1. HORIZON 2020
Science Education – Policy aspects
• Maria KARAMITROU
• DG RTD B.7 - Science with and for Society
- Science Education
• Teaching the TEMI way congress
• Leiden, 15 April 2016
3. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SCIENCE EDUCATION in DG RTD
• The European Commission/DG RTD has been supporting
Science Education (SE) for > than 15 years :
• - FP6 - Science and Society Programme
• - FP7 - Science in Society Programme
• - Horizon 2020 - Science with and for Society (SwafS)
Programme
• and has provided substantial financial support towards
strengthening SE in Europe by supplementing actions
undertaken at the national level.
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4. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SCIENCE EDUCATION under FP7
(2007-2013)
• Some key figures:
• - 38 CSA and CP projects funded
• - 1 service contract (Scientix 1)
• - over € 90M EU contribution
• - EUCYS
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6. HORIZON 2020
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€3.5m EU-funded teacher training initiative designed to help
transform how STEM subjects are taught in classrooms.
• Almost 1000 teachers trained across the EU
• The TEMI methodology explained in the booklet Teaching the
TEMI way, available in English, Czech, Italian, German, French
and Dutch. (6 languages)
• TEMI Book of Science Mysteries, featuring 30 mysteries and
lesson plans developed the TEMI way.
• TEMI partners involved in multiple initiatives to carry on with
TEMI after the end of the project.
Multilingual website http://www.teachingmysteries.eu/
FP7-Science-in-Society-2012-1, Grant Agreement N. 321403
7. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SCIENCE EDUCATION in H2020
A Research and Innovation policy,
• which aims to cover the needs of society,
• calls for focus on Science Education.
• Initiatives, reinforcing links between Education and Future
Career Developments, are necessary to boost
• European economic growth and competiveness.
•
• One of 5 pillars of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
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8. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
Science Education in H2020 - the
story so far….
Science Education forms the basis for the full achievement of the
Innovation Union and the European Research Area.
Creative and innovative formal and informal teaching and learning
help young people make the best use of their capacities and
capabilities to become a force of innovation and to address the
challenges faced by young people when pursuing careers in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Horizon 2020 has been financing a range of initiatives to pursue
greater participation of young people in science and encourage long-
term scientific careers. Projects include formal settings of science
education (e.g. schools) and non-formal, out-of-school teaching
settings (e.g. science parks, science museums and events).
Slightly different emphasis for 2016 – 2017….
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9. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
….The different emphasis follows the recent publication of
“Science Education for Responsible Citizenship” report
which makes recommendations on how best to equip
citizens with the skills they need for active participation in
the processes that will shape all of our futures.
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http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/pdf/pub_science_education/KI-NA-26-893-EN-N.pdf
10. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
Science Education actions in H2020
Closed SwafS calls :
o SwafS WP 2014 – 2015 for projects on making science
careers attractive for young people 1/Innovative ways to
make science education and scientific careers attractive to
young people (SEAC.1.2014.2015) and 2/Incorporating RRI
in Higher Education curricula (SEAC.2.2014)
o SwafS WP 2016 – 2017 for projects on Celebrating
European Science (SwafS-25-2016)
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11. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
Science Education actions in H2020
Ongoing SwafS calls:
o SwafS WP 2016 – 2017 for projects on 1/Open Schooling
and collaboration on science education (SwafS-15-2016) !
The call opened on 13 April 2016! and 2/Science
education outside the classroom (SwafS-11-2017) ! The call
will open by 2017!
Consultation for WP 2018-2020 now open! (deadline 4
July 2016 but feedback would be welcome by mid-
June) http://ec.europa.eu/research/consultations/swafs-wp2018-2020/consultation_en.htm
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12. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
Science Education actions in H2020
SCIENTIX
SCIENTIX III - Building and maintaining a Science Education
Community in Europe by promoting Inquiry-Based Science Education
and other initiatives at national level (EUN Partnership AISBL).
Scientix - the community for science education in Europe -
was developed to ensure a wide uptake and dissemination of
STEM education practices.
Scientix III – the next edition of the very successful
Scientix community will be started this year. As well as
continuing what Scientix has been doing, we hope to find a
means for its long term sustainability.
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13. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
Science Education actions in H2020
EUCYS
The European Commission also recognises that science events to inspire and
mobilise young people, are more important than ever. The annual European
Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) is one of Europe's premier
events for showcasing young scientific talent. It brings together winners of
national science competitions (young people between 14 and 20 years of age)
to compete with their European counterparts. EUCYS 2016 is being organised
here in Brussels while EUCYS 2017 will take place in Estonia.
•
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14. HORIZON 2020
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Useful Links
SCIENCE WITH AND FOR SOCIETY:
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/science-
and-society
HORIZON 2020:
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/
EUROPEAN RESEARCH AREA:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm
Scientix: www.scientix.eu
European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS):
http://ec.europa.eu/research/youngscientists
15. Thank you for your
attention!
Maria.KARAMITROU@ec.europa.eu
European Commission - DG RTD B.7
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16. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SwafS-25-2016: Celebrating
European Science (CSA) - closed
• Europe's vibrant research and innovation ecosystem
produces a third of the world's high impact publications and
patent applications. It is crucial to sustain this excellent
track record by celebrating European science and by
stimulating interest in research careers. This call supports
high level scientific events bringing students into direct
contact with experienced distinguished scientists so that
they can gain useful insight and advice from those with
successful and rewarding careers.
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17. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SwafS-15-2016: Open Schooling
and collaboration on SE (CSA) –
now open
• The Science Education action to be financed in
2016 is a recommendation of the SEEG report.
The action calls for collaboration between
education providers, enterprises and civil society
to ensure relevant and meaningful engagement
of all societal actors with science to increase the
uptake of science studies and careers.
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18. PolicyResearch and
Innovation
SwafS-11-2017: Science education
outside the classroom (RIA) – to be
opened
• Science education outside the classroom i.e. informal
science education, and the effects of non-educational
activities, are not well explored. Acquiring and evaluating
knowledge, often with the help of the Internet, is
happening in reality, and should be recognised for what it
contributes in terms of more sophisticated consumers and
scientific citizenship. Consideration on what is available and
what is being learnt would be useful to understand how
science education outside the classroom influences today's
citizens.
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In 2014, an Expert Group was appointed by the EC in order to work in drawing on what we have achieved so far in the field of science education, and is supporting the EC by suggesting new policy options and initiatives within the broader context of Horizon 2020, Responsible Research and Innovation, and the European Research Area. Their report was published during the summer 2015.
Based on the objectives and recommendations listed in the report, the Expert Group has provided a list of actions, both at the EU and at the national level, which will certainly serve for future policy-making.
The Expert Group has come up with the following six objectives and a number of recommendations related to these objectives:
1. Science education should be an essential component of a learning continuum for all, from pre-school to active engaged citizenship.
Education policies and systems should:
• Ensure that science is an essential component of compulsory education for all children;
• Support schools, teachers, teacher educators, and students of all ages to adopt an inquiry approach to science education as part of the core framework of science education for all;
• Address socio-economic, gender and cultural inequalities in order to widen access and provide all talents with the opportunities to pursue excellence in learning and learning outcomes;
Science education should balance requirements of breadth and depth of knowledge about science to ensure young people and adult learners are both motivated for learning and equipped to fully engage in scientific discussions and decisions, and to facilitate further and deeper study;
2. Science education should focus on competences with an emphasis on learning through science, and shifting from STEM to STEAM by linking science with other subjects and disciplines.
Greater attention should be given to the value of all disciplines and how inter-disciplinarity (STEAM rather than STEM) can contribute to our understanding and knowledge of scientific principles and solving societal challenges.
Educational institutions, at all levels, should boost understanding of the importance of science education as a means of acquiring key competences to ease transition from “education to employability” (E2E), by
Learning about science through other disciplines and learning about other disciplines through science;
Strengthening the inter-connectivity between science, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation;
More emphasis should be placed on ensuring all citizens are equipped with the skills and competences needed in the digitalized world beginning from preschool.
3. The quality of teaching, from induction through pre-service preparation and in-service professional development, should be enhanced to improve the depth and quality of learning outcomes.
Actions should be taken to continually improve teaching quality, with greater focus on teacher competences, disciplinary knowledge, and students and teachers learning together;
Efforts should be undertaken to attract more highly qualified and motivated people to become teachers, and boost the status and prestige of the profession;
Greater emphasis should be given to closing the research-practice gap, by embedding science education research findings into teacher preparation, curriculum development, teaching and learning, and assessment for learning (AfL);
4. Collaboration between formal, non-formal and informal educational providers, enterprise and civil society should be enhanced to ensure relevant and meaningful engagement of all societal actors with science, and increase uptake of science studies and science-based careers.
Encourage “open schooling” where
Schools, in cooperation with other stakeholders, become an agent of community well-being;
Families are encouraged to become real partners in school life and activities;
Professionals from enterprise, civil and wider society are actively involved in bringing real-life projects into the classroom;
Promote partnerships between teachers, students, researchers and stakeholders in science-related fields, in order to work on real-life challenges and innovations, including associated ethical and social issues;
Develop guidelines on how to integrate responsibility and responsiveness into formal, non-formal and informal Science Education, following the principles of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation);
5. Greater attention should be given to promoting responsible research and innovation (RRI) and enhancing public understanding of scientific findings, and the capabilities to discuss their benefits and consequences.
The link between scientists, researchers, science educators and the media should be strengthened to ensure more effective public communication, in a way that makes the underlying issues and consequences understandable by citizens;
Science educators, at all levels, have a responsibility to embed social, economic and ethical principles into their teaching and learning in order to prepare students for active citizenship and employability;
Publicly-funded science education researchers have a responsibility to openly communicate, share and disseminate research outcomes with wider society, and to the international research community;
Citizens should be actively and directly involved in science research and innovation projects.
6. Emphasis should be placed on connecting innovation and science education strategies, at local, regional, national, European and international levels, taking into account societal needs and global developments.
Links between responsible research and innovation strategies at local, regional and national level should be strengthened and evaluated in order to overcome regional and other disparities across Europe;
Collaborating and sharing knowledge of and about science and science communication, as well as identifying solutions for global societal challenges facing humankind, should be actively pursued with international partners;
Science education should benefit from an agreed set of international guidelines, evidence based and grounded on collaborative and inclusive deliberations.