Welcome to a virtual research symposium on June 3rd – 4th, 2020. The LUMAT symposium is free of charge.
The theme of the symposium is Promoting STEAM in education, in which S stands for Science, T for Technology, E for Engineering, A for All subjects in this case, and M for Mathematics. The symposium invites researchers, teachers, and students to discuss and learn about the possibilities and challenges of STEAM in various and interdiscilpinary perspectives.
The University of Helsinki organizes an international course for youth next time on 2021. The course will not be organized on 2020 due to the corona situation.
The course is based on working with global challenges on four themes:
Climate Change
Digitalization
Circular economy
Wellbeing
During the course, the students carry out small learning projects together in teams with the university students and researchers.
The course starts with an intensive period on August in Helsinki, Finland. It continues as an online course after that during early Autumn.
The program of the course is diverse and is built on the basis of the participants’ interests.
The course itself will be free of charge, but the participants should reserve and pay for their own traveling, accommodation, and meals.
Welcome to the first International LUMAT Research Summer School on 2.6.2020. Due to the corona situation, the summer school will be virtual and free of charge this year. Register by 15.5!
The goal of the summer school is to reinforce collaboration among doctoral students, researchers, and teachers and future teachers of mathematics, science, and technology education and to discuss and learn about research according to participants` interests and needs.
The program of the summer school will be planned by the organization committee taking the participants` wishes and needs into account.
The summer school is led by an organizing committee: Professor Maija Aksela (director of LUMA Centre Finland and its research forum), Dr. Veli-Matti Vesterinen (president of the Finnish Mathematics and Science Education Research Association), Dr. Pasi Nieminen (vice president of the Finnish Mathematics and Science Education Research Association), Dr. Johannes Pernaa (managing editor of LUMAT journal) and, Dr. Jaana Herranen (the coordinator of LUMAT Science Research Forum).
Registration through registration form by 15.5. Please, register here Jaana will answer all further inquiries about the summer school (jaana.herranen@helsinki.fi | +358 294 150 464).
Warm welcome to LUMAT Research Summer School to learn together!
Maija Aksela, Veli-Matti Vesterinen, Pasi Nieminen, Johannes Pernaa, and Jaana Herranen
How to make better world together through education? How to teach climate change? How to collaborate with scientists in climate change? We welcome you to participate in our international Teachers’ Climate Change Forum! Application period starts at March 1st.
Climate change is one of the biggest global challenges of our time. Teachers have a key role in educating children and youth in their knowledge, skills and attitude. The Science Education Centre and Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) from University of Helsinki are organizing international and participative Teachers’ Climate Change Forum 2020 – continous professional development program for teachers on all school levels from around the world.
The continuous professional development (CPD) -program consists of
two parts. The first part is the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). The
second part is teachers’ summer course organized in Hyytiälä on August
3rd – 6th, 2020.
TCCF2020 MOOC is open for all and everyone has an opportunity to complete the course.
A maximum of 30 teachers will be selected to participate the Summer
Camp. They will also have an extra section available on the MOOC.
The application period for the Summer Camp is from March 1st until March 22nd.
The applicants will be notified whether they have been selected on March 31st, 2020.
The Course will open on the 1st of April and the section for Summer Camp will open at 20th of April.
So, save the date of the Summer Camp and apply on the beginning of the March.
During the past few decades, several interconnected research traditions have paid more and more attention to the process of educational design. Educational design research and other design-oriented methods seek complex educational problems through systematic, iterative, and continuing process of design, development, and evaluation of educational practices. This special issue presents six articles including research on educational design research methodology as well as research utilizing educational design research methods.
Editors Johannes Pernaa, The Unit of Chemistry Teacher Education, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Finland Veli-Matti Vesterinen, Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Finland
For a sustainable future, there is a need for science teacher education in which both science and sustainability are taken into consideration. In addition, the needs and hopes of the students should be in core as they are making the decisions in the future.
The thesis argues that learner-centred and learner-driven sustainability education are different constructs, and examined the possibilities and challenges of those approaches. It was noticed that higher education students can plan courses and parts of courses in which they can take the relevant aspects of e.g. sustainability and inquiry in account, although they also faced challenges in their student-led collaborative planning. As a result, a model was also created to support the use of students` own questions in inquiry-based learning.
Thesis is also in electronic form and you can find it here. More about research by Jaana Herranen.
The biannual “International Dialogue on STEM Education 2019” conference takes place in Berlin 5.-6.12.2019. This year the conference focuses on the role of science, technology and mathematics in education for sustainable development during early years education. The central goal of the conference is to bring together initiatives and experts to discuss how STEM education can empower children to contribute to creating sustainable societies. The keynote speakers are Professor Dr Ilan Chabay (Head of Strategic Science Initiatives and Programmes and Scientific Project Leader of the GSSF and KLASICA projects at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies) and Dr Ha Vinh Tho (Former Programme Director of the Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan and Co-Founder of Eurasia Foundation). Read more about the conference here.
The StarT programme organised by LUMA Centre Finland was invited to the conference as an internationally distinguished example of an initiative that empowers children to use STEM in solving issues related to sustainability. The conference sought out exemplary initiatives from different continents and StarT was chosen to represent Europe together with another initiative. In StarT children and youngsters get to create authentic solutions to issues in their own environment, and as such develop the skills and self-efficacy required from them to be able to contribute towards sustainable societies. However, StarT focuses not only on young people but also on teachers, whose exemplary best practices are shared through the programme.
StarT will host a workshop at the conference, and in accordance with the motto of StarT the topic will be “sharing the joy of learning”. As such, the workshop focuses on the special expertise of StarT: different ways to share the best practices of teachers and the project work of children and youngsters. In classrooms all over the world, innovative ideas are constantly emerging from small things. But for these innovations to turn into the foundation for global changes, they will need to be brought out of the classrooms for others to see and discover.
Join in for the next StarT season
You can participate in the international StarT 2019-2020 competition now (participate here). Teachers can participate in the competition by describing the projects they have carried out with children or youngsters, and/or the best educational practice of their learning community until 14.2.2020. The main prize is a trip to Finland. The StarT themes 2019-2020 are:
LUMA2020 program, funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, starts this autumn in all LUMA Centre Finland’s LUMA Centers all across Finland. The aim is to develop formal education from early childhood education to upper secondary education, as well as science related free time opportunities and technology education activities for children, youth and their families. The program will also support continuous professional development of teachers from early childhood education to higher education through new project learning models and practices. A steering group set up by the Ministry of Education and Culture manages the LUMA2020 program.
A total of 161 learning communities were selected for LUMA2020 program. In these learning communities are formal learning communities such as kindergartens, schools and vocational schools, but also leisure learning communities such as hobby schools. All selected learning communities are presented on the program website.
One of the aims of the program is to disseminate materials and best practices from previous development programs. The best practices and operating models of the LUMA Suomi development program, LUMATIKKA and the StarT-program are collected under four different themes. The themes are Sustainable Development (including Climate Change, Circular Economy), Mathematics Around Us (including Art, Economics and Statistics), Technology Around Us (including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics) and My LUMA (an optional theme that links to STEAM subjects). The aim is to support the work of teachers in implementing the new natural core curriculum. The program provides tools for e.g. to support project-based learning, multidisciplinary learning and different learning communities.
The LUMA2020 program has two phases: a development phase and a dissemination phase. The results will include free online courses (MOOCs) and other virtual opportunities such as virtual clubs for all kindergartens and schools in Finland. The program will provide online education material for teacher and a number of regional meetings over the period 2019-2020. The program culminates with the 16th nationwide LUMA Days at Aalto University June 3 – June 5, 2020, when learning projects and learning communities are presented to the public.
Congratulations to all selected LUMA learning communities!
For more information: Maija Aksela Prof., LUMA2020 Program Director, LUMA Centre Finland Director, University of Helsinki maija.aksela@helsinki.fi
Oona Kiviluoto Project Manager, LUMA2020 Program, LUMA Centre Finland oona.kiviluoto@helsinki.fi
At the European Science on Stage Festival 2019, 450 teachers will be working together to shape the science education of the future. The best teachers from Finland will also be present with their best practices.
Whether it is digitalisation, globalisation or climate change: today’s children and young people will face enormous challenges in the future. One of the tasks of STEM teachers (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is to prepare them for these challenges. At the 11th European Science on Stage festival 2019, hosted by Science on Stage Portugal in cooperation with Science on Stage Europe, the participating teachers will be equipped with the right tools to do so.
The three-day educational festival will take place from 31 October to 3 November in the Portuguese city of Cascais. Following the motto “Skills for the Future”, 450 teachers from over 30 countries will come together to present and exchange their innovative teaching concepts in a fair, in workshops and in short lectures. From mathematical card tricks, to building an eco-friendly battery and programming a pet simulator, there will once again be a variety of practical teaching ideas from teachers for teachers.
Particularly outstanding projects will receive the European STEM Teacher Awards at the festival and will later be disseminated internationally as training courses or teaching materials. In this way, teachers reach thousands of students throughout Europe with their ideas. They encourage them across national borders to consider a career in science, IT or engineering.
This year’s festival is under the patronage of Mr Tibor Navracsics, Member of the European Commission, and is endorsed by the Portuguese Ministry of Education.
Educational experts from Finland will attend with their best educational practice
Finland will take part at the Science on Stage festival 2019 with four teachers. The participants qualified for the national delegation by passing a preliminary selection process last year. The selection was part of the StarT 2018-2019 program.
With exceptional ideas like combining statistics and language studies the teachers convinced the jury of the Finnish Science on Stage festival. Now they head for the international Science on Stage festival to inspire and enthuse colleagues from all across Europe with their teaching ideas.
Science on Stage Europe brings together science teachers from across Europe to exchange best practice and teaching ideas and concepts with passionate colleagues from over 30 countries. Science on Stage Europe believes that the best way to improve science teaching and to encourage more schoolchildren to consider a career in science or engineering is to motivate and inform their teachers. The non-profit organisation was founded in 2000 and reaches 100,000 teachers Europe-wide.
Teachers from 30 countries come together every two years to exchange best-practice ideas. The Science on Stage festival is an educational fair that has in the past been hosted in Debrecen, London and Copenhagen.
The main supporter of the network Science on Stage is the Federation of German Employers’ Associations in the Metal and Electrical Engineering Industries (GESAMTMETALL) with its initiative think ING.
Science on Stage Finland
Science on Stage Finland spreads and promotes the best practice examples presented at the European festivals in Finland, through StarT programme. Every two years, Science on Stage Finland organizes, within the StarT programme, a national selection process for teachers to be chosen as Finnish participants for the European Science on Stage festival.
M. Sc. Outi Haatainen, Project manager Anette Markula, International project manager info@start.luma.fi
Most important for the press:
Science on Stage Festival 2019 Date: 31 October to 03 November 2019 Opening Ceremony: Thursday, 31 October, 5 p.m Open Day for the public: Saturday, 2 November 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Venue: Estoril Congress Center, AvenidaAmaral, 2765-192 Estoril, Portugal
For media representatives: Please register at press@science-on-stage.eu or by telephone on 030 400067-42.
How to talk about climate change to pupils in school? In early August, 30 teachers from more than 20 countries arrived to the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station for a week-long summer camp to familiarise themselves with the latest research on climate change and how to handle the issue in their teaching. One of the participants was Emma Santarcangelo from Italy.
Emma Santarcangelo, a teacher, was lucky to be among the more than a hundred applicants from the Teachers’ Climate Change Forum online course, organised by the University of Helsinki, chosen for the contact teaching period held at Hyytiälä. She teaches Italian, history and geography to lower secondary school pupils in Benevento, Italy.
In the online course, participants learn to discuss climate change in their teaching in a versatile and sensible manner from the perspective of a range of scientific disciplines. According to Santarcangelo, the key insight gained on the course was the adoption of scientific thinking.
Among the methods learned she intends to introduce at her school are the use of drama and role-play. Over the course, she also realised how important it is to continuously adapt one’s own teaching methods on the basis of feedback.
Overall idea of climate change
Over the course, Santarcangelo became aware of how climate change will affect human migration. At the summer camp, she had the opportunity to visit INAR, a centre of top-level atmospheric research which measures aerosol particle and greenhouse gas concentrations and variance in the atmosphere at Hyytiälä.
“It was fascinating to see how problems caused by climate change are being perceived from such a wide range of perspectives, making it extremely difficult to form a bigger picture. A risk in one sector is not even seen in another sector. We really need a global overall idea and ethics for this issue,” Santarcangelo notes.
Academy Professor Markku Kulmala is one of the researchers whom the course participants got to meet. In his presentation, Kulmala emphasised the importance of teachers and education in curbing climate change.
To her school, Santarcangelo intends to take with her a guidebook for teachers in which climate change is described through exercises and visualisation relevant to individual school subjects.
Self-efficacy put to a test
Not for nothing is Finland providing education in climate change to teachers, as we have the potential to be among the leading countries in terms of research focused on climate change and science education.
Another theme at the Hyytiälä camp was the development of science education, with a particular focus on the self-efficacy of teachers, examined through interviews and measurements. A research article to be published internationally is in the works. Climate change is an emotive subject, making it necessary to take pupils’ beliefs and attitudes into account in teaching.
“Many teachers are uncertain about their ability to talk about climate change,” says Professor Maija Aksela, the coordinator of the course from the University of Helsinki.
Insights are rewarding and sharing promotes learning
Teacher Emma Santarcangelo believes that the most challenging aspect of science education, to both teachers and pupils, is learning by doing. At the same time, it is also the most rewarding aspect. Witnessing pupils gain insights by seeing something actually happen after studying the theory is worth every effort.
One of the mottoes of the course is ‘learning by sharing’. The aim is to establish an international network for climate change teaching. At least the network formed by teachers of various educational levels and school subjects at the summer camp will continue sharing experiences through a Facebook group established at the wish of the participants.
According to Aksela, the first Teachers’ Climate Change Forum online course and summer camp were so successful that the intention is to continue both annually, resources permitting.
Other individuals contributing to the course included Mikko Äijälä and Laura Riuttanen, postdoctoral researchers at INAR, the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research; Tapio Rasa, science education coordinator for physics; Laura Ihalainen, science education coordinator for the arts; Oona Kiviluoto, science education coordinator for chemistry; Topias Ikävalvo, general coordinator and Jaana Herranen, a doctoral student from the University of Helsinki.
Teachers at the Hyytiälä summer camp gained an ample amount of information on climate change and related teaching methods. Emma Santarcangelo, blond hair, sits on the right-hand side of the second row.
The teachers also had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the equipment at Hyytiälä, which are used to measure, among other things, aerosol particle and greenhouse gas concentrations and variance.
