Title: Innovation in science education : La main а la pвte case study
1Innovation in science education La main à la
pâte case study
- David Jasmin, david.jasmin_at_inrp.fr, La main à la
pâte, France - OECD-Germany Workshop, Bad Honnef, , 17-18
November 2008
2French Context
- Primary education
- 61 000 primary schools
- 350 000 classes
- Kindergarten 99.5 of the 3 6 years old
- Elementary 100 of the 6 11 years old
- Primary school teachers
- Polyvalent teachers (same teacher for all
subjects) - Recruited at levels high school 0 (1960s) to
high school 5 (1993) - 80 literary
- Primary educational system
- Top-down and pyramidal system
- National curriculum but local diversity
- Focus on reading/ writing/ counting
- In 1995 lt 3 classes practicing science (Often
biology, Frontal pedagogy..)
3A brief history of La main à la pâte (2)
- 1995 1996
- Georges Charpak Inquiry based science education
(IBSE) small scale experimentation in 344 classes - 1998
- Launch of the La main à la pâte Website
- 2000
- The experimentation has expanded to over 5 000
classes - The Ministry launch an official Plan for science
teaching - Creation of La main à la pâte pilot centers
- development of international partnerships
- 2002
- New official Curriculum inspired by La main à la
pâte - 2003-2008
- National resources for teachers and trainers (
guides/ DVD..) - 2006 launch of an experimental program
(Integrated science and technology teaching for
grade 6 7 ?and the European project POLLEN - 2007
- gt 30 teachers teach science with an active
pedagogy - National K 5 pupils assessment in Science (
results in 2008)
4From innovation to generalization
- Main problem quality and substainability
- Scale-up strategy
- ? Tools ( science note book, high quality
resources ) - ? Teacher training ? Use of Internet and
other media - ?Involving teachers in innovative projects
- ? Implication of the scientific community
- ? Creation of pilot centers with a systemic
approach - ? Partnership with institutions and
no-conventional actors - ? International cooperation
-
5Teacher training put teachers in childrens
role
- 2 aspects
- teaching practice
- scientific concepts
- Involve trainers scientists
- To train teachers as children will be taught
- Embody theorical approach in a active practice of
science for a sustainable and internal change of
teaching - Involve in resource productions (class sequences,
books, Websites...)
6Internet a powerful tool
- 200 000 visitors / month
- 10.000 registered people
- gt 200 teachers free activities
- Scientists and trainers network..
- www.lamap.fr
7Innovative projects
- Beginning with shadows, angles parallels
- Connect schools at different latitudes (gt 10
countries) - Determine Earths radius, dispersion of data
- Integrate Math, Astronomy, Measure, Geography,
History, Writing - Publication of a book CDROM (2002) for
teachers parents
Other projects Living with the Sun, European
discoveries, Marco Polo
8Involvement of scientists in primary education
(ASTEP) www.astep.fr
Supporting in class
Supporting collaborative projects
Supporting through sponsorship
ASTEP
Supporting resources production
Supporting teacher training
Supporting from a distance
9Creation of pilot centers a systemic approach
Thematic projects
Evaluation
10International networking
- Collaboration with gt 30 countries and 3 regional
areas through the network of Academy of sciences - Example La main à la pâte in Europe
- POLLEN European project (2006-2009 ), coordinated
by La main à la pâte 12 countries, 1500
teachers and 30000 pupils at the present time. - Recent report from a group of European experts
Science education now a renewed pedagogy for
the future of Europe (May 2007) Pollen and
Sinus Transfer as reference projects. - French Presidency of the European Union
international conference on science education
Paris, October 8-9, 2008. - Next Project ? Fibonnacci science City
twinning
11Partenership and scale-up strategy
Académie des sciences INRP Ecole normale
supérieure
Ministry of education
Global strategy
Scientific community
- Internet Site
- Resources Centers
- Pilot Centers/seed city
- Resources publication
Curricula
Teachers training (IUFM/university)
350 000 classes (61 000 schools)
12Key elements for successful scaling-up
- Content inquiry based pedagogy/
interdisciplinary/ new tools.. - Organization local model / teacher oriented /
systemic approach/ local partners.. - Politic role of the Academy of science /
partnership with ministry of education/ and
prestigious scientific institutions /
international cooperation - Communication focused on teachers/ media
coverage through well-know scientists/ activities
opened to parents..
13Conclusion
- In 10 years science in 3 ? gt 30 classes in
primary school a new experimentation in junior
high schools - Teacher training and coaching is the main issue
for generalization - Positive feedback from teachers, society and
higher education - For an effective impulsion and coordination,
Academy of sciences, Ministry of Education and
local authorities have to work hand in hand
14Appendix
15General philosophy of La main à la pâte
- Science as an inquiry, as an investigation
- Something pupils do, not something that is done
for them - Teacher helps pupils to built their own knowledge
- Emphasis is put on
- Interrogation
- Action
- Experimentation
- collective reconstruction
- not on learning statements to be memorized!
- Pupils get a deeper understanding when they try
to present in an oral or written (science
notebook) way their conclusion and to confront
the with experimental results
16The 10 principles of La main à la pâte
- Children observe experiment on real, close
objects/phenomena. - Children argue and reason, share ideas, build
knowledge. - Teacher proposes activities organized in
sequences, leaving ample space for children
autonomy. - Spend a minimum of 2 hours/week on same theme,
for several weeks. Ensure continuity over the 5-6
years of elementary school. - Have children keep their Experiment Notebook with
their own words. - Aim to an appropriation of scientific
concepts/procedures along with a language (oral
written) acquisition. - Associate family neighborhood.
- Scientific partners to accompany the action.
- Involve the trainers learning by doing.
- Create Internet resources exchanges
www.inrp.fr/lamap
17La main à la pâte partners
INRP
18Discussion list exchanges
- Message 1 Hello,I am a teacher in grade 5 and
we just started to study objects animated by the
wind. Here are some of them a windmill, the
kind of mills you can find in funfairs,
weathercocks, preferably " solid " kites that
would be attached to big sticks in order to
float, non-stuffed scarecrows You can also use
your imagination.Pupils also found for me plans
in revision books, like Hatier, HachetteGood
luck for your " planting "Agnès - Message 2 Hello,I would advise you to go have
a quick look on the website from the Paul Bert
school in SENS.A complete work on " air, wind "
has been carried out by these colleagues (NB an
article in the excellent magazine Moniteur92
(consulting address below) about the
website)CordiallyMichel Le journal des
nouvelles technologies à l'écolehttp//www.crdp.a
c-versailles.fr/cddp92/monit92/default.htm
19Questions to scientists
- QuestionWithin the framework of manipulations
about water, we made steam by heating water with
6-year olds. During the elaboration of the
account, the children were willing to write "the
steam escapes and disappears in the air". The
last remark bothers me in the way that after
holding a glass over the steam, the children saw
that there was condensation What else can we say
but " the steam disappears in the air " ? - Jean Basdevant, researcher at the Ecole
Polytechnique answers the question by e-mail
within 48 hours...Hello, The children are
always right. The steam disappears effectively
that is to say we don't see it any longer, it no
longer "appears". The steam is a gaz composed
with water that mixes to the air and that we
don't see (like we don't see perfume we can smell
in the air, though it has a color in the bottle).
Water, thus mixed with air, can reappear as tiny
drops, like in clouds or condensing over a glass,
if the conditions help, for example if it is
cold. Have a look at your kettle. The "steam"
that comes out of it is visible. It condenses in
droplets of water at its contact with the air
around that is colder when it is dense, but then
it gets diluted and it disappears.It can also
reappear by condensation on the windows or on the
ceiling. Carry out the experiment to leave your
glass near the steam for a long time. After some
time, the steam will not condense on it any
longer, because it will have heated up. I think
there is confusion between " steam " that come
out from steam-machines that you can see because
it is condensed water, and real water steam that
is water in a gaseous state like butane.
20Questions to trainers
- QuestionWhat experiments can I carry out about
salt marshes with 3 to 5 year olds ? - Answer from Elisabeth Plé , trainer at the IUFM
from Reims, center of Troyes, by e-mail within 48
hours...You can make yourself a small salt marsh
by putting sea water (since you live in La
Rochelle) to evaporate. You will then look for
ideal conditions for the evaporation to work. Of
course, in kindergarten, it is not possible to
consider a separation of factors, but you can try
to find a solution to " spread out " water under
the sun, like in a salt marsh. For example, you
can put the water under the sun in plates or iron
biscuit box tops. The operation takes a long
time.You can also try to find with the children
other ways to heat water. For them, the sun takes
the water away , " drinks it " the
representation of the sun as a source of heat is
not immediate. It is an obstacle to know about
when you want to carry out this type of work.
When you get over it, you can heat the sea water
in a sauce pan and get the white powder that
appears, miraculously for the children. It is
also interesting to " make " sea water and to get
back the salt you put in it. You work on the
(visible) disappearance of the salt by adding
water, and then the reappearance by evaporation
(in the saucepan).The progression. If the
children from your class in La Rochelle are not
very familiar with salt marshes, it might as well
be interesting to carry out researches in class,
to become a salt producer, and then to go visit
the salt marsh. The children will then ask
questions to a specialist with " producer
questions ". They have a better view of the
small-scale and industrial making process.
21Scientific patronage
- Example Integrated science and technology
teaching (grade 6 - 7)? - 30 junior high schools officially engaged in 5
French counties regions - For each region a science academician
patronage - In each secondary school, a single teacher
(biology-geology, physics-chemistry or
technology) for each group of pupils - 3.5 to 4.5 hours of Science and technology
per week - TEACHING RESSOURCES http//science-techno-college
.net/ - Progressive guidelines and teaching materials
proposed by the Académie des sciences (available
online) - - What is the world made of ? Mater and
materials (grade 6)? - - How does the world work? Energy and energies
(grade 5)? - Resource book written by professional scientists
22Inquiry based science in the World
China Vietnam S. Korea Malaysia
Afghanistan
Quebec
Belgium
Serbia Romania Slovaquia
Mexico
Haiti
Sri Lanka
Morocco Algeria
Associated countries
Hands-on
La main à la pâte
Colombia Brazil Chile
Direct collaborations
Senegal Gabon
Lebanon Egypt
Madagascar Mauritius