Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SciCar (Addressing Attractiveness of Science Career Awareness)
Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2024-09-30
SciCar seeks to systematically raising expertise among researchers/educators involved in S&T teacher education: previously, STE in UT was ineffective in making teaching careers in science disciplines attractive and enabling teaching to meet professional needs, re- context-based approaches using theoretical/research-based evidence.
The importance for society is:
reduce the gap between scientist and science educator beliefs in training of future science-related teachers by geog, chem, phys staff co-supervising PhD students alongside sc educ staff
seek involvement of the sc educ community in making the teaching profession more attractive. SciCar enacted research seminars for staff and PhD students, ran 3 PhD student schools involving science/science education staff
and held expert seminars involving overseas personnel
instituting a paradigm change in STEM-related teachers through developing a coursebook, Moodle course and involving UT science staff in SciCar activities
emphasise competence development in promoting student science-related career awareness.
valuing job shadow and site visit events, seminars and schools, focusing on career awareness orientations
identifying knowledge transfer between science development and science education, co-sharing PhD students,involving supervisors from UH and WEIZ
recognising importance of transversal skills and career awareness attributes
Within UT, SciCar overall objectives are
Raise the level of expertise among researchers and educators involved in S&T education.
Address academic training of science education researchers, making science teaching careers attractive through encouraging relevant science teaching approaches in schools
Enable academic training to reflect context-based approaches, responsible research & innovation aspects, digital learning and assessment and career awareness
Reduce the gap in science education between researchers in science disciplines and educators (preparing teachers/future researchers) by broadening expertise
Strengthen intra/inter-institutional synergies of units in S&T education at UT and Estonian outreach institutions, with two internationally leading counterparts
Create a Centre of Excellence for the Baltic & E. European countries emphasising early career researchers/PhD and post-doctoral in science education
The importance for society is:
reduce the gap between scientist and science educator beliefs in training of future science-related teachers by geog, chem, phys staff co-supervising PhD students alongside sc educ staff
seek involvement of the sc educ community in making the teaching profession more attractive. SciCar enacted research seminars for staff and PhD students, ran 3 PhD student schools involving science/science education staff
and held expert seminars involving overseas personnel
instituting a paradigm change in STEM-related teachers through developing a coursebook, Moodle course and involving UT science staff in SciCar activities
emphasise competence development in promoting student science-related career awareness.
valuing job shadow and site visit events, seminars and schools, focusing on career awareness orientations
identifying knowledge transfer between science development and science education, co-sharing PhD students,involving supervisors from UH and WEIZ
recognising importance of transversal skills and career awareness attributes
Within UT, SciCar overall objectives are
Raise the level of expertise among researchers and educators involved in S&T education.
Address academic training of science education researchers, making science teaching careers attractive through encouraging relevant science teaching approaches in schools
Enable academic training to reflect context-based approaches, responsible research & innovation aspects, digital learning and assessment and career awareness
Reduce the gap in science education between researchers in science disciplines and educators (preparing teachers/future researchers) by broadening expertise
Strengthen intra/inter-institutional synergies of units in S&T education at UT and Estonian outreach institutions, with two internationally leading counterparts
Create a Centre of Excellence for the Baltic & E. European countries emphasising early career researchers/PhD and post-doctoral in science education
SciCar initiated and developed a dedicated website (www.scicar.eu) composed of 6 sub-sections with a closed (password protected) section
SciCar held
an introductory opening session in 2020.
4 international conference at the Estonian Academy of Sciences on 30th Sept 2021, 29th Sept 2022, 5th Mar 2024 and 25th Sept 2024
4 PhD schools involving presentation and discussion/interactions by and between PhD students from the 3 partner countries, also involving science/science education staff - Aug 2022, Oct 2023, Mar 2024, Sept 2024
2 workshops for PhD students from UT and UH, both held in Estonia
14 seminars via zoom for staff and PhD students from the 3 institutions (UT, UH and WEIZ)
14 project management board (PMB) meetings in the 1st and 2nd project periods
and
received funding for a research proposal by the Estonian Science Council; Horizon 2020 project; European Research Council (ERC) grant
published 25 articles in high level sc ed. journals and 6 articles in the Estonian journal of educational research
enabled presentation by PhD students plus science/sc ed staff, especially from UT, of 45 papers 17 international science education conferences
developed 4 didactics-related, doctoral projects, 3 under co-supervision by SciCar partners
3 doctoral thesis defended within UT.
added 3 new UT staff members in science education research supervision.
appointed a visiting professor in physics education at UT.
SciCar held
an introductory opening session in 2020.
4 international conference at the Estonian Academy of Sciences on 30th Sept 2021, 29th Sept 2022, 5th Mar 2024 and 25th Sept 2024
4 PhD schools involving presentation and discussion/interactions by and between PhD students from the 3 partner countries, also involving science/science education staff - Aug 2022, Oct 2023, Mar 2024, Sept 2024
2 workshops for PhD students from UT and UH, both held in Estonia
14 seminars via zoom for staff and PhD students from the 3 institutions (UT, UH and WEIZ)
14 project management board (PMB) meetings in the 1st and 2nd project periods
and
received funding for a research proposal by the Estonian Science Council; Horizon 2020 project; European Research Council (ERC) grant
published 25 articles in high level sc ed. journals and 6 articles in the Estonian journal of educational research
enabled presentation by PhD students plus science/sc ed staff, especially from UT, of 45 papers 17 international science education conferences
developed 4 didactics-related, doctoral projects, 3 under co-supervision by SciCar partners
3 doctoral thesis defended within UT.
added 3 new UT staff members in science education research supervision.
appointed a visiting professor in physics education at UT.
Increased capacity of scientific research in subject didactics, based on existing best practices in the S&T Faculty and involved external expertise
Teaching became more research-based with increased doctoral students in the field of didactics
Becoming teachers in the field of S&T became more attractive
Gains by science educators from Job Shadowing and Site visits were a greater awareness of modern approaches, use of equipment/instrumentation in science research, appreciation of approaches and science researchers desire to discover/reach new insights and engage in regular group research discussions
The impact of SciCar is seen as:
enhanced research methods and scientific knowledge for all staff members
science education staff more familiar with the updating of developments within science and science research
increased capability of UT staff to publish in high impact peer reviewed journals, increased contacts and mobility and collaboration of qualified scientists between consortium members
improved capability to compete successfully for national, EU and internationally research funding
joint supervision of PhD students between science and science education staff.
successfully applying to Fulbright scholarships in USA (2 researchers spent 6 months in USA
increased Google scholar yearly citations for UT young scholars from av. 8 to 25, senior (young) scholars 87- 147 and for professorial level 420 to 464 per year for 2 UT senior staff
rise in visibility of research outcomes through Google Scholar database among young researchers in UT from 6 to 18 and for senior scholars from 26 to 68 calculating citations per year
establishing new network between 8 universities in the framework of a EU funded acaSTEMy project
75% increase in the number of University graduates enrolling in initial teacher training courses in the field of science education
75% increase in the number of high-visibility international publications published (total 25)
4 articles published in an Estonian journal of educational research
Increase in doctoral students - 8 PhD students now studying in the curriculum of educational sciences
Increase in UT postdoctoral researcher related to didactics (4 postdoctoral researchers now working in a consortium)
4 STEM-education related, doctoral projects developed, 3 under co-supervision by SciCar partners
3 new staff members in science education research as PhD supervisors re- Geography Chemistry Physics
SciCar project gains re-favourable impact of the developed coursebook and Moodle course
closer links formed between UT and Tallinn University
increased valuable PhD student interaction opportunities for Staff members/PhD students to attend science education conferences and submit small scale research projects
valued PhD student interaction offered by international PhD seminars and schools
impact from the 3 PhD student schools given in a paper entitled ‘Promoting young science education researchers through a series international seminars’ submitted for publication
PhD school impacted on MA students from Israel who appreciated participation and giving thought to invite master’s students to such ‘schools’ in the future
Teaching became more research-based with increased doctoral students in the field of didactics
Becoming teachers in the field of S&T became more attractive
Gains by science educators from Job Shadowing and Site visits were a greater awareness of modern approaches, use of equipment/instrumentation in science research, appreciation of approaches and science researchers desire to discover/reach new insights and engage in regular group research discussions
The impact of SciCar is seen as:
enhanced research methods and scientific knowledge for all staff members
science education staff more familiar with the updating of developments within science and science research
increased capability of UT staff to publish in high impact peer reviewed journals, increased contacts and mobility and collaboration of qualified scientists between consortium members
improved capability to compete successfully for national, EU and internationally research funding
joint supervision of PhD students between science and science education staff.
successfully applying to Fulbright scholarships in USA (2 researchers spent 6 months in USA
increased Google scholar yearly citations for UT young scholars from av. 8 to 25, senior (young) scholars 87- 147 and for professorial level 420 to 464 per year for 2 UT senior staff
rise in visibility of research outcomes through Google Scholar database among young researchers in UT from 6 to 18 and for senior scholars from 26 to 68 calculating citations per year
establishing new network between 8 universities in the framework of a EU funded acaSTEMy project
75% increase in the number of University graduates enrolling in initial teacher training courses in the field of science education
75% increase in the number of high-visibility international publications published (total 25)
4 articles published in an Estonian journal of educational research
Increase in doctoral students - 8 PhD students now studying in the curriculum of educational sciences
Increase in UT postdoctoral researcher related to didactics (4 postdoctoral researchers now working in a consortium)
4 STEM-education related, doctoral projects developed, 3 under co-supervision by SciCar partners
3 new staff members in science education research as PhD supervisors re- Geography Chemistry Physics
SciCar project gains re-favourable impact of the developed coursebook and Moodle course
closer links formed between UT and Tallinn University
increased valuable PhD student interaction opportunities for Staff members/PhD students to attend science education conferences and submit small scale research projects
valued PhD student interaction offered by international PhD seminars and schools
impact from the 3 PhD student schools given in a paper entitled ‘Promoting young science education researchers through a series international seminars’ submitted for publication
PhD school impacted on MA students from Israel who appreciated participation and giving thought to invite master’s students to such ‘schools’ in the future