Fostering Inquiry and Creativity in Early Years STEM Education: Policy Recommendations from the <i>Creative Little Scientists</i> Project

Creative Little Scientists was a 30-month (2011-2014) EU/FP7-funded research project focusing on the synergies between early years science and mathematics education and the development of children’s creativity, in response to increasing interest in these areas in European educational policy. Using a variety of methods, including desk research, a teacher survey and classroom-based fieldwork, the research provided insights into whether and how children’s creativity is fostered and appropriate learning outcomes, including children’s interest, emerge. Based on these and ongoing collaboration and dialogue with participants and other stakeholders the project proposed recommendations for policy and teacher education. This paper presents these recommendations and the research on which they were based. Throughout the study, mixed methods were employed, combining quantitative approaches used in surveys of policy and teachers’ views based on a list of factors, alongside qualitative approaches employed in case studies of classroom practice. A strong conceptual framework developed at the start of the project guided data collection and analysis, as well as the presentation of findings and the development of policy recommendations, thus ensuring the latter’s strong and consistent relationship with the relevant theoretical knowledge, the comparative research, analysis of classroom practices and the production of guidelines for teacher education

Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Reading Comprehension and Behavior in Children Using E-books vs. Printed Books

The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence that personalized, gamified, and PDF electronic reading practices have on the attitudes which fifth-grade students possess toward e-reading experiences, as well as how these stances affect the students' motivation and reading comprehension while they are learning English as a second/foreign language (EFL). For the purpose of the study, there were a total of 84 fifth-grade kids from public schools in Greece, who participated. These students were split up into three different experimental groups and a control one. Participants in the experimental groups read throughout the treatment period according to a preset schedule using one of three diverse electronic reading formats (PDF, gamified, or customized), whilst participants in the control group read utilizing a paper guided reading plan. The participants' experiences playing video games online were analyzed via a technique called the quasi-experimental approach. According to the findings of the research, the experimental group and the control group did not significantly vary from one another in terms of their levels of reading comprehension. On the other hand, in comparison to the participants in the control group, those who took part in the experiments reported having more favorable sentiments regarding their electronic reading experiences and were more inspired to read. As indicated from the research findings, kids may experience an increase in their desire to read when they use electronic gadgets. This study has implications for educators and policymakers as they consider incorporating digital reading practices into their teaching methods, particularly when it comes to improving students' motivation to read

Creative Little Scientists: enabling creativity through science and mathematics in preschool and first years of primary education: exemplary teacher training materials (D5.3)

This report focuses on the Exemplary Teacher Training Materials. The aim of these materials is to illustrate the teacher education Curriculum Design Principles and related Teacher Outcomes, which were developed during Work Package 5 as part of D5.2 Guidelines and Curricula for Teacher Training and can also be found in this report. They are designed for teacher educators to use in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD). They aim to extend professional understanding and enhance professional development in order to foster creativity in science and mathematics education in the early years. This report explains the methodology used to develop the materials, the nature and structure of the materials and includes suggestions for their use in all phases of teacher education. Methodology used to develop the exemplary teacher training materials In the Creative Little Scientists project, the comparative research and the in-depth fieldwork in particular identified significant issues that need to be tackled in teacher education in order to foster creativity in science and mathematics education in the early years. Based on these issues the teacher education Content Design Principles, created during the curriculum design research, were refined, and a set of Teacher Outcomes developed. To produce the Exemplary Teacher Training Materials, classroom examples of creative learning and teaching were selected using these Content Design Principles and related Teacher Outcomes. All partners re-visited their data from the in-depth fieldwork (Work Package 4) to select pertinent images, interviews or classroom extracts that evidenced one or more of the Teacher Outcomes. To support and record the selection process a grid was provided where partners could record links between the fieldwork data selected, Teacher Outcomes and factors associated with creativity in learning and teaching in science and mathematics. Templates were then used to structure the classroom materials and provide consistent information about the contexts from which they were drawn. Teacher training materials: an overview and how to use them In total 169 templates are available containing exemplary materials from fieldwork for use in teacher education. These are structured in an Excel-file and can be found on the website http://www.creative-little-scientists.eu. In order to support the full use of this diverse range of resources for teacher training, suggestions are provided in this report of selection and use of these exemplary materials in relation to particular themes and associated Content Design Principles as follows: o Suggestion 1: Use of questions and ideas of children by teachers (Principles 10 and 11) o Suggestion 2: Resources and learning environment as essential context factors for Creativity and Inquiry (Principles 10, 14, 17) o Suggestion 3: Focus on the nature of science – a link with creativity (Principle 3) o Suggestion 4: Focus on Inquiry Based Science Education – link with creativity (Principle 6) o Suggestion 5: Focus on Practical Investigations which foster creativity (Principles 2, 17) o Suggestion 6: Collaboration/group work in inquiry and creativity based approaches (Principle 15) o Suggestion 7: The role of play in inquiry and creativity based approaches (Principles 7, 8, 17) o Suggestion 8: The use of the various modes of expression and representation of science and mathematics learning to support inquiry and the development of creativity – link with assessment (Principles 7, 9) o Suggestion 9: The role of the teacher in Inquiry and Creativity approaches (Principles 1, 7, 11) o Suggestion 10: Cross curricular project work to foster inquiry and creativity (Principle 6) The suggestions above are carefully chosen since they encourage inquiry and creativity in science and mathematics education for early years, by focusing on the synergies between Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) and Creative Approaches (CA): play and exploration; motivation and affect; dialogue and collaboration; problem solving and agency; questioning and curiosity; reflection and reasoning; teacher scaffolding and involvement; and assessment for learning. As noted in the Conceptual Framework (D2.2) and experienced during the in-depth fieldwork, developing contexts for inquiry and exploration which foster creative learning, and achieving a balance between teacher intervention and children collaboration, as well as teacher standing back and learner agency, represent considerable professional challenges. The provided exemplary teacher training materials and associated suggestions for their use help address these challenges

Motivation among students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine whether intrinsic motivation is a major factor in explaining academic performance deficits in children with learning disabilities. Harter\u27s Scale of Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom was given to 34 students with learning disabilities and 36 students without learning disabilities from Grades 4 to 6 from a suburban, middle-class school district located in Southeastern New Jersey. It was proposed that students with learning disabilities were less intrinsically motivated than students without identified learning disabilities. However, the general pattern of results derived from a T-Test for Independent Samples did not show a significant correlation between motivation orientation. Although students with learning disabilities proved to be less intrinsically motivated on the criteria subscale, they scored similarly to their non-handicapped peers on the challenge, curiosity, mastery, and judgment subscales. These findings may be attributed to the minimal number of participants and that they were not representative of the entire population

Adobe Youth Voices Literature Review

Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) received a grant from Adobe to conduct an evaluation of the Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) program. As part of the evaluation, EDC conducted a review of relevant literature to situate AYV in a broader context, provide stakeholders with a framework for understanding goals and outcomes, and frame and inform the evaluation questions. EDC reviewed scholarly articles, program reports and evaluations, and research studies that addressed youth media programs, youth development, teacher professional development, and other areas related to AYV's goals.Among the findings, the literature review includes 6 key points that speak to the AYV program:1. The goals of youth media programs most commonly cited can be grouped into several categories: Youth voice -- the capacity for self-expression Youth development -- the process of developing the skills and personal attributes that enable young people to become successful adults Media literacy -- the ability to analyze, evaluate and produce information in a variety of media forms Skill development -- such as communication, critical thinking, technology, and media production skills Social action or civic engagement 2. Outcomes and impacts on participants of youth media programs commonly found in the literature include: Improved skills Improved community perception of youth Positive youth development Increased social action and civic engagement 3. Outcomes and impacts on participants of youth development programs frequently cited include:Improved communication, critical thinking, and related skills Increased self-esteem More positive attitudes towards school and their futures 4. There is broad agreement that traditional educational approaches do not adequately address 21st century skills. Education must adapt to be more compatible with the ways in which young people think and learn, as well as the tools and media that are part of their environment.5. Student engagement in education has been associated with positive youth development and 21st century skills. Engaging instruction often includes inquiry- or project-based, multidisciplinary, and authentic learning activities.6. Educator professional development is believed to be a key step toward improving student outcomes. While there is little research that can demonstrate this connection, there is new focus on evaluating the effectiveness of professional development activities. Elements of effective professional development include learning communities and collaboration, ongoing support and assistance, and active or applied learning

Reading habits in the digital age: marketing strategies to promote reading among children and young adults

Reading is a form of active learning, and cultivation of reading habits is vital for every child and young adult. However, according to the world’s most in-depth and trustworthy indicator of students’ abilities, PISA, reading skills among youngsters are barely improving. The project aims to deliver answers to the questions: what is the overall state of the reading habits of European children and young adults?; how is reading encouraged and promoted to children and young adults in the digital age?; what marketing and advertising strategies and initiatives are being introduced and practiced in Europe to encourage and promote reading among children and young adults?. To follow this aim we propose a survey overview on children’s and young adult’s reading habits and attitudes; bibliographical review of previous research on the topic of reading promotion, positive practices and marketing strategies; and a questionnaire survey, conducted among European organizations, involved in book and reading promotion. By observing the gathered data, we were able to conclude that reading habits and attitudes of children and young adults are predetermined at a very young age. The most important influencing factors that we examined were the active home literacy environment with access to books and literacy materials at an early age; the application of the reading aloud practice, starting at infancy; the kindergarten and school environment. What is more, we concluded that all adults, participating in children’s lives: parents; relatives; educators; librarians; social media influencers are role models with a strong influence on the shaping of the attitudes of youngsters towards reading.Ler é uma forma de aprendizagem ativa e o cultivo de hábitos de leitura é vital para todas as crianças e jovens adultos. No entanto, de acordo com o indicador mais aprofundado e confiável do mundo sobre as competências dos alunos, o PISA, as competências de leitura entre os jovens não estão a melhorar. Este projecto tem como objetivo dar resposta às seguintes questões: qual é o estado geral dos hábitos de leitura das crianças e jovens europeus ?; como a leitura é incentivada e promovida para crianças e jovens na era digital ?; que estratégias e iniciativas de marketing e publicidade estão a ser introduzidas e praticadas na Europa para encorajar e promover a leitura entre crianças e jovens adultos ?. Para cumprir este objetivo, propomos uma pesquisa geral sobre os hábitos e atitudes de leitura de crianças e jovens adultos; uma revisão bibliográfica de pesquisas anteriores sobre o tema promoção da leitura, práticas positivas e estratégias de marketing; e um inquérito por questionário, realizado entre organizações europeias envolvidas na promoção do livro e da leitura. Pela observação dos dados recolhidos, podemos concluir que os hábitos de leitura e as atitudes de crianças e adultos jovens são pré-determinados numa idade muito jovem. Os fatores de influência mais importantes que examinamos foram o ambiente ativo de alfabetização domiciliária com acesso a livros e materiais de alfabetização desde a infância; a aplicação da prática da leitura em voz alta, desde a infância; o jardim de infância e o ambiente escolar. Além disso, concluímos que todos os adultos, participando na vida das crianças: pais; parentes; educadores; bibliotecários; os influenciadores das redes sociais são modelos de comportamento com forte influência na formação das atitudes dos jovens em relação à leitura

Lectora-Based Interactive E-Module: A Solution to Develop Mathematical Logic Intelligence of Islamic Elementary School Student in the Era Society 5.0

The research designed in this library research aims to describe and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Lecora-based interactive e-modules in developing mathematical logic intelligence of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah students in the era society 5.0. Data collection techniques using documentation, sourced from Scopus articles totaled 7, International articles totaled 5, Sinta 2 totaled 3, Sinta 3 totaled 6, Sinta 4 totaled 5, Sinta 5 totaled 7, Sinta 6 totaled 1, International Proceedings totaled 2, Google Scholar Journals totaled 4, and Scientific Books totaled 7. After the data is collected then analyzed with descriptive analysis and content analysis. The results showed that the use of Lectora-based interactive e-modules proved effective for developing mathematical logic skills of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah students. And can be offered as an alternative in the world of education to face the era society 5.0 because of the easy access to learning through digital technology or Information and Communication Technology (ICT)