SALiS Project in the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES): experiences

and implementation

SALiS Final Conference Tibilisi, Georgia

August, 28-31 , 2012

• 64.015EuroSALiS Budget

• 6649 EuroSpecial Sources

IES MAIN GOAL:

Promote and support contemporary scientific education by developing scientific knowledge competence of Science teachers from Moldova through continuous education courses ; thus contributing to effective implementation of science in schools.

OBJECTIVES:

-develop conceptual framework /base in accordance to SAliS philosophy;-develop teacher training theory and methodology through SALiS (curricula, guides, etc.);-provide conditions for scientific knowledge competence development within teacher training course (equipping labs, staff training, etc.)-ensure effective SALiS project implementation and continuity.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The competence of scientific knowledge, as a general competence has been defined as follows:

“an integral unit of student/teacher’s internal resources, common for Physics, Bilogy, Chemistry subjects, focused on an interaction of:- dialectical reasoning,- epistemological thinking, -scientific language use, and -an adequate behaviour to solve significant pedagogically modelated situations.“

intellectual

acquisition

scientific

investigation

scientific

language

communication

pragmatic

acquisition

environment

protection

and personal

health culture

The scientific knowledge competence consists of the

following specific competences which directly correlate

with a certain scientific content of Physics, Chemistry and

Biology:

fundamental knowledge

functional knowledge

internal knowledge

external knowledge

The formation of the scientific knowledge competence runs 4 stages

which should be reflected in a didactic planning of each unit:

For a student/teacher to form the competence of scientific knowledge as a final acquisition it is necessary:

- To master a set of fundamental knowledge depending on the problem to be solved;

- To develop skills of applying this knowledge in concrete situations for a better

scientific understanding ; this way achieving their functionality;

- To resolve different problem-solving situations; thus constructing their own

functional image of the knowledge;

- To solve the significant daily problems in different contexts , by applying their final

acquision behaviour/attitudes; meaning competences.

Scientific Knowledge Competence Development:

the students/teachers’ scientific education developed through the competence of scientific knowledge should be based on a

methodological support and reasoning through observation, experiment and deduction.

Developed Teacher Training Theory and Methodology 1) 3 SALiS Curricula for Continuous Education of Chemistry, Biology and Physics Teachers  were developed and translated into English.

The content covers: -conceptual references regarding epistemological, managerial, communicative, investigative, meta-cognitive competences of Science teachers; -management of training Curriculum content through 3 modules (Psycho-pedagogy of Interactive Education; Axiology and Praxeology of Specialty Subject through SALiS; and IT Use and Implementation of Educational Software);-ideas about the process, contents and training activities acquisitions; -a set of methodological and assessment suggestions.

Developed Teacher Training Theory and Methodology

2) Translated and published a Romanian version of “Low-

Cost Techniques in Science Classroom”  guide developed

by Nicole Poppe, Silvija Markic, Ingo Eilks;

3) Elaborated “Methodological Guide of the

Implementation of Curriculum for Continuous Education

of Teachers of Biology, Chemistry and  Physics through the

Perspective of SALiS Philosophy”  and

4) the guide “Evaluation of the Scientific

Knowledge Competences of Teachers of

Biology, Physics and Chemistry based on

SALiS conception”.

These documents will serve as a methodological support in teaching SALiS philosophy during Science teachers’ trainings as it argues conceptual dimensions of continuous development of the didactic staff from the perspective of SALiS concept and methodology of scientific knowledge competence development. 

They reflect: -the notion of teachers’ scientific knowledge competence; -the specific of teachers’ training curriculum;- the process of school curricula modernization; methodology of forming scientific knowledge competence; -active didactic strategies and technologies based on constructivist teaching-instruction process; -low-cost equipment in experimental research;  -procedure of evaluating students/teachers’ scientific knowledge; -unit/lesson planning; and the interdisciplinary aspect in teaching.

Developed Teacher Training Theory and Methodology

3 Equipped SALiS Labs

3 modern training labs of Chemistry, Biology and Physics

were equipped, where participants may develop their

scientific knowledge competence due to innovative

approaches to lab-work instruction, such as: inquiry-type

strategies, open lab tasks or cooperative learning in the lab

environment.

January-June, 2012: trained 323 Science Teachers from Moldova

The thematic content presented an instructive and applying

character, which was delivered in form of seminars,

workshops, case studies, and lab-experiments; thus

contributing to developing professional competence of

science specialists from the country.

Opened the Center of Didactic Excellence

On bases of SAliS labs was opened The Center of Didactic

Excellence with the mission of developing educational

software for teaching Science.

Dissemination

Presentations on SALiS issues at the Specialized

Scientific Council, international conferences,

local seminars and trainings

Publishing SALiS Newsletter for a

large audience of didactic staff from

the country

Designing a web site on IES project’s activity

www.proiecte-ise.md and continuously updating the information about SALiS.

4 scientific articles in “Univers

Pedagogic Pro” newspaper and

“Univers Pedagogic” scientific journal

Perspective view…

Implementation

in mass of SALiS

philosophy through

teacher training

courses

(~700 Science teacher

per year)

Providing all Science

teachers from

the country with the set

of methodological

guides developed within

SALiS project

Thank You for Inspiration, Support

and Collaboration!!!

To Be Continued…