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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-23 18:34 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2017 Meeting
Section: Physics Education
Title:
Action research in early years’ science education – A Romanian case study
Authors:
Dan SPOREA, Adelina SPOREA
Affiliation:
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics
Center for Science Education and Training, Magurele, Romania
E-mail
dan.sporea@inflpr.ro
Keywords:
action research, inquiry-based science education, creativity, early years’ science education
Abstract:
The paper reports on the outcomes of the EU funded Erasmus+ project “Creativity in Early Years Science Education – CEYS” focused on the development of creativity through inquiry-based science education (IBSE) at preschool and primary school levels. The results reflect the response of Romanian early years (4-8 years old children) school teachers as they participated to the CEYS project and have been subjects to action research (AR) training approach. The presentation will highlight the methodology used, the activities carried out and the changes to which the Romanian participants to the project were subjected, by accomplishing the professional development sequences proposed in the project, as they were engaged into the journey proposed by the AR scheme. The novelty of the project resides in being the first time AR engages preschool and primary school teachers in the context of science teaching by emphasizing the role played by creativity in the educational demarche. The proposed AR cycle will be detailed and comments on its strengths and limitations will be provided. Teachers’ believes, concepts and practice on IBSE were changed as they reflected, during the project lifetime, on their students’ progress and their own transformations, under the guidance of their mentors, in the project frame. Romanian teacher’s support to students during the project run is discussed by comparing it with the practice in partner countries. The build-up of a community of practice at national and European levels concerning the merge of IBSE with children’s creativity expansion is illustrated. Other outcomes of the CEYS project such as (i) conclusions of focus groups, (ii) learning units prepared by project partners, (iii) teaching materials developed by participating teachers are also revealed. Details on the project dissemination strategy are mentioned: (i) national conference, (ii) training workshops, (iii) project’s ambassadors’ network, (iv) participating schools teaming, (v) translations of teaching aids.
Acknowledgement:
The authors acknowledge the financial support of the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme (2014‐2017) under Grant Agreement n0 2014-1-EL01-KA201-001644.
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