“What is Inquiry Based Science Education? - sharing approaches from the four European projects Establish, Fibonacci, Pathway and SAILS” at ESOF 2012

1. What is Inquiry Based Science Education?
Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, Prof. Tina Jarvis, Dr. Margaret Farren,
Dr. Anders Jönsson, Dr. Kara McGann

2. Symposium Overview
1. Overview of Inquiry Based Science Education
2. Specific features from four FP7 projects –
• ESTABLISH - Eilish McLoughlin
• Fibonacci - Tina Jarvis
• Pathway - Margaret Farren
• SAILS - Anders Jonsson
3. Stakeholders viewpoint – IBEC - Kara McGann
4. Round table discussions to identify key questions/concerns.
5. Questions posed to panellists.

3. Europe needs scientists (1)
By 2020 there will be 20 million high-skilled and 30
million medium-skilled jobs using STEM in Europe.
EUN

4. Europe needs scientists (2)
The key point is equipping every citizen with the skills
needed to live and work in the knowledge society by
giving the opportunity to develop critical thinking and
scientific reasoning that will enable them to make
informed choices.
Science Education Now! The Rocard report for the European
Commission, 2007

5. Skills supply and demand in Europe to 2020
... a considerable shift in labour demand towards skilled
workers, implying that future jobs will become more
knowledge and skills intensive .
Technicians and associate professionals ….. have
the highest potential for job creation in the next
decade (around 4.5 million)
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2010

6. The basic elements of science education
curriculum
pedagogy assessment

7. Inquiry-based science education:
what does it mean?
1. A curriculum that includes scientific
processes as well as content.
2. Pedagogy that takes a practical, hands-on
approach
3. Assessment that encourages 1 and 2.

8. Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, Dublin City University

9. ESTABLISH
European Science and Technology in Action: Building Links with Industry, Schools and Home
2010-2013 -Funded under the Seventh Framework Programme for Science in Society.
The objective of
ESTABLISH is 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.

10. ESTABLISH CONSORTIUM
The ESTABLISH consortium is made up of
science education researchers and teacher
educators working with local teachers and
students to develop and implement IBSE
materials and workshops that are culturally
adapted for each country.
Coordinators:
Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, Dr. Odilla Finlayson,
Dr. Sarah Brady, Dr. Deirdre McCabe
Centre for the Advancement of Science
and Mathematics Teaching and
Learning (CASTeL),
Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
ESTABLISH Kick off Meeting,
January 2010, DCU, Ireland

11. forming
coherent
arguments Critiquing
debating experiments
with peers
Distinguishing
alternatives What is Inquiry?
Diagnosing
problems
searching for
information
Planning
investigations
researching
conjectures
Definition of Inquiry from:
Linn, Davis and Bell, 2004

12. ESTABLISH Model for Inquiry
“creating authentic learning
environments for science” TEACHERS
“bringing together … stakeholders..” STUDENTS

13. ESTABLISH FOCUS
Innovation in science classroom practice
- achieved through the development and provision of:
Appropriate teaching and learning IBSE units
(informed by scientific and industrial
communities)
Appropriate supports for both in-service and pre-
service teachers

14. Prof. Tina Jarvis, University of Leicester

15. The Fibonacci consortium includes an initial 25 members from 21 countries.
Coordinated by the Ecole Normale Supérieure (France) with Bayreuth University
(Germany). http://www.fibonacci-project.eu

16. Extend innovation in primary science and mathematics in primary & secondary
schools by working with approximately 25 teachers (Leicester focused on
mathematics and science within IBSE.)
‘Training’ for organisations in other EU countries:
• Links to two ‘twinned’ centres – Dublin & Belfast
• New TC3 – eg University of Almeria Spain.
• Field visits – for educators and teachers
• Conference ‘Bridging the gap between scientific education research and
practice’
International Cross-Cutting topic groups : on-line & hard copy materials
• Scientific inquiry in maths
• Scientific inquiry in natural sciences
• Implementing and expanding a reference centre
• Integrating inquiry across curricular
• Using the external environment of the school

17. Integrating maths in IBSE – ‘big ideas’
• Instruments and measuring
• Averages and sample size
• Active graphing
• Looking for patterns
• Classifying and exploring the significance
of shape
• Area and Perimeter,
• Volume and surface area
• Ratio and Proportion
At all stages the aim has been to focus on
both mathematics and science concepts and
skills.

18. Dr. Margaret Farren, Dublin City University

19. Pathway is a project funded by the European Commission under FP7-
Capacities to promote the effective widespread use of inquiry and problem
based science teaching techniques (Inquiry Based Science Education - IBSE) in
primary and secondary schools in Europe and beyond.
Specifics Aims:
- Identifying the best of existing classroom practice, often arising
from previous EU initiatives.
- Disseminating those practices through innovative programs of
teacher professional development (including competitions).
- Develop guidelines to help future IBSE practices develop and also
be disseminated to teachers across Europe.

20. Inquiry Types for IBSE
• Structured: Strongly teacher-directed.
• Guided: More loosely scaffolded.
• Open: Strongly student-directed.
• Coupled: A combination of two types of inquiry.

21. Work to date
• Visionary workshops.
• Good practice template for educational activities;
– schools based activities.
– science centre and museum activities.
– school-research centre activities.
– CPD activities.
• Implementation of workshops in IBSE in countries around
Europe.
• Practice Reflection workshops.
• Competition.

22. Dr. Anders Jönsson, Malmö University

23. Project aim
The aim of SAILS is to support teachers in adopting
an inquiry based science education (IBSE) approach at
second level across Europe.
SAILS aims to prepare science teachers, not only to be
able to teach science through inquiry, but also to be
confident and competent in the assessment of their
students’ learning through inquiry.

24. SAILS Work programme
WP1: Critically map key skills and
competencies with those promoted
through IBSE
WP 1
Review & Mapping
WP2: Devise models for assessment
instruments to “measure” specific
skills/competences in IBSE
WP 6
WP 7 Dissemination
Project &
Management Project
Promotion
WP 4 WP 5
Teacher Professional Development Development of a Community of
in IBSE Practice

25. Assessment strategies
Comprehensive:
Including the full range of skills in IBSE
Not only paper-and-pencil tests
Performance:
Assessment of hands-on scientific work
Not only indirect psychometric testing of latent variables
Formative:
Transparency, feedback, and student involvement integral parts of the
assessment
Not only summative, marks-oriented assessment (and definitely not norm-
referenced)

26. Dr. Kara McGann, Irish Business and employers confederation (IBEC)

27. IBEC Budget Submission – November 2010
• IBEC believes that radical reform of
……..teaching methods and curriculum
content could have a profound impact on
education outcomes including the
development of critical thinking and moving
away from the dominance of rote learning..…
Therefore it should be regarded as a priority
area for policy attention and investment.

28. Change in employment (%) 2008-2015
FAS/ESRI Manpower Forecasting Studies, Feb 2010

29. So why is inquiry based science education of importance to
industry?
• Demand for it to be a core subject
• This does not mean devaluing arts
and social sciences
• Science is related to personal and societal
issues
• Essential for global citizens of the 21st century
• Talent pool inadequate

30. STEM Graduates
Decline of interest in science throughout*
Under 17% of
LC students
Biology only sat at least 2
science in the core subjects
1990-2010 top 10 in in 2010
LC Physics 2010, chemistr
decline from y 13th, physics
20% to 12% 15th

31. Skills challenges and talent pool shortages
Biologists
Microbiologists
Chemists
R&D project Higher value-add
managers High-tech
manufacturing
Healthcare
Green agenda
Expert Group Future Skills Needs 2012

32. IBEC Education & Skills Survey 2010

33. Inquiry based education
• System is being called on to innovate
• Inquiry based education – key to success
• Develops core skills of investigation &
problem solving
• Positive impacts on student content, learning &
retention – conceptual learning
• Link between enjoyment of learning science & science
achievement
• Business – education interaction essential

34. Thank you for your attention
For further information, please visit:
ESTABLISH - www.establish-fp7.eu/
Fibonacci - http://www.fibonacci-project.eu/
Pathway - http://www.pathway-project.eu/
SAILS - http://sails-project.eu/
IBEC - http://www.ibec.ie/