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Play with water: Introducing ecological engineering to primary schools to increase interest and understanding of natural sciences

Final Report Summary - WASTEWATERRESOURCE (Play with water: Introducing ecological engineering to primary schools to increase interest and understanding of natural sciences)

The aim of WASTE WATER RESOURCE project was to assemble and assess teaching and demonstration material, addressed to pupils aged between 10 and 13 years, based on ecotechnological research and methods. Four different biological systems were adapted in order to work within a classroom and enable students to discover basic concepts of ecology and acquire personal experience in natural cycle, thus discovering the potential of wastewater as a natural resource and being motivated to ask questions, experiment with ecosystems and even experience hypothesis driven research.

The classroom systems reflected contemporary ecotechnology, represented ways to handle water and wastewater and to reuse nutrients and demonstrated the paths of waste in nature and its influence on ecosystems. The models were low cost ones, easily assembled and maintained by the students and had a potential to integrate both sexes as well as pupils originating from linguistic and cultural minorities, given the universal appeal of nature to children.

The appropriate methodology for teaching units implementation was defined and a common pedagogical framework was developed, while teachers were provided with instructions on the different teaching units. A website including teaching instructions, supplementary material, educative information and recommendations on integrating minorities in the teaching process was available, and continuously updated and improved using project application in schools feedback. The quality and impact of the different teaching units was monitored with questionnaires, interviews and observations.

The results and conclusions of the WASTE WATER RESOURCE were disseminated through various routes, such as conferences publications, newsletters, leaflets and articles available to the wider public, as well as video material of various types. Follow up projects were proposed, addressing to links between science education and research and innovative methods in science education. Regarding the integration of different sexes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, the project hypothesis that inquiry based teaching offers an opportunity for all pupils to show their strengths was tested in cases where assessment was possible. The hypothesis was initially verified; however assessment was not feasible in large scale due to the nature of the employed schools, were minorities were not always present.