TEMPUS - uni-bremen.de · 2012-04-24 · Olga MOROZAN, Natalia OLARU Design: Andrei LUNEVI Computer processing: Angela DASCAL Photos: Nicolae HUţU The Istitute of Educational Sciences

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European Commission

TEMPUS

salis eng buna.indd 1 09.02.2012 18:12:46

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Authors and editorial board: Lilia POGOLŞA, PhD., Associate Professor Nicolae BUCUN, PhD. hab, University Professor

Translation: Olga MOROZAN, Natalia OLARU

Design: Andrei LUNEVI

Computer processing: Angela DASCAL

Photos: Nicolae HUţU

The Istitute of Educational Sciences

Address:104 Doina Street, Chisinau,Republic of Moldova , MD-2059Phone: +37322400700; Fax: [email protected]


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ABOUT SALiS PROJECT

The participation of the Republic of Moldova in Tempus SALiS is conducted by the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) and the University of the Academy of Science of Moldova.

The Institute of Educational Sciences (IES), as a research institution of national im-portance in education and postgraduate education under the Ministry of Education, and as a plenipotentiary coordinator of scientific and innovative activity in subordination of the Academy of Science, is directed towards the capitalization of natural human and information resources for sustainable development.

To realize the strategic ac-tivities, the IES participates into many international re-search projects, one of them being a project supported by Tempus SALiS for 2010-2012, called “SALiS (Stu-dent Active Learning in Sci-ence)“.

The Institute of Educati-onal Sciences is one of the partners in the SALiS con-sortium, which effectively

promotes the objectives submitted by the project. Thus, IES argues for teacher training curriculum partnership development, the elaboration of teaching modules, and SALiS concept implementation through lab-work.

STUDENT ACTIVE LEARNING in SCIENCE (SALiS) aims at promoting science teaching through a better inclusion of student active experimental learning in science classes. It is intended to promote inquiry-type lab-work as one of the foundations of mo-dern curricular and methodological approaches in science teaching to reach higher order cognitive skills, a better learning of science concepts, and to promote the understanding of the nature of science itself.

For this reason, the major goal of the SALiS project is to promote and support contemporary science education by stren-gthening societal relevant, inquiry-based, and student-active science teaching and learning in the participating countries. As a specific objective set up is the develo-pment of curricula and training modules in the means of SALiS for science teacher training SALiS-Universities.


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This way, the SALiS consortium of partners from the beneficiary countries as Moldova, Israel and Georgia and from EU as Germany, Ireland will jointly develop modules for science teacher trai-ning in Inquiry-Based Science Education.These modules will enable teachers to strengthen hands- and minds-on students learning through innovati-ve approaches to lab-work instruction, e.g. inqui-ry-type strategies, open lab tasks, or cooperative learning in the lab environment.

Work Package 1: Curriculum Development

The SALiS project requires the development of teacher training curriculum which will consider the local/national and international dimensions and needs.

The curriculum development will be based on modern approaches towards results focused processes best outlined as the Understanding By Design (UBD) principle. Thro-ugh mapping exercises both generic and specialized competencies are going to be iden-tified that would be set as curricular goals. The development of the curricula for the courses will be tailored to the clearly identified outcomes. The scenarios of the usage of labs will be developed.

The development of the curricula will follow the cycle of Development-Piloting-Eva-luation-Finetuning-Implementation-Review. The first draft of the curricular materials and courses are to be piloted in the selected groups of prospective science teachers. The data will be gathered during and after the piloting process enabling the adjustments of the curriculum based on the evidence provided.

Work Package 2: Equipping the SALiS laboratories in the SALiS beneficiary countries

For effective implementation of SALiS curriculum the beneficiary institutions will equip training labs and establish the clear procedures for usage and maintenance of the labs. Initially with the help of the EU partners the list of the equipment will be developed in relevance to the curricular targets. The lists are to be used by the procurement speci-alists of the beneficiary universities in Moldova, Georgia and Israel.


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Strategies will be implemented to base student active lab-work on low-cost lab te-chniques, using micro and half-micro approaches, and the use of chemicals with low potential to be harmful or environmentally dangerous.

After and during the installation of the equipment, the detailed guides will be pro-duced that will describe the usage of the laboratories including the safety, logistics and maintenance issues. The curriculum teaching and learning materials describing the lab activities are to be developed separately.

Work Package 3: Staff training in the SALiS beneficiary countries

Within the course of the project, the SALiS team will offer in-service training for staff members and teachers in the beneficiary countries. Staff will be trained in active learning methods providing overall competencies such as critical thinking, puting questi-ons and discussion, writing, reading as well as speci-fic competencies related to scientific activity, such as using lab tools and materials and conducting scien-tific experiment (development of hypothesis, predic-ting, inferring, observation of the actual experimental procedure, data registration, data analysis) keeping safety. Training will cover main themes in chemistry, physics and biology as well as ques-tions related to the integrative science education, such as using experiments in physics to explain several biological phenomena. Lab Guide comprising instructions for the use of tools and materials and conduction of science experiment will be prepared and dissemina-ted among training participants .

Besides, there will be organized visits of the partners from the beneficiary countries to Bremen, Limerick, Plovdiv and Berlin university labs for participation in training activities within the EU-countries.

Work Package 4: Implementation

Following the pilot phase of the project, after finalizing of SALiS curriculum, beneficiary uni-versities will incorporate the SALiS curriculum into the official catalogue of offerings. The SALiS courses are going to be advertised to prospective science teachers. The EU partners will also imple-ment the SALiS modules into their science tea-cher training and will offer in-service trainings at their institutions.


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Work Package 5:Dissemination and Sustainability

In order for the SALiS project to have a large scale impact on the educati-on field in the beneficiary countries, the partner universities envisage close coo-peration and coordination with the main stakeholders of the project. The means of the communication will be diversified in order to achieve the maximum outrea-ch.

The key long term communication in-strument will be the SALiS website that

will describe the key activities of the partners and will serve for the repositories for the best practices.

For the raising awareness about the principles of SALiS communication plan in-cludes distribution of the printed materials (brochures, leaflets, reports) describing the benefits of SALiS and capacities developed by the project to the main stakeholders and possible program recruits.

The promotion of SALiS project will be supported by the final conference held shortly before closing of the project, hosting the participants and main stakeholders from every partner country. The conference will address the SALiS approach, findings of the project, best practices and future development of the services to be provided by the partners.

For the purpose of sustainability, at all beneficiary institutions the extensive num-ber of faculty both senior and junior level will be trained into the principles of SALiS. The careful documenting for the curricular needs, procedures, syllabi, curricular guides, laboratory guides and training programs will enable the effective knowledge manage-ment.

Work Package 6:Evaluation and Quality Assurance

The quality assurance and evaluation of both the process and the outcomes of SA-LiS will involve a multiple tier approach. Every process (e.g. curriculum develop-ment, laboratory equipment list develop-ment, trainings, etc.) will be assessed on local and international level.


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On the local level, the local partners, universities of Israel, Moldova and Georgia will formally evaluate each others’ progress through the project. The internal quality as-surance mechanisms for adopting the curriculum and syllabi will be provided. The pilot phase will be assessed using the previously developed instruments and using students as assistants in the process.

On the international level - the progress of the SALiS will be guided and evaluated by the EU partners. The Tempus offices will be also provided with the regular progress reports. The SALiS website will describe the activities and the outcomes of the evalu-ations.

Work Package 7: Project Management

prof. dr. Ingo Eilks,The University of Bremen, Biology

and Chemistry Department, The Institute of Science Education

(IDN)-Chemistry Didactics

The project will be headed by Ilia State University (ISU), Georgia. The institution has extensive record of international pro-jects, including TEMPUS projects. The in-stitution is the key provider of the teacher training programs in Georgia and is known for the innovative approaches to education and curriculum development. The ISU will coordinate the developmental, managerial, evaluation and dissemination processes for SALiS.

The coordination of the EU partners will be done with the help of prof. dr. Ingo Eilks from the University of Bremen.

The University of Bremen will coordi-nate the visits of the beneficiaries to EU, development of the training programs by EU partners and other efforts by EU ex-perts.

Each SALiS beneficiary institution will have coordination teams comprised by the professors, lab assistants and financial/procurement staff. The coordination teams will regularly meet (at least once a month) to discuss the upcoming developments and tasks. The minutes of the coordination me-etings are to be developed and presented to the top management of the universities.


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EUcountries

Partnercountries

GERMANY IRELAND BULGARY

GEORGIA MOLDOVA ISRAEL

- University of Bremen

- Free University Berlin

- University of Limerick, Centrul National Centre of Excellence for Math and Science

- University of Plovdiv

- Ilia State University - Akaki Tsereteli

State University

- University of Aca-demy of Sciences of Moldova

- Institute of Educati-onal Sciences

- The Academic Arab College of Education

- University of Haifa


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IES ACHIEVEMENTS WITHIN SALiS PROJECT

The activity of the Institute of Educational Sciences within SALiS project was targeted towards:

1. Development of the SALiS –Curricula and training mo-dules for all SALiS Universities.

2. Equipping the SALiS laboratories in the SALiS beneficiary countries.

3. Staff training in the SALiS beneficiary countries.4. Implementation.5. Dissemination and Sustainability.6. Evaluation and quality assurance.7. Management.The SALiS activity started on February, 2011. According to the plan, there were achi-

eved the following measures:

1. The Development of the SALiS –Curricula and training modules for all SALiS Universities

The curriculum modernization of the following secondary school subjects: Chemis-try, Physics and Biology, including:

• analysis and evaluation of existing school curricula; • formation of groups of experts to modernize curriculum;• development of the new methodology; • modernization of curriculum;• development of curricula in schools and departments IES.The modernization of school curriculum for these school subjects was realized wi-

thin the context of training of scientific knowledge competence; a characteristic of these subjects.

The scientific knowledge represents a system of actions which to be realized as a process, requires from students’ part a total engaging into realization of a complex of intellectual activities.These activities focus on the reasoning based on dialectical and epistomological knowledge principle.

The dialectical reasoning emphasizes the dialectical categories such as: unity and struggle of opposites, quantitative in qualitative, the negation of the negation; where the epistemological thinking means the epistemological regularities as: from general to particular, from simple to complex, from phenomenon to essence, from cause to effect. The compliance of these philosophic categories eases the scientific knowledge process realization within Physics, Chemistry and Biology classes.

This way, the scientific knowlegde appears to have a rationalistic and pragmatic con-figuration specific to respective areas of knowledge.

Therefore, the students’ scientific education developed through the competence of scientific knowledge is based on a methodological support and reasoning through ob-servation, experiment and deduction.


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The competence of scientific knowledge, as a general competence has been defined as follows: “an integral unit of student’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 pedago-gically modelated situations.“

The competence of scientific knowledge consists of the following specific skills:• the competence of intellectual acquisition;• the competence of scientific investigation;• the competence of scientific language communication ;• the competence of pragmatic acquisition;• the competence of environment protection and personal health culture

These competences directly correlate with a certain scientific content of physics, che-mistry and biology.

The formation of the subjects scientific knowledge runs four stages: 1. fundamental knowledge; 2. functional knowledge; 3- internal knowledge; 4. – external knowldge.Thus, the didactic planning of a certain unit, taken from the perspective of this competence formation, should reflect the above stages. Meanwhile, the didactic activities for each stage are centered on the students active implementation in the educational process.

For a student 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 sol-ved;

• To form the skills for this knowledge in concrete situations to understand them, thus making their functionality;

• To form the skills to apply this knowledge in concrete situations for their better understanding; this way achieving their functionality;

• To resolve different problem-solving situations; thus, realizing their knowledge functionality into their own view;

• To solve significant daily problems situations in different contexts by applying their final acquision behaviour/attitudes; meaning competences.

Each of us is determined by what is known, and knowledge is a feature of society in which we live. Currently, the depth of scientific knowledge is immense, and technolo-gical development occurs rapidly. Thus, nowadays the power of scientific knowledge is undeniable value in the formation of student personality and an obvious necessity in an era of a permanent change.

The modernization of the teacher training curriculum for physics, chemistry and biology included:

• analysis of the teacher training curriculum;• estimation of the teacher staff training level through this curriculum, for the acti-

ve science involvement of the young teachers;


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• consulting of the expert groups to develop curriculum in physics, chemistry, bio-logy for teachers’ instruction;

• development of curriculum for teachers;• curriculum development within teachers’ round-table meetings; • debates on the curriculum within IES departments. The modernized curriculum for teachers’ education includes:• Preliminary (an organization);• Conceptual landmarks – students’ personality implications through their scienti-

fic and innovative activism;• Development of teaching competences (epistemiological, managerial, communi-

cative, investigative, metacognition competences)• The management of training courses on the following modules: Psycho-pedago-

gy; Axiology and Praxiology, IT and Educational Soft Application; Scientific Re-search .

• Methodological suggestions (training, seminar, methodic consulting, investigati-on, SWOT reasoning, problem-solving, etc.).

• Suggestions for assessment and evaluation; • References.Developed Curricula were translated in the English language.


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2. Equipping SALiS laboratories in the SALiS beneficiary countries

The actions to have been made for laboratories equipment were: • the study of the equipment providers; • the analysis of the prospectuses of over 20 companies providing such services• the visit to four educational institutions, which have advanced laboratories• Debates with experts (professors of Chemistry, Physics, Biology) on the needs to

cover curricular objectives with equipment;• the equipment lists shaping; • the preparation of the contest for the purchase, the contest conditions press infor-

ming; • the contest organization; the winner’s determination;• the organization of the laboratory conditions• the complete overhaul realization;• the provision of water basins installation, electricity, heat;• the outset of some equipment installation.The purchased equipment provides the coverage of the achieved objectives of the

researchers (experiments) in Mechanics, Optics, and Electrostatics with alternative so-urces of energy and Molecular Biology.

3. Staff training in the SALiS beneficiary countries

Between 21 to 22 February in Bremen, Germany, the project coordinators participa-ted into a training which aimed on SALiS project planning process details. The subjects under discussion concerned project philosophy, principles and objectives of the SALiS training modules development, exchange of experience and resources, planning of trai-ning, project finance, budget and administration.

Training in Bremen, Germany, February, 2011


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From October 17 to 20 201 it were held training sessions organized by the beneficia-ries of the SALiS project from Ireland. The topics related regarded the training methods of science active learning, SALiS curriculum teaching and effective use of lab-work.

Training in Limerick, Ireland, October, 2011

Training in Limerick, Ireland, October, 2011


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On October 24-28, 2011 in Chişinău, Moldova, the Institute of Educational Sciences in partenership with the University of Academy of Moldova hosted a training organized by the experts of SALiS beneficiary countries as Germany, Irland, Bulgary. These work-shops were realized for the Science didactic staff involved into this project. The topics covered by the training were as follows:

1.Contemporary Trends In Student Active Learning In Science Education;2.Raising Motivation And Interest In Science Education;3.Inquiry Learning In Science Classes;4.Experiencing Inquiry Learning;This experience contributed to the didactic staff professional develoment in order to

form teaching competences through the perspective of students active involvement into research process.

Training in Chisinau, Moldova, October, 2011

4. Implementation

The main implementation actions are planned for next year. However, within this period there were realized a set of activities like:

• information of the institute staff in SALiS project problems;

• curricula and guides debates with the science teachers within the continuous tea-

ching training organized by the Institute;

• preparing conditions foe the realization of the proposed curriculum.


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5. Dissemination and sustainability

In order to disseminate the information regarding the project objectives, there were organized the following activities as follows: (1) SALiS informative sessions for the staff of two Chairs from the Institute of Educational Sciences, namely “Mathematics and Science” Chair and “Psycho-Pedagogy and Educational Management” Chair; (2) work sessions in order to develop school curriculum for physics, biology and chemistry, and a set of curriculum implementation guidebooks; (3)preparing informative brochures abo-ut SALiS, etc.

6. Management

There were realized a huge number of managerial actions, as follows:

• Management of financial resources (long months to open a bank account; to transfer money for the equipment, etc.)

• Human resource management (particularly difficult to hire an expert, plus the force for a 4-8-hour continuous work)

• Administration management (tens of Ministry orders to realize an activity)

• Management of the development (work with builders, experts in curriculum for teaching materials development)

• Management of material resources, hundreds of hours of work with various insti-tutions providing equipment services;

• Overall project management - monitoring and control of all project activities.

Perspectives and future plans:

During the following activities within the SALiS project IES will be directed at achieving results in: training personnel in laboratory management, establishing sus-tainable arrangements for project sustainability, development of the final curricu-lum, final pilot-evaluation, managing the survey about curriculum, developing ma-terials for students, developing teacher teaching through SALiS perspectives.


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SALiS PROJECT TEAM

Lilia Pogolşa, PhD., Associate Professor, Senior Scientific Researcher, Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES).

Experience: Coordinator of two international projects (UNICEF): Evaluation of School Curriculum in Secondary Education and Up-grading Educational Standards for General Education (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova), Modernization and Implementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Education (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Educati-on, UNICEF Moldova) , TEMPUS project “Active Student Learning in Science” (2010-2012).

Nicolae Bucun, PhD. hab, University Professor,

Deputy Director of “Science” Department of IES.

Experience: Coordinator of the projects: “Evaluation of School Curri-culum in Secondary Education and Upgrading Educational Standards for General Education”(2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova), “Modernization and Implementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova) , TEM-PUS project “Active Student Learning in Science” (2010-2012).

Ion Botgros, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of Scientific, Technological and Artistic Education Sector, IES. Experience: Coordinator of the institutional research project “General Problems of Training and Developing of School Competences in Con-crete Science Domain” (2006-2010); “Modes and Procedures of Gene-ral School Education Process Optimization from the Perspective of a Competitive Society” (2011-2014); “Quality Education in Rural Areas of Moldova” (2006)- World Bank; participation in international projects: “Evaluation of School Curriculum in Secondary Education and Upgra-ding Educational Standards for General Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova), “Modernization and Im-

plementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Education“ (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova) , TEMPUS project “Active Student Learning in Science” (2010-2012).


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Ludmila Frantuzan, PhD, scientific researcher, IES. Experience: The institutional resear-ch projects: “Ge-neral Problems of Training and De-veloping of School Competences in

Concrete Science Domain” (2006-2010); “Modes and Procedures of General Scho-ol Education Process Optimization from the Perspective of a Competitive Society” (2011-2014); “Student-Centered Educati-on“ (USM, UNICEF Moldova), 2011.

Elena Prunici, Senior Lecturer,

“Mathematics and Science” Chair.

Experience: Partici-pated in the projects: “Student-Centered Education “USM, UNICEF Moldova) 2011 , “Bioethics in the Republic of Moldova: Achievements and perspectives” (UNESCO).

Crenguţa Simion, MA, junior resear-cher, IES. Experience: Partici-pated in the instituti-onal project “Mo-des and Procedures of General School Education Process Optimization from

the Perspective of a Competitive Society” (2011-2014); local trainer of Modernized Biology School Curriculum Implementation; “Student-Centered Education“ (USM, UNI-CEF Moldova), 2011.

Violeta Mija, Head of the Republic Center of Vocational

Education Development. Experience: Assisting 2 international projects (UNICEF): “Evaluation of School Curriculum in Secondary Education and Upgrading Educational Standards for General Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova), “Moderniza-tion and Implementation of the Basic Curri-culum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova). Developing educational standards, curriculum, and school textbooks.

Oxana Paladi, PhD, scientific

researcher, IES. Experience: Partici-pation in institutional projects: “Psychologi-cal Perspectives of En-surring Quality Educa-tion in the Republic of Moldova” (2006-2010); “Consulting and Concealing Mechanisms and Methodologies of Student’s Personality Deve-lopment Processin in a Modern Socio-cultural Context” (2011-2014); experience in internati-onal projects: “Evaluation of School Curricu-lum in Secondary Education and Upgrading Educational Standards for General Educati-on” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Educa-tion, UNICEF Moldova), “Modernization and Implementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova);


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Vitalie Captarencu, MA, Deputy Director of Administration and Householding, IES. Experience in admi-nistrative management. Participation in TEM-PUS TACIS project „Student Active Lear-ning in Science” (2010 – 2012).

Zinaida Furtuna, Chief Accountant, IES.Experience in finan-cial activity. Chief Accountant in in-ternational projects: “Evaluation of Scho-ol Curriculum in Se-condary Education and Upgrading Edu-cational Standards for General Education” (2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Educati-on, UNICEF Moldova), “Modernization and Implementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curriculum of Secondary Educati-on” (2009-2011) (IES, UNICEF Moldova), TEMPUS TACIS project „Student Active Le-arning in Science” (2010 – 2012).

Olga Morozan, MA, PhD student, junior researcher, head of the International Relationships and Technological Transfer Service, Senior Lectu-rer, Foreign Language Chair, IES. Experience: Co-director of the English Teaching Resource Center, a com-mon grant project of US Embassy from Moldo-va and “Ion Creanga” Pedagogical State Univer-sity; Coordinator of „ACESS Micro Scholarship Program in the Republic of Moldova” within American Councils of Moldova. Participation in TEMPUS TACIS project „Student Active Lear-ning in Science” (2010 – 2012).

Natalia Olaru, MA, junior resear-

cher, the International Relationahips and

Technological Transfer Service, IES.

Experience: “Evaluati-on of School Curriculum in Secondary Education and Upgrading Educa-tional Standards for General Education”(2009-2011) (IES, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF Moldova), “Modernization and Implementation of the Basic Curriculum and Subject Curricu-lum of Secondary Education” (2009-2011) (IES, UNICEF Moldova) , TEMPUS project “Active Student Learning in Science” (2010-2012).


Documents

TEMPUS - uni-bremen.de · 2012-04-24 · Olga MOROZAN, Natalia OLARU Design: Andrei LUNEVI Computer processing: Angela DASCAL Photos: Nicolae HUţU The Istitute of Educational Sciences