IAP seeks to reform science education on a global scale by encouraging hands-on inquiry-based learning (IBSE) , especially in primary and secondary schools. What is IBSE? Inquiry-Based Science Education comprises experiences that enable students to develop understanding about the scientific aspects of the world around through the development and use inquiry skills.
Forthcoming events in 2010 ... The French Academy of Sciences is organizing, in collaboration with the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, its first international seminar in May 2010 on science and technology education in school. The seminar will take place from 17-22 May 2010 at the International Centre for Educational Studies (CIEP) in Sèvres, near Paris. The seminar will address inquiry-based science education issues, strategies for innovation in educational practices and strategies for generalization into educational systems, and is supported by the Directorate for Global Affairs, Development and Partnerships of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Directorate for European and International Affairs and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education. This meeting is intended for 50 trainers and decision-makers of foreign educational systems (outside Europe), wishing to get acquainted with the methods and the tools developed in France. The objective is to support them in the renewal of science education and the implementation of an inquiry-based approach in class in their country. Detailed information on how to participate is available in French and English at: www.lamap.fr/seminaire. Contact person for queries: Raynald Belay: raynald.belay@inrp.fr
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Recent news ... A Workshop on "Transition of the Inquiry-Based Science Education Methodology from Primary to Secondary School" was organized in Santiago. More details and the final report will follow shortly.
The Chilean Academy of Sciences-ALLEA and IANAS are currently organinizing a Conference on the same topic which will take place in York, UK, from October 27-29, 2010.
Recent publications ... "Inquiry-based science education: an overview for educationalists" click HERE to download the trilingual version (French, English and Spanish) of the international report from the IAP Working Group on Science Education. This publication is a condensed handbook of the Santiago Conference Report (see below) for the use of educationalists and authorities, particularly ministries of education and identifies the benefits of the IBSE method and the disadvantates of not pursing IBSE in primary and secondayr education. The handbook was published with the support of IAP, the French Academy of Sciences, and the Wellcome Trust UK. If you wish to receive a printed copy, contact: iap@twas.org
Reports published in 2009 ...
A report on "Teacher Professional Development in Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE)" has been compiled by the Working Group following a number of seminars through 2008 culminating in the International Conference on Teacher Professional Development in Pre-Secondary School Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) which took place in Santiago, Chile, 20-22 October 2008.The report, published in June 2009, incorporates a revision of the background paper for the conference, the outcomes of the discussion and the conclusions and recommendations agreed by conference participants. The front page of the report can be downloaded HERE (pdf file) along with the Full Report. (72 pages).
If you wish to receive a CD containing the files, please write to: iap@twas.org.
For more information, contact the programme coordinator at: jallende@abello.dic.uchile.cl
Activities in 2008 ... A meeting of representatives of academies of science in Europe recently met in Grenoble, France, on 10 October to explore the possibility of establishing a virtual network committed to science education as part of IAP's broader programme. The participants agreed to work to improve science education at the national level, to cooperate with other academies at the European level, to participate in EU activities in this area. The meeting was held immediately after the EU Conference on Science Learning in the Europe of Knowledge (8-9 October 2008).
The first group of academies which will initiate activities include: Finish Academies of Sciences and Letters, The Estonian Academy of Sciences, The French Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society, U.K., The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, The Royal Irish Academy, The Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands, and Accademia dei Lincei - Italy.
Each Academy agrees to:
For information on the project, contact: jallende@abello.dic.uchile.cl
- SCIENCE vol 321 of 29 August 2008: Jorge E. Allende, Coordinator of IAP's Science Education programme, writes in an Editorial in Science on how member academies of the IAP Network are actively engaged in science education and in promoting inquiry-based science education, at a national and regional level, in order to instill in future generations a fascination with scientific discovery. Download the full article here.
- SCIENCE vol 319 of 21 March 2008: Bruce Alberts, the new Editor-in-Chief, illustrates in the Editorial why he considers science education critical to science and society, and refers to the inquiry-based science education methods, an integral part of the IAP Programme on Science Education, currently being implemented in many countries worldwide, to gradually change the approach of science teaching. Download the Editorial here.
- Professor Jorge Allende, Coordinator of IAP's Science Education Programme at the Chilean Academy of Sciences, as been awarded, together with Professor Jokic (Serbia) the "puRkwa" Prize in 2007. The "puRkwa" Prize's goal is to encourage the best innovative practices in general science education for children under 16 years of age in the school curriculum. The Prize is addressed to "pioneers" in innovation: people in charge of innovative programmes or people who have succeeded in motivating professors in innovation. The Prize is awarded jointly by the French Academy of Science and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines of Saint-Etienne. For information on the Prize, see www.emse.fr/en/news/purkwa.html
Images courtesy of ECBI-Chile and UNICEF
Resource materials for teaching science in school have also been produced La main à la pâte and the French Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia with the aim of promoting and disseminating the inquiry-based science education programme to countries in the Southeast Asian region. The document is available for download in French or English at: www.inrp.fr/lamap/index.php?Page_Id=1179 Previous Activities:
Link to an outline of activities which took place from 2001-2007.