Member 

My community
Forum
Hands on
All tools

Newsletter

Pilot Project: Science Center at School

The objective of this project is to make a SWOT analysis of existing hands-on science curricula for primary schools (such as STC, Insight, Foss) and cook-books from science centres from the USA, regarding their effectiveness in creating awareness and positive attitudes with pupils for R&D and stimulating pupils to conduct R&D themselves at a basic level. It should help to select critical success factors for the adaptation of hands-on science curricula in a given EU country.

We will use modern, interactive science exhibitions combining the best practices of informal learning and formal education. NEMO will use the pedagogical expertise of the teachers and teacher training institutes as well as the curriculum development input by the educational authorities.

Target age group
11-12 years old children

Languages
English, French and Dutch

Methodology
• Developing new hands-on science teaching method for primary schools;
• Doing curriculum analysis on national, local and school level by combining formal education through school authorities and informal learning through science centre experts leading to European synthesis;
• Implement the new hands-on methods both in student teacher programmes and in-service education;
• Forming a structural European network for dissemination and sustainability of the results of several European science education projects.

Location
Materials will be produced for school, internet and science centre use.

Planned outputs
• Materials going for test to pilot schools: September 2005
• Begin of second test period: January 2006
• Starting the translation process: September 2006
• Starting dissemination process by EUN: January 2007

Impact
NEMO wants to fascinate and enthuse a broad public about subjects in science and technology. NEMO is a non-profit organisation opened for the public in 1997; since then 2.5 million people (annual average 300 000); 30% school groups; 70% other public visited NEMO.

Evaluation strategy
The pilot project combines:
• the findings of desk-research using reports and studies performed in different countries (Sweden, France, England) about formal learning;
• science centre "cook-books";
• the findings from the presentations of the EU conference “Science is primary”;
• the outcomes of the NEMO project Science on wheels;
• The outcomes of the project from the American School in The Hague (Science centre at school);
• other EU project outcomes usable in this direction.

Pilot coordinator
NEMO, Dutch National Centre for Science and Technology

Website of the project
Visit the website: Science Center at School

Contact details
NEMO
Oosterdok 2
1011 VX Amsterdam
tel. 0900 - 91 91 100 (€ 0.35)
fax 00 31 20 – 5313535

Project coordinator
Leo van den Bogaert
Tel.: +31205313133

Partners
Scientific partners
• AMSTEL-Instituut (university of Amsterdam) Science Faculty
• EfA, Education faculty of the university of Amsterdam
• VeDoTech, Association of Technical Teachers
• SLO, Dutch Institute for curriculum development