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