjects. The responsibility are at municipal level. The teachers get continuously PD through small happenings. A bottom up strategy is implemented in the PD system (kompetanse mål). The school should locate their own needs for PD. The 7 universities are in charge of offering subject course which they choose among. The extra expenses are giving from the national budget. The PD educators often lack competence to carry out courses demanded from the schools. Few teachers classify them self as science teacher even though they are teaching science. A new model should improve this situation.
The science center should through PD help the school to be more practical. They build up competence through "ambassadors" that are teachers given PD. They should build network some way similar to the SINUS. More money needed to the in-service training.
New national curriculum 2008. Centralized ideas but distributed responsibility for TPD. In-service training goes on often - most often as happenings.
Competence for quality (2009-12) - strategy for further education of teachers. Negotiated by stake holders. Responsibilities outlined for each actor in the system. Bottom up strategy means that individual schools have responsibility for mapping needs - they ask universities and colleges for needed courses. Math at elementary, Physics and Chemistry for senior secondary are the priorized areas for this period. Money comes from the national budget. Schools complain that they do not have the money to send teachers to these courses.
No identity as science teachers.
New framework for teacher training will increase subject competency.
Naturfagsenteret - mandate says will help with TPD and connections to the practice field. Ambassadors have been identified to go around to schools and talk to teachers about their development.
Problem in Norway is that the curriculum defines IBST but we are not seeing change in the classrooms.
Subtitle Teacher training in Germany
Presenter [Manfred Prenzel]
16 länder have the responsibility of teachers education. Different phases of education; one in university where the teacher has subject studies in at least two subjects. The education is academic in character and have little practical linked. The didactical practical socialization is located on seminar levels. In service training differ between each länd and is not coordinated and coherent. The future challenge are to improve the coordination and development of the in-service PD.
16 federal states each with responsibility for education
Academic phase of teacher development; universities are autonomous and some are not especially interested in teacher education.
Practical phase of teacher education not a part of the universities. Not coordinated efforts happening in Germany.
Group work - ideas to expand our network into strategies coming from other actors and stake holders. Looking at the challenges in our countries of TPD and what the priorities may be.
Comparisons between countries. Commonalities between lands, how to make initial moves to work on models of TPD.
Back at 1715.
We learned lots about the sinus project - that not all teachers are involved in a school. Perhaps only 20 % are engaged enough to want to participate.
Anders and I discussed ideas of NNN and their introduction into IBST, etc.
Working with our practice schools is also a good idea.
Subtitle [Group discussion of PD.]
Presenter [All]
Question to discuss on a national and an international level.
Partners, directions etc to improve our science education.
• What have failed?
• How should we improve?
• What are the similarities?
• Challenges?
• Curriculum.
• Assessment system?
• Quality ensuring?
• Coordination between countries.
• Networking on common actions.
Group 2
Germany: Katrin Lipowski, Matthias Stadler,
Denmark: Brian Krogh Christensen, Jesper Bruun
United Kingdom: Kathryn Thomson,
Spain: José Francisco Serallé Marzoa
Norway: Majken Korsager
Hungary: Monika Reti
France: Jerôme Godin,
How do define and locate IBST in the countries. What is IBST?
In Spain the PD is not implemented in the schools even the teachers has the PD and seems interested in this education. The subject needs too be translated into the students language and related to their everyday experiences and prior knowledge.
The teachers often reports that the feel that loose control if they have to change into more IBST approach.
Problems in Hungary are that the teacher are often high skills students and therefore have a hard time to handle and deal with students less skilled. The country has to centralize their PD system.
One main issue is to make teachers realize to loose control of the classroom teaching, in order to let the students explore their own ideas and subjects.
Isn't the main core of IBST to do survey and exploring using different tools to get new knowledge. Even students on a lower level your often accomplish them to get motivation and improvement due to the fact that they get other knowledge than the other students and even the teacher.
Sometimes a struggle to get the students to accept the new way of learning because they need to become active and take responsibility for their own learning. This phase could be frightening to many teachers. We need to give them this strength in order to argue this even to parents. Teachers must be willingly to take this battle, to improve and learn for life.
PBL demand the teachers to accept to be able to be flexible and use new methods in their teaching.
The network should be used as a platform to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The teachers should have opportunities to evaluate and reporting back what they got from the PD. This evaluating can be done in several ways like physical meeting or an ICT platform.
Local policy needed to be explored and the teaching methods fitted into the rules on how to teach.
We have give the teachers motivation to carry it out but also how they can get support from important people gained from research literature, policy documents, curriculums etc.
We have to incorporate the continuously assessment test in the everyday school life in order to evaluate the learning process. The final examination and testing in the end of the school education is not enough if we don't have an integrated process through all activities.
A formative assessment self test for the students could be a way to make the students taking responsibility of their own learning and motivating them to learning. In some countries (Germany) are the TIMMS and PISA results used as motivator for PD and school improvement and changing in others not (Denmark).
ICT equipment and the mentality to use it need to be updated in order to function. The important to include in share of knowledge and materials on the internet, this in the networking and even on a international level.
The central core are to build up the network to support changes on group level son not teachers are standing in an individual process of changes.
The science teacher associations can work in advance or in against an implementation of new methods and teaching approach like IBST.
Have can we manage to improve the process of implementation the ISBT and practical work (with mind on)?
In order to make practical work into inquiry we need to be aware of the mind on process. How do we get the quality into the practical work and use reflection and evaluating as everyday tools in teaching. UK had demands from the industry to deliver certain skills which is a way to drive through changes.
How to get the curriculum into the classroom. Implementation of the skills related to marks or concrete methods and lesson of how to achieve these skills.
Group 3
Minding the gap between us and the SINUS. What can we use and how can we overcome barriers. Sharing of experiences, how to motivate the implementation of the network model. Some European common platform for networking.
Group 1
International issue; programs and structures that we can present to stakeholders and policy makers. Make visible all the approaches of how to overcome the problems and possibilities solutions.
Common philosophy among researchers with a common framework. Presenting a common concept to present our ideas. The recruitment of science teachers how to accomplish a high quality.
Create balance between , diversity of teaching approaches. Diversity in the education for teachers but also let the world into the classroom. Give the students input from the real world and get an idea of possibilities within science careers.
Subtitle Collecting knowledge of IBST and PD
Presenter [Tina Seidel, Katrin Lipowski]
Participating in an telephone interview of the local or personal experience of PD and IBST. The questions will be send in advanced in order to be prepared.
Also a questionnaire to map all the teacher educators (in-service) experiences of how they carry out their courses etc.
The questionnaire is online and should be forwarded to around 30 teacher educators (in-service) in each country.
Mind the Gap Workshop on Professional Development PD Day2
Participants:
Germany: Christoph Hammer, Götz Bieber, Tina Seidel, Katrin Lipowski, Manfred Prenzel, Matthias Stadler, Silke Rönnebeck.
Denmark: Jens Dolin, Ole Goldbeck, Brian Krogh Christensen, Robert Evans, Jesper Bruun
United Kingdom: Kathryn Thomson, Sibel Erduran, Bryan Berry.
Spain: Mari-Pilar Jimenez- Aleixandre, José Francisco Serallé Marzoa
Norway: Anders Isnes, Marit Dahl, Doris Jorde, Majken Korsager
Hungary: Monika Reti, Luca Szalay
France: Sylvain Laubé, Jerôme Godin, Jaques Vince, Rita Khanfour, Layal Malkoun, Andrée Tiberghien, Dominique Rojat, Nicolas Rosset
Subtitle Presentation of MTG Work package 4
argumentation and communication.
Presenter [Sibel Erduran & Mari-Pilar Jimenez- Aleixandre & Andrée Tiberghien]
Presentation the partners and main aims of MTG Work package 4 argumentation and communication.
"WP4 will be taking available teacher resources developed in England for supporting argumentation in classrooms and professional development, and embedding these in inquiry based science teaching.
Sequences of lessons will be tried across languages and contexts. An argumentation package for teachers will be developed and will include resources for teachers (eg lesson plans and pupil materials) as well as snapshots of video to show examples of how communication and argumentation ideas may be implanted in science teaching."
Overview of the Spanish contribution
Mari-Pilar Jimenez- Aleixandre
Deliverables
• Resources: printed; booklet
• Resources: webpage
• Dissemination: summer group
• Teachers' focus group
• Presentation in the ESERA conference
Proposing ideas, testing these ideas against evidence, etc is a part of the scientific endeavor.
One of the basic competencies suggested by the EU (2006)
Producing a booklet for teachers as well as web based teaching sequences.
"Science activities for working with argumentation and use of evidence"
Three languages: English, Spanish, Galician
PDF from RODA web site
Summer course in Spain, 2009
Teacher focus groups
ESERA
Case: Fernandez
Phase 1 - proposal of questions
Phase 2 - working in groups and writing a research proposal, including equipment and budget
What are the difficulties associated to implementation of argumentation and IBST in science classrooms?
How can good ideas be implemented in other contexts?
The UK project
Sibel Erduran
Deliverables
• DVD-based video exemplars of the process of team, group, individual reflections.
• Example lessons resources.
• Report overview of the project including model of CPD.
Survey on teachers reflections about the gaps definition in the MTG project
1 What are the gaps important from your point of view?
2 What are the most important gaps to be filled?
3 How should we work to overcome these gaps?
The main gap that was identified by teachers where: the gap between teaching and learning. The process working with teachers was based the modeling of argumentation practices.
Bridging gaps in argument
Examples of using Toulmins model to bridge the gap between teaching and learning by asking questions like "how do you know that?, whats your evidence? etc."
Important aspects are to do the evaluation of the exercises. The main aim of the evaluation is to understand and use argumentation to give their claims validity.
Important issues to be aware of:
• Use the correct language and context in which the teachers are embedded in.
• Concentrating on areas of the gap that teachers are interested in.
• Range of resources to suit different lesson objectives for argument.
Working with teachers to produce a DVD
What did teachers think were the gaps that are important for their teaching and recommendations for bridging the gaps. What recommendations did they have for us?
England and Wales - has a curriculum component call "How science works". This is the context where one finds argumentation in the curriculum. (DfES, 2006)
They prioritized the gap between teaching and learning as most important
Modeling argumentation practice for teachers was necessary if we want them to implement it in their own teaching.
1 Identify a problem to investigate
2 Gather and evaluate data
3 Select and justify evidence
4 Communicating knowledge - presentation to peers and wider audiences
Need to use correct language with teachers.
Need to identify the gaps teachers think are worthwhile exploring
Resources are being developed to
Questions
How can we use this knowledge about argumentation to get a sustainable tool that teachers can use so it is not just a happening?
Keep development of the teaching material in the UK and Spain. Find a way to implement the ideas of argumentation into the models of SINUS and also keep on development into the deliverables of S-TEAM.
How do the people outside MTG look on the use of argumentation as a part of science teaching?
The new UK curriculums are applying for these kinds of working methods and very clear about the "way science works". It new to most science teachers and they need time and instruction to be familiar with the methods.
It is not just about science but how to bring in the issues about "How scientists work"?
We need to bring in the discussion about how scientists work today and get material to that to implement that in schools. There is not one scientific method.
The French project and contribution
Andrée Tiberghien
The French group has been working on a project with a webpage named Pegase. The Pegase webpage contains teaching material for teachers within several topics. The lessons are supported by the curriculum, video clips to show examples of how the lessons can be carried out.
Pegase website is aimed at French (and French-speaker) physics and chemistry teachers and trainers at secondary schools. This website has been designed through a long term collaborative process between physics teachers and science education researchers. Teacher can find complete teaching sequences, with fruitful comments and videos from teaching situations. For further information, more general resources are available in the "Professional Development" section. These resources are explicitly linked with teaching activities. They can be used by teachers' trainers.
The page is divided into to sections ; Teaching and PD.
This section proposes teaching sequences in agreement with the officialcurriculum. Each teaching sequence is structured into several parts, which consist of several activities. These activities can be proposed as such to students Comments for teachers associated to each activity are provided : Aim, Running the task, Knowledge, Students' behaviour (including videos) and Providing answers.
This section proposes general resources explicitly linked with teaching activities. However, these resources are useful for any activity. They are dealing with:
• Learning hypothesis
• Advices to manage classrooms
• Typical students' difficulties.
Subtitle Presentation of MTG Work package 3
Scientific literacy and IBST
Presenter [Jens Dolin, Robert Evans, Jesper Bruun]
Presentation of how the scientific literacy could be mapped with visible by using the pajek program. The map is based on phrasing the sentences and categorizing them. The link are connected to videos of examples. By clicking on a link you can relate it to a string and further on to the video.
Do the maps correlate and show the descriptions and definitions from the policy documents (curriculum)?http://www1.ind.ku.dk/mtg/wp3/scientificliteracy/maps/1
Teachers use one page coherent add explanations of terms.
Comments:
Should we use PISA at all? It could be infected due to the fact that it is loved or hated and that might influence the process in a negative way.
The videos is supported by a box on the side with commentary; context and strings. Example:
Commentary
Background
In this session, they have been assigned to work in groups to make a decision about whether invest money on Mars Exploration project based on informations they have been offered. in this clip, they are working in groups with different roles to play, such as time keeper, resource manager and recorder, etc.
Link to IBST
According to the Mind the Gap definition of what enquiry based science teaching means, the claims are that
* It is an authentic task for the students (IBST criterium i)
* The students are self-regulated in their discussion of the questions (IBST criterium iii)
* The students are discussing and commenuicating with each others on scientific problems (IBST criterium iv)
Context
Information about the school
Nørre G is located in the North West parts of Copenhagen. It is an International Baccalaureate school.
Information about the class
This particular class is an IB class, which means that teaching is in English. Some of the students have English as their first language, but the class is ethnically diverse.
Strings
A scientifically literate person uses scientific knowledge to explain scientific phenomen
A scientifically literate person understands the characteristic features of science as a form of human knowledge
The student can use models which qualitatively describe simple relationships in nature.
The videos might not be long enough to show what been going on throughout the whole lesson. A solution to that is to use videos fast forwarded in some parts of the video and slow down in important parts. It could be too ambitious to link all strings to videos.
The purpose of the videos is to create an ICT platform where teachers can upload their own examples of practice in lessons. Like a "youtube" platform with discussions and contributions from teachers. Like an interactive dynamic forum. The function is both to illustrate and to be used for discussion of good practice.
Taking a position from MtG on what we mean by scientific literacy. From this we present good practice to illuminate these ideas.
What does it mean to be a science teacher and also consider the fact that your curriculum aims at creating scientifically literate citizens?
The function of the maps is not entirely understood at this point in time.
Subtitle ICT tools
Presenter [Jaques Vince, Andrée Tiberghien, Sylvain Laubé]
IBST potential of a web-based resource: criteria, resource IBST - quality evaluation. ICT presentation - evaluation sheet for IBST found in IT resources.http://www.inrp.fr/pegase-en/
A presentation of Pegase and how to use it. How can web-based resources be used as IBST? The group present a analytic tool used to analyze and evaluate the (resource) webpage or program used. The analyze should help to visualize what parts of IBST that can be address by the resource.
The point is to use this tool to analyze any kind of tools and locate the ISBT in different parts.
Subtitle Dissemination of National PD
Norway
Use the webpage naturfag.no to build up a database containing high quality teaching material for teachers. The future job is to structure and connect the material to the Norwegian curriculum. a very successful web site. We want to support the materials developed and increase the pedagogical comments on the developed materials.
Network possibilities to use already existing networks to develop the SINUS idea. Materials developed will be used to trigger the discussions.
The challenge is to reach out to schools and get things started
Denmark
Ideas from Pegase and IBST from the MTG network can be evaluated in Denmark. They will develop the use of video material. How they can use this in future perspective of PD. Denmark have been struggling with the video usage. Looking at how others have been integrating video into their pedagogical offerings to teachers has been useful. Broadened perspectives of IBST. Teacher education for the future - how to not just perpetuate old ideas.
Hungary
Found the material from SINUS and some of the modules. Translate them into Hungarian. Teachers Hungarian organization is weak and need to be strengthen. Also a more centralized system of PD. They also see the possibilities of using the concept maps to visualize the curriculum aims when creating new curriculums (grade 6-12). idea of creating a learning environment is important. TPD and role teacher training organizations in all countries. Science learning centers would be a great thing to start in Hungary. Liked the concept maps and are working on a new curriculum for grades 6-12 so this is helpful. Video is also helpful for demonstrating the ideas of IBST.
United Kingdom
Trying to centralize the system because it is today very scaffolding. IBST is much about attitudes that has to be changes. Create motivation for long-life learning among teachers (and students). Synthesize all experience in a common knowledge bank that can be distributed to teachers. Like a kid in a sweetshop because there are so many different offerings for TPD in the United Kingdom. Teachers must have an attitude towards wanted to learn and make changes. Taken examples of how to use ideas in TPD.
France
Help teachers to strengthen their work. Use online material in their teaching. Use PD to develop IBST in service training. need to develop in-service teacher training. On-line resources - help them find them. Try to reduce the gap between the real life and examples teachers tend to use in classrooms.
Spain
Starting with a small group of teachers and hopefully spreading results to other parts of Spain. Will use some of the resources discussed here with ideas from SINUS in some of these courses. Will need to translate. Need web based resources for teachers.
Germany
Every country has to take what they think is fruitful in for their country. It is important to share knowledge and communication of good examples. It is necessary to know of what is going on in other countries. What are the important stakeholders and how do we get them with us in the development process. Integrate PD model in the regular system, we have to be care of the good things we have but also se possibilities to make some changes.
SINUS has been a successful in their country and glad that others are interested. Good to see how SINUS is being discussed. Also good to learn about other good examples of TPD in other European countries. Also how important the stakeholders have been in the discussions.
Dissemination - everyone should be on board; ministries, science educators, etc. all those who have a driving energy to make change.
Collective learning processes of teachers - how to bring this into a system for other teachers to learn and share with each other?
SINUS now going over to the federal states - how to make sure that this model is integrated into the country systems.
Conclusion - great to have so many people here to share their views.
Thanks to all who organized the meeting.
We were welcomed to Hungary to the next seminar of Mind the Gap!