New standards for science education
Funded by the EU, the project PATHWAY (The pathway to inquiry based science teaching) has provided teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers and policymakers with a unique tool to improve their everyday practices. The consortium followed the recommendations of the 2007 report 'Science education now: A renewed pedagogy for the future of Europe', working to facilitate and advance inquiry-based science education (IBSE). PATHWAY organised workshops for science educators, science curricula developers, teacher educators, scientists, practitioners, and specialists in cognitive psychology, sociology and learning sciences. Project members advanced a methodology for designing and representing inquiry-based educational practices in a way that is understandable for all involved. They also defined features of learning environments that support teaching science by inquiry. Efforts in this area set a basis for designing interactive learning environments that support enhanced interaction with the tools of modern science. With regard to the professional development of IBSE teachers, a review of successful training systems and methodologies helped to create a profile of the effective science teacher. Other work included a framework for identifying IBSE best practices, and a host of supporting materials available on the project website. One example is the booklet 'Best practices of inquiry-based science education methods and activities'. A key outcome is the booklet 'The pathway to inquiry based science education', available in eight languages. This provides an analytical summary of the developed best practices on IBSE. It also provides a framework for the design, development, and organisation and sharing of resources, methods and tools effectively promoting teaching science by inquiry. The project outcomes establish a pathway towards a standards-based approach to science teaching and learning through inquiry. PATHWAY's efforts represent a targeted move away from a basic understanding of the nature of science (i.e. how science works), enabling students and teachers to become critical consumers of scientific knowledge. This will enhance the public's ability to engage with important contemporary socio-scientific issues, imparting a deeper understanding of how science works.
Keywords
Science education, science teaching, inquiry-based science education, IBSE, educational practices
