ASTEP
Supporting teachers through scientists’ involvement
Website : www.astep.fr
2
The frame • 61 000 primary schools in France • 350 000 classes ▫ Kindergarten : de 3 à 5 ans (cycle 1). ▫ Elementary : from 6 to 11 years old (cycles 2 and 3). • Teachers : ▫ Multi-skilled, but 80 % have not scientific background ▫ Reticent to teach sciences and technology.
Curricula / Common base of knowledge and skills ▫ Mathematics and scientific and technological culture: one of 7 fundamental pillars of the pupils’ and future citizens’ education ▫ Pupil must be able « to practice a scientific approach, to manipulate and experiment » = Inquiry-based approach
3
Scientic partnership / teacher • Scientist works with a class… and later??? He has to take position with regard to the following scenarios:
? Speaker
Material support
Frame: ⇒ 2000 : charter main à la pâte Scientific consultant ⇒ 2003-2004 : conferences ⇒ 2005 : charter with the ministry of Education ⇒ 2007 : National conference in Nantes ⇒ 2008 : guide / website / correspondents' network
4
ASTEP (Supporting teachers through the involvment of scientists in primary education, what is it ? • Scientists provide support to teachers for organizing and implementing IBSE activities in their class.
Aims ▫ Bridging the gap between school and scientific community ▫ Making science more accessible for all. ▫ Helping teachers implementing concrete activities in their class. ▫ Making teachers more confident and autonomous.
The different forms of ASTEP Supporting in class Supporting collaborative projects Supporting through sponsorship
ASTEP Supporting teacher training
Supporting from a distance
Supporting resources production
6
Supporting teachers in class • Who is the tutor ? ▫ Professional scientists or scientist in training (students), researchers, engineers… ▫ Coming regularly in a class (Science student spends ½ day per week in primary schools) ▫ Volunteer ▫ Having an elementary knowledge of the functioning of the educational system
• The rules In the classroom
▫ without interfering with the responsibility of the teacher in the class / long-term project Concerning the durations
▫ To respect for schedules registered on the timetable of the class Concerning the progress of the project
▫ A help for the preparation : co-construction of the sessions ▫ To be present, to share skills, to reassure ▫ Continuity of the follow-up tutor/teacher
7
Training, validation, mutualization • To prepare teacher and tutor to work together : ▫ Train the tutors : Role, curricula, qualitative approach, inquirybased approach, hands-on…
▫ (In)form teachers
• To recognize the commitment in ASTEP: ▫ By proposing a validation in the students’ curricula
• To incite to share ▫ Resources production useful by others ▫ To be known through the website, from the tutors….
8
ASTEP Teaching units OBJECTIVES : • To make a training period • To participate in the mission of diffusion of the university’s scientific culture • To mobilize the scientific students around a citizen project. • To support science and technology education in primary school • To discover teaching’s jobs FOR WHOM ? • Students in science and technology or engineering school students, intending or not for teaching. HOW ? • The teaching unit (free, optional or compulsory according to course…) articulates around three axes : ▫ Discovery of inquiry: hands-on, primary classes’ observations or through videos of classes’ sessions, discovery of the educational system and the curricula, training to support… ▫ Support : co-animation of sessions in class with the teachers ▫ Feed-back and validation: report and oral restitution
• Implementation of a partnership with the national education authority
9
In summary : a win-win partnership For the teacher : • To facilitate the preparation and implementation of science activities in class and class’ management, • To view the science program with less apprehension • To consolidate mastery of course content to achieve autonomy • To gain confidence in the implementation of scientific or technological methods • To try a new professional approach
For the tutor : • To reconsider his own knowledge, to adapt his message to a special audience (the children) • To show the real face of science to teachers • To provide the pupils with a more realistic and accessible image of the scientific profession • To live an exceptional experience inside the world of teaching
10
In summary : a win-win partnership For the pupil : • To make scientific activities based on inquiry • To discover an alive, accessible and understandable science • To modify and make more realistic their representations of the scientists and their jobs
For higher education and research organisms, companies: • To have a beneficial impact on the teaching’s practices and the scientists’ motivation (in training, in service or retired) • To develop, at scientists, skills in sciences’ communication and pedagogy
11
How to implement ASTEP ? Tools • French and English guide • Brochure • Website www.astep.fr
National tutors network • From scientific community ▫ In every regional education authority, coming from diverse horizons: university, engineer schools, Museums, association, research’s organisms …
• From national Education ▫ Pedagogical advisers
Objectives 2009-2010 • To mobilize the scientific community around ASTEP • To develop the students’ participation in France
12
le site Internet : www.astep.fr
13
14
• The website : www.astep.fr • Contact :
[email protected]
THE END
