The local steering committee is launching the Science on Stage Malta project at the University Residence on October 10 at 1 p.m.
Science on Stage is based on the very successful Physics on Stage concept that was introduced in 2000. It is directed towards science teachers and students in Europe's secondary schools.
The project addresses the content and format of science teaching in European schools, seeking to improve the quality of teaching and to find new ways to stimulate pupils to take an interest in science.
Innovative and inspirational science teaching is seen as a key component to attract young people to deal with scientific issues, independently of whether they take up a career in science. Hence, Science on Stage aims to stimulate the interest of young people through the school teachers, who can play a key role in reversing the trend of falling interest in science and current scientific research.
Science on Stage forms part of the European Science Teachers Initiative (ESTI), funded by the European Commission as part of the Nucleus set of activities and carried out by EIROforum together with the 'Science in School' journal.
Within this context, two cycles of national activities, each followed by international festivals, take place. The national activities for Science on Stage 1 began in January 2005, leading to a festival at Cern in November 2005. Science on Stage 2 began with a meeting of national representatives in February, and will culminate in a festival in Grenoble during the first week of April next year.
Goals of Science on Stage
Science on Stage aims to facilitate the exchange of good practice and innovative ideas among Europe's science teachers and to provide a forum for a broad debate among educators, administrators and policy-makers about today's key problems in science education.
It also makes available the considerable, combined expertise of the EIROforum research organisations to the European scientific teaching community, in order to promote the introduction of 'fresh' science into the curricula and thus to convey a more realistic image of modern science to the pupils.
Science on Stage is concerned with basic science and also with the crossover between different science disciplines - an interdisciplinary trend becoming more and more important in today's science, which is not normally reflected in school curricula. A key element of the programme is to give teachers an up-to-date 'insider's' view of what is happening in science. It also offers an opportunity to inform teachers about diverse and interesting career opportunities for their pupils.
Target groups
The specific target groups are:
• teachers, who will benefit from exposure the best teaching materials and methods, as well as from interaction with their European colleagues and the use of the online archive of information gathered during the project,
• the young generation, through the teachers as multipliers, who will have the opportunity to take advantage of the new methods and means identified by the project to stimulate greater interest in science and technology,
• scientists, who will be stimulated in their work by the widening interest in their research, with added opportunities for interaction with teachers at the time of the project, and also in its wake.
An International Steering Committee (ISC) made up of representatives of the organisations running the project oversees the steering of the project.
Maltese Steering Committee programmes
The Maltese Steering Committee for Science on Stage is backed by the Curriculum Department within the Education Division, and the Faculties of Education and Sciences at the University of Malta. The committee has already set up various educational activities related with science education at all levels.
Home-Sci-Home was organised in collaboration with the Education Division, through Miriam Teuma, the officer in charge of the Science Centre and the Primary Science Peripatetic Teachers. The experience was a Gozo College initiative aimed at contributing towards the creation of scientific and technological cultural awareness in people.
Throughout the day, children from state and Church schools visited the farmhouse with their teachers and involved themselves in various activities. The Gozo College was at the forefront to promote the initiative and the Gozo College co-ordinator, Chev. Frank Gatt, also supported the follow-up by awarding a Primary Science Shield to the school which has excelled in primary science.
Another project supported by Science on Stage for the primary level is the setting up of a Science Club at Stella Maris College, in collaboration with headmistress Josephine Zammit. Lessons were primarily based on "hands on" simple scientific experiments which could be easily carried out in primary classes.
Secondary school students for the first time visited the Culham Nuclear Centre together with teachers who form part of the Steering Committee. They were the first group to enter the research centre and experience first-hand the works of professional scientists and researchers. Elton Micallef from St Joseph School in Blata l-Bajda, Doreen Mizzi from Stella Maris College and myself have collaborated in this venture.
Another programme organised by Science on Stage in collaboration with the Science Centre at St Patrick's and the Astronomical Society was an in-service training in astronomy teaching. This was possible thanks to the impeccable contribution of Edwin Camilleri and his colleagues.
Science on Stage will now be organising an open day at the Faculty of Science to expose the opportunities that students reading for science courses can follow once they obtain their MATSEC certificate.
Science on Stage 2 Festival in Grenoble
The Science on Stage 2 festival will take place between April 2 and 6 at the Europole Centre de Congres in Grenoble, France.
The elements of the event will be a fair with one booth for each national delegation, where a very broad palette of activities and materials will be presented to the other participants; and on-stage activities, which can range from performances with artistic and creative elements to presentations of demonstrations, experiments and teaching methods.
During the fair, each delegation will demonstrate the best teaching materials and methods offered to young students of science in their country. The vibrant and stimulating displays will provide a backdrop to market-like sessions, where all participants are free to explain their projects, investigate those of their European colleagues, compare and contrast experiences, gain inspiration from others and originate new ideas and collaborations.
There will also be workshops to discuss educational issues, demonstrate teaching methods or projects, and introduce areas of current scientific research.
Each participant selected by the National Steering Committee to attend the festival will have the opportunity to present his/her work, either at the fair, in an 'on-stage' session or in a workshop session. The ISC will schedule parallel sessions of presentations and workshops, with activities grouped around common themes.
It is hoped that the different activities at the festival will be very conducive to intense information exchange and provoke renewed enthusiasm in science teaching as well as a better understanding of the central problems associated with science teaching in Europe.
In addition to the fundamental aspects of cross-fertilisation and increased motivation, this unusual market place also sets out the initial framework for continued interactions between many teachers in different European regions.
Interested parties are invited to visit the Website www.scienceonstagemalta.info
Mr Schembri, a physics teacher at St Paul's Missionary College, is the chairman of Science on Stage.