science education in iceland
TRANSCRIPT
Science education in Iceland: Status, challenges and projects
Birgir U. Ásgeirsson, Ester Ýr Jónsdóttir & Svava Pétursdóttir
Scientix meeting in Reykjavík, September 26 2015
#scientix #scientix_rvk
Structure
• Icelandic educational system
• Teachers education
• STEM education/curriculum
• Challenges in STEM
• What are we doing?
329.100 people
167 schools
30th August 2015
Educational system
Age Type Financial
Responsibility Compulsory
1-6 Pre-primaryschool Municipality NO
6-16 Primary school Municipality YES
16-19/20 Secondary school Government NO
≥ 19 Higher education Government NO
≥ 18 Adult/continous Varies NO
Teachers‘ education
Age of students Type Education requirements by law
1-6 Pre-primaryschool M.Ed.
6-16 Primary school M.Ed.
16-19/20 Secondary school
(General academic and vocational education)
Bachelor in subject + M.Ed. or Master in subject + diplom in education
≥ 19 Higher education Ph.D. / None
≥ 18 Adult/continous None
Context for teaching science in Iceland
• Standardized testing • From 2002 - 2008
• Long tradition of using textbooks • Only one publisher of science textbooks
• Textbooks and 1999 curriculum were well-aligned
• New materials for middle school after 1999
• Digital materials now provide teachers with more choice, even if material is in English
STEM education
• National curriculum
• Competnece based
• Six fundamental concerns
Challenges in STEM Lack of science teachers
• Science teachers About half are trained as science teachers Generally weak PCK
Challenges in STEM Teachers‘ isolation
• Small schools, 157/167 fewer than 600 pupils Often only once science teacher
Challenges - facilities
Image: http://www.ruv.is/frett/stytting-nams-hluti-af-tillogum
Challenges in STEM Out-dated resources
Learning materials
0
1
2
3
4
5
Textbooks Videos(online or
DVD)
Onlineeducationalresources
Pupliclearning
resources
Resourcesfor
practicalwork
Teachingguides
Handbooks Educationalsoftware(including
apps insmart
devices)
Very often Very seldom
Physical resources
29% say there
is no science
room
24% say there
is no outdoor
classroom/area
1
2
3
4
5
Often Seldom
Challenges in STEM Lack of students
NaNO-project
• The NaNO-project focuses on upper and
lower secondary level science education in
Iceland.
– It is funded by the 2011 Birthday Fund, University
of Iceland and other funds.
• Project managers NaNO work with other
specialists on
– developing courses, a resource bank, Science
Plaza (Náttúrutorg) and EduCamps.
Science Plaza and EduCamps
Perceived needs
• I am the only science teacher in this
school and have nobody to talk to
• I learn most from talking to other teachers
• It is ridiculous that we are each working in
our own corner
• This subject is difficult to teach, my
knowledge is not strong enough
Aims of the Plaza – to strengthen
science education
• To increase cooperation between science
teachers.
• To establish a collection of teaching resources.
• To facilitate increased professional development
opportunities.
• To support the use of ICT in science education.
Ester Ýr Jónsdóttir
Birgir Ásgeirsson
Svava Pétursdóttir
Hafdís Ragnarsdóttir
Margrét Júlía Rafnsdóttir
Support for STEM from School of Ecucation
Sjálfbærni
Online community Facebook
21
Website
Events f2f
Teachers : • Ask questions • Give advice • Share resources • Discuss issues 400+ members Science teachers Trainee teachers University Institutions
Community on
What demonstrations do you
use when teaching chemical
reactions and where do you get
the materials?
Many ideas and discussions
about pupil reactions
13 comments, 15 ,,likes”
The word density has always disturbed me..... Discussion about the use and meaning of scientific concepts
+ guidance in using Facebook;)
Just saw a fun experiment on youtube, here is a link to instuctions to a lot of experiments , a handy website.
Cool, to put a stopwatch on the projector if you are measuring heartrates with pupils
Menntakvika 2011
Any ideas for teaching nuclear energy to year 10? 13 replies. Material for a whole teaching sequence.
F2f activities • Meetings, Edu-Camps and workshops
• Peer learning
• Give access to expertise
• Support community building
Educamps
Peer to peer
• Narrow themes/topics
• Different target groups by school level
• Participants contribute
• Ideas and advice flow freely during events
• Events held in schools = no cost
• Contributions recorded and presented on the
SciencePlaza
Educamps
Impact from Edu-Camps
• Courage and knowledge to
do practical work.
• Opportunities for peer
learning and professional
development.
EduCamps have been great in all regards. It was good to meet other teachers and get good ideas. My participation has had a positive influence on me as a teacher, better teacher, better teaching. I have used these ideas with good results.
The webpage http://natturutorg
• A necessary front
• Growing content
• User created
“I have visited the webpage
and used materials from
it.”
Good to be able to go
to the resource bank,
that you do not have
to look everywhere
for resources and
ideas and try to
remember where this
and that webpage is
and so on….
I think it should be
linked to all the ideas
from the Edu-Camps
and where teacher
could share more
ideas and pupil
tasks. A resource
bank with teaching
ideas, worksheets
and such
No longer paddling alone!
Still lone canoers out there, active community too small
Collaboration, cooperation,
community of practice
Visits to companies and institutions
NaNO resource bank
07.11.2014
Courses
• Teacher-students and in-service teachers
Conferences, events, ect.
Other Icelandic activities
Takk! [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
@svavap @birgirua @Ester_Yr
#scientix
#scientix_rvk http://slideshare.net/svavap/ @svavap