PARSEL: Popularity and Relevance of Science of Science Education for Scientific Literacy

Leading team

Project members

Summary

The objectives of the project:

  • to create a network community from those working in the field of developing teaching /learning materials;
  • to develop a model that encompasses the range of philosophical consideration and approaches that lend themselves to a general development of ‘best practice’ materials;
  • to assemble notions of ‘best practice’ from the diversity of considerations by partners;
  • to modify existing exemplars to reflect the model.

Also, the project:

  • translated exemplar materials, test and disseminate these to teachers and other stakeholders;
  • took steps to meet the need for teachers to take ownership of the model through adaptation of exemplars;
  • evaluated the impact of this on teacher ownership of the model and student interest (paying particular attention to interest by girls).

The project strived to make available alternative teaching materials to teachers to promote student interest of science in schools without alienating the teaching from the curriculum intentions.
The consortium included 8 partner institutions from 8 different countries, and coordinated by the IPN, at the University of Kiel, Germany. It started in 2006 and ended in 2009.

 

Links for further reading

  • Blonder, R., Mamlok-Naaman, R., & Hofstein, A. (2008). Analyzing inquiry questions of high-school students in a gas chromatography open-ended laboratory experiment. Chemistry Education: Research and Practice in Europe, 9, 250-258.
  • the Project Website