The Learning Science Through Theatre initiative in the context of Responsible Research and Innovation

Fostering Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is the next big step in the methodological teaching of Science. This is the solution towards an open classroom and innovation system of learning. The school science teaching needs to become more engaging. Science education should be an essential component of a learning continuum not only in classroom, but also for all, from pre- school to active engaged citizenship. “The Learning Science Through Theatre” Initiative creates a network of knowledge and collaboration between different communities by learning about science through other disciplines and learning about other disciplines through science. Forty Three (43) theatrical performances during the school years 2014-2016 were organized by secondary school students (2000 subjects) which embed both scientific concepts and cultural/ social elements which are expressed by embodied, verbal interaction and analogies. The methodology constitutes a merging of qualitative, quantitative and grounded theory analysis. The data were classified into categories and they were cross- checked by registrations forms, filled by the teachers. Results show that the acquisition of knowledge is successful with the co- existence of multiple semiotic systems and the theatrical performances are compatible with the principles of RRI. Keywords: Responsible Research and Innovation, Embodied learning, Inquiry, Creativity, Multiple representational Systems, STEAM

Full STEAM Ahead with Creativity

The integration of arts in science education (STEAM) aims to provide innovative activities to reach deeper learning levels and generally promote student engagement in (science) education. The European Horizon 2020 project CREATIONS with 16 partner institutions addresses this challenge with more than 100 initiatives over three years. All initiatives followed our STEAM guidelines based on the fundamental principles of responsible research and innovation (RRI). The positive effects of STEAM on cognition and motivation were evident in all initiatives with a sufficient empirical database. Besides the intention to integrate creativity, our study focused on flow that is experience of total immersion and exhilarating absorption in an activity that is experienced as effortlessly mastered. The productivity resulting from the self-rewarding creative rush makes flow particularly interesting. This chapter contributes to the open question of how flow is triggered with an exemplary meta-analysis of motivation and creativity scores of ten interventions ranging from complex projects at CERN to art-centred, play-based, laboratory-oriented projects or almost classical school initiatives. The regression analysis decoded self-efficacy as the crucial factor enabling the flow experience—which was demonstrated in this study for the first time, moreover, in a variety of age groups in the context of classroom activities

PATHWAYS – A Case of Large-Scale Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice in Scientific Inquiry-Based Science Education

The fundamental pioneering ideas about student-centered, inquiry-based learning initiatives are differing in Europe and the US. The latter had initiated various top-down schemes that have led to well-defined standards, while in Europe, with its some 50 independent educational systems, a wide variety of approaches has been evolved. In this present paper, we portray a European bottom-up initiative, “PATHWAY to Inquiry Based Science Education”, to define a basis for learning initiatives and to meet current challenges to access learning, to share knowledge and establish competences in learning communities. Our approach was designed to act as bottom-up catalyst by mobilizing teacher communities to (further) foster inquiry. Of a sample of 10.053 science teachers from 15 European countries (incl. Russia), about 5060 provided empirical support for our teachers’ professional development initiative. The response pattern portrayed teachers’ preferences and pointed to potential needs in professional development (PD) efforts. On average, our sample reported an altogether 11 years’ period of teaching practice in general but just 2-3 years of experience in inquiry-teaching. In the view of that, consequences for professional development (PD) initiatives are discussed.</jats:p

Towards a Functional Approach to the Assessment of Daily Life Physical Activity in Children: Are the PAQ-C and Fitbit Flex-2 Technically Adequate?

Considering the need for functional physical activity (PA) measures in PA settings, this study sought to determine the technical adequacy of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C) and the Fitbit Flex-2, two instruments with promising features for wide use, using the Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer as the criterion reference. A total of 218 Greek children (94 boys, 124 girls; mean age = 10.99 ± 1.52 years) volunteered to join in. Participants wore the PA trackers for seven days and completed the PAQ-C. Moreover, a sub-group (n = 60) recompleted the PAQ-C after a week. Results revealed acceptable internal consistency and excellent test–retest reliability for the PAQ-C. Regarding concurrent validity, weak to moderate correlations with PA parameters recorded by the GT3X+ were revealed for the total PAQ-C and were excellent for the Flex-2, while a Bland–Altman plot indicated good agreement. Finally, in alignment with relevant literature, significant gender, but no age, differences were found in participants’ PA records in all the tools applied. The above results support the use of the PAQ-C and the Fitbit Flex-2 in children. Considering that they shed light into different parameters of children’s habitual PA, their combined utilisation, providing comprehensive information, is strongly recommended.This research was supported by the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 Programme (2014–2020) under ID n 777082, and by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation through Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa (RNP) under Ocariot

The colours of the Higgs boson: a study in creativity and science motivation among high-school students in Italy

AbstractWith the increasing shift from STEM to STEAM education, arts-based approaches to science teaching and learning are considered promising for aligning school science curricula with the development of twenty-first century skills, including creativity. Yet the impact of STEAM practices on student creativity and specifically on how the latter is associated with science learning outcomes have thus far received scarce empirical support. This paper contributes to this line of research by reporting on a two-wave quantitative study that examines the effect of a long-term STEAM intervention on two cognitive processes associated with creativity (act, flow) and their interrelationships with intrinsic and extrinsic components of science motivation. Using pre- and post-survey data from 175 high-school students in Italy, results show an overall positive effect of the intervention both on the act subscale of creativity and science career motivation, whereas a negative effect is found on self-efficacy. Gender differences in the above effects are also observed. Further, results provide support for the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between creativity and science career motivation. Implications for the design of STEAM learning environments are discussed