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Creating Organisational Structures for Meaningful science education through Open Schooling for all

Project description

Making science education meaningful

Creating meaningful science education experiences transcends the walls of the classroom and the school. The EU-funded COSMOS project will create new partnerships within communities that can foster science education for all citizens. The goal is to encourage an ‘outwards’ mode of engagement between schools and communities. Specifically, the project will support the creation of Communities of Practice (CoP) consisting of non-formal and informal education providers, enterprises, families and other stakeholders. COSMOS will also introduce new or strengthen existing organisational structures within schools, ensuring engagement of all societal actors and enhancing students’ interest in science and science careers. The project will work closely with science teachers, providing opportunities for professional development and capacity building.

Objective

COSMOS (Creating Organisational Structures for Meaningful science education through Open Schooling for all) uses socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL) as a pedagogical means for opening up schools to their communities through a transformation process, aiming to create new partnerships within communities that can foster science education for all citizens, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or cultural background. To transform and open schools from an 'inwards' to an 'outwards' mode of engagement in, with and for their communities, our open schooling approach is unique in combining key pivotal elements of innovative constructivist pedagogy, teacher education, and transforming school organisational culture.
We will (a) establish Core ORganisational structures for Promoting Open Schooling (CORPOS) in primary and secondary schools to facilitate community engagement. CORPOS will (b) support the creation of Communities of Practice (CoP), which include non-formal and informal education providers, enterprises, families, other stakeholders. The CoP will engage in SSIBL focusing on relevant socio-scientific issues, ensure engagement of all societal actors, and create significant life experiences, enhancing students' interest in science and science careers. We will (c) ensure the viability and sustainability of open schools by working closely with science teachers, stakeholders and school leadership, offering teacher professional development, supporting networking and collaboration and capacity building.
The COSMOS consortium (12 partners, 7 countries) provides transdisciplinary cooperation and expertise in non-formal and formal science education, science teacher education, educational organisation and leadership, and strong societal links within communities, all of which warrant the successful implementation of COSMOS. The resulting tools, policy briefs and roadmaps will be used by schools across Europe further impacting communities through science education.

Call for proposal

H2020-SwafS-2018-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SwafS-2020-2-two-stage

Coordinator

UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT
Net EU contribution
€ 421 250,00
Address
Heidelberglaan 8
3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands

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Region
West-Nederland Utrecht Utrecht
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Other funding
€ 0,00

Participants (11)