This spring – children, future and current teachers, and even parents – studied the wonders of science in clubs organised at schools. As part of the international multiannual StarT programme coordinated by LUMA Centre Finland, a new type of science club has been trialled and developed. In it, learners are the stars – their questions, creativity and skills lie at the heart of the activities.
Science clubs are effective and meaningful learning environments that may be integrated into school curricula, teacher training or extracurricular science education for families. This spring, the StarT programme organised by the LUMA Centre Finland network, has been testing a new collaborative model of science club activities in Finland and three other countries: South Africa, Indonesia and Jordan. Besides a learner-centred emphasis, the key to the model is collaboration, which supports emotional skills and inclusivity. Project-based learning is the working style and and an important research topic in the programme.
The multiannual StarT programme also includes an English-language online course. The course provides support for collaborative project-based learning as well as examples of studying in StarT science clubs. Collaborative learning is also supported by a webinar and the international StarT LUMA Science Camp event.
Research and innovation
Through the programme’s research, the aim is to find new solutions for blended and integrative STEM education in schools and teacher training. New models and solutions can benefit both those studying to become teachers and teachers who wish to supplement their skills.
“This is fun! When will the science club continue?” said one participant at the last session, organised as a small-scale science fair where children presented projects completed in small groups in the club and introduced their parents to the joys of science through selected experimental efforts.
Over the course of the club, parents sent messages on the children’s enthusiasm via a WhatsApp channel for club communications, also describing how the children showed photos of sugar rainbows they had made at the club, when they arrived back home. “The best day I’ve had in ages,” another club participant mentioned to their parents.
In the spring, the science clubs convened once a week for six weeks. Future teachers design the content of the sessions as part of their teacher training, consulting school teachers and engaging in listening to participating children’s wishes and questions. Each session involves activities that engage the children. In the StarT science clubs, the participants are the stars.
Collaborative project-based learning as the starting point
The versatile science clubs rely on collaborative project-based learning. The clubs are organised as part of the teacher training at the University of Helsinki and science education organised by LUMA Centre Finland, in cooperation with the City of Helsinki. The science clubs of the schools that participate in the pilot include learners from a wide range of nationalities. The languages of the clubs are, as a rule, Finnish – and when necessary – English.
“Basing the activities on projects enables inspirational collaborative learning. When carrying out their projects, learners are broadly honing important future skills – creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration. Science clubs establish an excellent learning environment for completing research-based projects with children and adolescents, while providing teacher students genuine experiences with them, listening to and discussing their questions,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Outi Haatainen, project manager for the StarT programme. Haatainen teaches a course at the University in which future teachers lead science club sessions in collaboration with schools. Haatainen also investigates collaborative project-based learning, particularly from the perspective of teacher training.
Reija Pesonen and Aleksi Takala from the University of Helsinki also contributed to supervising future teachers at the science clubs. Pesonen is interested in teachers’ continuous STEM learning, while Takala’s interests lie in modern learning environments, such as the use of artificial intelligence in teaching.
Inspiration from doing things yourself
The fascinating practical projects designed by children were related to removing dirt from clothing with various chemical solutions, and to the phenomena of burning and extinguishing in a range of materials.
In the final session, the participants presented their findings in person, with posters and videos as a support. According to one participant, the science club is the best thing ever. When feedback was requested from the learners at the end, everyone gave the club a full 10 with their hands – some of them even three times. Each club participant also received a StarT diploma and molecule-themed playing cards for collaborative learning at home after the club.
At the last session, parents have the chance to explore a lava lamp project and make bubbles with dry ice during the guidance of their children. These are the children’s favourite projects at the science club. The parents noticed that they learned a lot.
The received feedback was encouraging – with expressed wishes for more family-oriented science education in the immediate future. According to the parents, the children were very enthusiastic and learned a great deal. It was considered important that the children had the opportunity to do things on their own and ask questions, with time reserved for it.
Novel teacher training
The goal of the international StarT programme is to support a new kind of inspiring blended teacher training as well as the continuous learning of future and current teachers, in a new way in non-formal learning environments.
The project for the development of novel science clubs aims to apply new research-based solutions both nationally and internationally. It is a new initiative and a continuation of the internationally acclaimed StarT programme. You can read more about the award-winning programme via this link.
“The preliminary results of the first implementation round are interesting. Future and current teachers who participated in the science clubs consider them a very sensible way of learning together and experimenting with new things without urgency. The teachers said they would also put their learning from the clubs into practice in their lessons. The science clubs appear to function as a new form of continuing education. However, more research-based knowledge is needed. The science clubs offer the joy of insights and success in science for everyone,” says Professor Maija Aksela from the University of Helsinki, director of the StarT programme.
The first international and collaborative StarT programme was launched in 2017 under Aksela’s direction. The new international StarT initiative and research programme constitute the fourth edition of the programme.
Through STEM education, new pedagogical solutions for a good and sustainable future are developed and studied collaboratively.
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In August 2024, you can explore the top teacher projects from different European countries in the Science on Stage section of the LUMA Days conference.
