DavidSymington,PetaWhiteandRussellTytlerDeakinUniversity
TheContext
• InAustraliatherearenumerousprograms,bothlargeandsmall,designedtoenhanceschoolmathematics,scienceandtechnologythroughinvolvementofSTEMprofessionals.
• InrecenttimestheReMSTEP initiativehasencouragedtheinvolvementofSTEMprofessionalswithinpre-serviceteachereducationprograms.
• TheDeakinteamhascreatedsevenseparateinitiativesundertheReMSTEP umbrellawhichinvolveSTEMprofessionalsinvariouswayswithintheteachereducationprograms.
Whattheprojectinvolves
� Researchtosupportascalablemodelofscientistsworkingwithteachers,pre-serviceteachers(PSTs)andschools,aimedatidentifying:
• theimpactofthesecollaborativetranslationactivitiesonscientists,PSTs,teachereducatorsandstudents;
• thenatureofthetranslationprocess,andeffectiveapproachestothis;and• whatformsofscientificknowledgeandpracticetranslateeffectivelyintoschool
curriculumexperience.
Thequestionsthatdrivetheproject:
� ThenatureofcontemporarySTEMpractice:Whatknowledge,practicesandvaluesofcontemporarySTEMR&Dwouldbedesirabletorepresent,andcanbeeffectivelyrepresented,intheschoolcurriculum?
� Teacherlearning:Whatsustainablemodelsofinteractionbetweenteachers,PSTs,educatorsandSTEMpractitionerscanleadtogreaterteacherunderstandingofthenatureofcontemporarySTEMR&Dpractices,andcanencourageandassistthemtorepresentthisintheirteaching?
� Translationtoschoolcurricula:HowcancontemporarySTEMpractitioners’practicebeeffectivelytranslatedintoschoolactivitiesthatengagestudentsincreativeandcriticalSTEMpracticesinwaysthatbothdeepentheirlearningandleadtopositivedispositionstowardSTEM?
David’sstory:Evaluation
� Evaluationdatahasbeengatheredforeachoftheseveninitiativesthroughtheuseofsurveyinstrumentsandinterviews.
� OneimportantsourceofinformationforReMSTEP initiativesistheteachereducationprofessionalsresponsiblefortheprojects.
� DavidSymingtonwasrecruitedtotakethemajorresponsibilityforthislatteraspectoftheevaluation.
� ItwasnotedthattherewasaveryspecialopportunityintheDeakinsituationtogaininsightsintothisinitiativetoincreasetheeffectivenessofschoolscienceinthatoneteachereducator,PetaWhite,wascriticallyinvolvedineachofthesevenprojects.
InterviewsfocussingonPeta’sactivitiesandlearnings(1)� DuetoPeta’sinvolvementacrosstherangeofprojects,whiletheinterviewswillexploretheoutcomesandlearningsfromeachoftheindividualprojects,therewillbeexplorationoftherelativerequirements,strengths,andchallengesofthevariousmodelsbeingused.
� Peta,asateachereducator,hasadetailedknowledgeoftheschoolsciencecurriculum,soitisanticipatedthatshewillbeabletoprovidesomesignificantinsightsintowhatformsofknowledgeofcontemporaryscientificpracticecanbeeffectivelyintroducedintotheschoolsciencecurriculum.
InterviewsfocussingonPeta’sactivitiesandlearnings(2)
� Astherearenumerousprogramswhicharebuiltupontheparticipationofscientistsinschoolprogramsitisimportantthatweexplorethecosteffectivenessofvariouswaysofinvolvingscientistsineducationalprograms.ItisanticipatedthatPeta’s involvementacrossthevariousmodelswillenablehertoprovidesomevaluableinsightsintothisissue
Generalised model of STEM practitioner/educator
collaboration
STEM Practitioners
STEM professionals e.g. museum scientists
Research centre staff
PhD students
STEM EducatorsSpecialist science centre staff (GTAC, museum)
STEM teacher educators, science faculty academics
Pre-service teachers
Trial resources in schools
Interact with STEM practitioners to produce resources
Experience resources in class
Products
Experiences
Resources
Working with schools
Teachers of STEM
Peta’sstory:Theseveninitiatives
1. STEMCellsetc.:VolunteerPSTsworkingwithascientistandEA2. CommunitySci project:GroupsofPSTs/scientist/EA,forassessment,to
producewebresourceofactivities3. Workshops:VolunteerPSTssitwithscientists/teachers/EA4. Multimedia:Biologymethodsstudents/scientisttoproducedigitalmedia
aroundaconcept5. ASELLforschools:Teachers/scientists/EAinvolvedinlargescale
workshopspresentinginquirypracticalwork6. IFMmodulesonmodernmaterials:webresourcesdevelopedby
EA/scientists7. InstituteofIntegrativeEcology:Scientist/teacher/PST/EAcollaboration
toproduceonlineresources
InstituteofFrontierMaterials(IFM)
Developmentandtrialingofinquirypracticals and
sequences
Interviewswithresearchers– videoresource
Developmentofworkshopprotocolstoforscientiststointeractwithteachersand/or
PSTsandSTEMEducatorstotranslatecontemporaryresearchintoclassroom
activities
TranslatingContemporaryR&D
Biologyeducationstudentsworkingwithleadingscientists,scienceeducators,todeveloponlineteachingandlearning
sequences
BiologyeducationstudentsworkingwithscientistsandPhDresearcherstoproducemultimediaresources(Digi-explanations)
ChemistryeducationstudentsworkingwithIFMscientistsandPhDresearchersto
produceteachingactivitiesonelectrochemistry
http://contemporaryvcebiology.com/stem-cells/
TranslatingContemporaryR&D
ExemplarModel
Teachersandstudentsvaluinglearningactivities
Scientistsvalueadding
totheirresearch
PST'slearningnewteachingstrategies,theories
Howdoesthischangeteachingpractice
Preparation– whatcanScientistsprepare
Questionsofscalabilityandwaystomoveforward
Whatlevelofinput
producesthebestvalue
Mastersstudentresearch(Mary)
FindingsfromtheseReMSTEP innovations
� PSTsenjoyedinteractingwithscientists� PSTsoftengainednewinsightsintothenatureofscienceandscientists’practice
� PSTsoftengainednewperspectivesonscientistsaspeople� PSTsgainedideasforhowtorepresentcontemporaryscienceinthecurriculum
� PSTsgainednewandimportantscienceunderstandings� Scientistsgainedinsightsintohowtheirworkmighttranslateintothecurriculum
� Scientistsgainedexperienceincommunicatingtheirresearchtothepublic
ChallengesforPST-scientistinteractions
� Difficultiesindeterminingwhataspectsofcontemporaryscienceresearchanddevelopmentpractice,andscientists’experience,shouldbefocusedon
� Whatifthescienceistoodifficulttounderstand?� Howtotranslatecontemporaryscienceintothecurriculum� ChallengesforPSTstakingtoscientists– experience,andmaturity
� Findingtimetointeract� Makingitworthwhileforbothparties
Russell’sstory:Developinganongoingresearchprogram� ETMSTforum– partneringwithQUTaroundasimilarsetofactivities
� Developingadocumentasinputintoanationalpolicyforum,withtheDeansofScience,andEngineering..
� Linkingwithworkonschool-STEMcommunitypartnershipstobroadenthescope
� PartnershipwithFrench/Spanishcolleagueswithafocusonsocio-scientificaspectsofSTEMinnovation,includingstakeholderinterests
� Thinkingabouttheneedtoscaleup
Waysforward
The directions we intend to explore, building on what has been learnt through ETMST:
• Investigate how these models can be made scalable;
• Further exploring the nature of the knowledge and experience that STEM practitioners in different fields bring to these interactions;
• Further exploring the nature of teacher learning and capacity building arising from these interactions;
• Investigating the variety of learning and attitudinal outcomes for students;
• Developing professional learning and curriculum exemplars based on this work
WehaveinvestigatedandrefinedwaystoproductivelylinkSTEMpractitionerswithPSTs,teachers andschools.
ExtensionofthisworkoffersanimportantcircuitbreakerforSTEMinschools.
Concludingthoughts
� Thedistinctionbetweendevelopment,andresearch,andthedifficultiesofcombining
� Theroleofhappenstance,alliancesandpolicyclimateinframingthiskindofresearch
� Theimportanceoftheoryinframingaresearchagenda� Thechallengeofscalability