Partnerships for science education

Project Information

PAFSE

Grant agreement ID: 101006468

DOI

10.3030/101006468

Project closed

EC signature date 20 July 2021

Start date 1 September 2021

End date 31 August 2024

Funded under

• Encourage citizens to engage in science through formal and informal science education, and promote the diffusion of science-based activities, namely in science centres and through other appropriate channels

Total cost

€ 1 455 075,00

EU contribution

€ 1 455 075,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PAFSE (Partnerships for science education)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught communities off-guard. From the restrictions imposed on citizens, to the unheard-of visibility of the slow processes of scientific research, we are living through unprecedented conditions. PAFSE is a bottom-up initiative that seeks to engage schools and educational systems in a pro-active role in the development of students, so they can be aware of public health risks and take initiative, trough the interaction with scientific experts. The project will strengthen the level of responsibility of young people in measures to prevent and manage hazards and will also improve the collaboration between stakeholders, schools and communities to the benefit of education and wellbeing.
PAFSE will engage schools and other enterprises in the task to craft regional health education clusters that foster improved science education at the community level, aiming to reduce the risk of communicable disease. Science education is explored as a vehicle to provide citizens with the knowledge, tools and skills to take informed decisions on public health challenges. It focuses on risk factors for the health condition of individuals, but also on the protective behaviours from a personal and population perspective, contributing to more literate communities and healthy lifestyles, as well as detection and prevention of infectious diseases.
The general objective is to contribute to community preparedness to reduce the risk of contagious disease and epidemics, by establishing partnerships between schools with other enterprises and engaging them in efforts to enrich Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education to include public health issues and the value of disease prevention measures in protecting communities. Novel educational provisions will engage students aged 12-15 in public discourse events, and a blend of formal and informal activities using digital tools, online teaching-learning environments and educational scenarios to develop their competence on project management and collection/analysis of scientific evidence.
PAFSE will improve STEM education by introducing a participative model for health education, which relies on an open school concept and contributes to the well-being of the community. The project will create, maintain and expand health education clusters with the active integration of an increasing number of citizens and organizations throughout the 3 years of funding. Their engagement and nourishment through the project lifecycle seeks to enrich the educational and networking experience and also to enhance the sense of responsibility undertaken by the school and the community to work together when addressing public health hazards.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The consortium established 7 science education clusters in 4 countries (Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Portugal). This supportive network for schools based on partnerships with universities, research centres, laboratories, enterprises, associations, and civil society representatives, enriched education in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The school-based activities described in the 73 educational scenarios developed by the consortium contributed to students’ knowledge, competence and literacy in health issues with high public health impact, with a focus on diseases that are influenced by socioeconomic determinants and require individual and global community action. The partners activities focused on creating workable arrangements for open schooling, where organisations provide a significant contribution to formal education providers and benefit from students’ engagement and preparation on real life challenges connected with public health, while promoting teacher professional development and teaching-learning innovations that involve community stakeholders in supporting the school on the implementation of the educational scenarios. The public health challenges launched within the designed digital educational scenarios engaged students in inquiry-based projects that require collaborative work with the stakeholders, increase citizens literacy and benefit the health of the community. The project involved about 114.278 students (12-15 years old) in the project activities and provided professional development actions for 5.709 teachers. Major results/outcomes of PAFSE: i) Public awareness on the role of Science Education for Responsible Citizenship; ii) Positive attitudes towards Science and informed decisions regarding STEM curricula and careers; iii) Specialised resources and expertise from researchers to teachers and students; iv) Educational methodology for STEM Education; v) Digital Educational Scenarios and Learning Objects for Science Education; vi) Support of teachers in the adaption of educational scenarios to the local level and particularities of the school; vii) Case studies reporting the design, development and validation of educational scenarios; viii) School Project Management Resources and Scientific Inquiry Instruments for inquiry-based learning; ix) Actions of formal and informal science education in schools as well as through multiple stakeholders like universities and enterprises; x) Active involvement of the students in pressing issues connected to individual and community health; xi) Active involvement of the students in societal problems with local impact; xii) Open schooling events for enhancing the dialogue between students, teachers, parents, and wider community; xiii) Guidelines for the implementation of the open schooling framework; xiv) A toolkit for open schooling enhancing the dialogue between students, students and teachers, students and their community; xv) Web-based Educational Resource Repository for hosting learning objects – Photodentro PAFSE repository; xvi) Web-based interactive virtual educational environment for networking, collaboration and communication – E-me platform; xvii) Teachers training courses/professional development workshops; xviii) Opportunities of schools for continued/sustainable dialogue and collaborations with universities/ scientific community.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Until the end of the project, the partners will be scaling-up the training actions for teachers to implement the educational scenarios under the open schooling model and improve their preparation to apply innovative and active teaching-learning approaches and bring relevant health topics and stakeholders to the classroom. This actions will be based on the feedback coming from the pilot enactments. Partners will set up actions for the creation, maintenance and expansion of the 7 health education clusters. Additionally, we will be evaluating the project goals and impacts according to the defined framework: a) students’ appreciation of fact-checking routines in dealing with misinformation, their attitudes to science and their aspirations for science-related careers; b) teachers’ preparedness, interest and commitment to enacting educational scenario on public health issues and to collaborate with stakeholders; c) ability to maintain and expand the science education clusters with the integration of more partnerships at national and European level. The consortium will be also organizing actions to ensure that the work of the educational networks and the educational resources are disseminated and communicated to third parties with an interest in exploiting them.

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