Primary-School-Science-Report
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ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 1 INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE ICSU Proceedings of INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PRIMARY SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (BEIJING, CHINA • 1-4 NOVEMBER 2000) Organised by: Committee on Capacity Building (CCBS) International Council for Science (ICSU) Ministry of Education, China Chinese National Committee for UNESCO China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Beijing Normal University ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 2 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 3 Table of Contents: I. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 3 II. BACKGROUND . 4 III. INTRODUCTION. 5 IV. KEY PROGRAM THEMES. 6 A New Approach to Teaching Science and Mathematics . 6 Science and Mathematics in the Asia/Pacific Region. 7 What Science and Mathematics Should be Learned. 8 Critical Role of Teachers . 10 Student Learning. 11 V. RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLANS FROM CONFERENCE DISCUSSION SESSIONS . 11 Curriculum Content and Assessment. 11 Recommendations of the Technology Group . 11 Teacher Training and Continuing Education. 12 Out of School Science Education Opportunities. 13 VI. PROPOSED DRAFT ICSU STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FOR NATURAL SCIENCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. 13 VII. NEXT STEPS . 14 Outreach . 14 Supporting and Networking with Existing Networks . 14 Preparations for CCBS Conference (Brazil,2002) . 15 Meeting of the ICSU Scientific Unions (February 2001) . 15 VII. BEIJING CONFERENCE STATEMENT . 16 Annexes: Conference Program . 17 Opening Statement . 18 Chinese Participants List. 19 Participants List. 22 1 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 4 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 5 I. Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the efforts of all those who worked so tirelessly to make the Beijing conference a success. First, we would like to note the extraordinary leadership and efforts of our CCBS colleague, Professor Wei Yu. Beginning with her invitation to CCBS to bring such an international conference to Beijing,her team of staff and participating organizations worked unceasingly to manage all of the logistics involved in accommodating the needs of participants from around the world. She was also able to attract high level attention and publicity for this international conference within China and for the issues that it set out to present. We note the contribution of our CCBS members,speakers, discussion leaders and recorders who provided the essential substantive contributions for this conference and its proceedings and the attendees who shared their insights and experiences. We acknowledge the support of our funders and the work of the ICSU staff in helping to disseminate information about this conference and in assisting in preparing the draft proceedings. We appreciate access and use of official photos from the conference as well as informal ones contributed by Dr. Otto Hammes. Dr. Leon Lederman Dr. Shirley M. Malcom Co-chairs, CCBS Travel for developing country’s participants and support for publication and dissemination of the report were provided by UNESCO. 3 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 6 II. Background ducators, scientists and officials from over 20 nations met in Beijing, November 1- 4,2000,for the first International Conference on Primary School Science and Mathematics Education.EIn addition to over 100 international representatives, over 70 participants from cities and provinces across China took part in the gathering. The conference was held at the Harbour Plaza Hotel and included site visits to school programs and to the China Science and Technology Museum. The conference, organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its Committee on Speakers and organizational leaders meet Education Minister Chen Zhi Li Capacity Building in Science (CCBS), was invited to convene in China by CCBS member and Vice mathematics as a basic tool for capacity building cerns in primary school science and mathematics Minister of Education,Professor Wei Yu. In China around the world. education while acknowledging,honoring and the conference was co-hosted by the Ministry of incorporating differences in approaches based on Education,China; Chinese National Committee In addition the conference was an extension and geography, history, culture and/or language. for UNESCO, China Association for Science and direct follow-up to a CCBS sponsored workshop Technology’s potential was also recognized as a Technology (CAST),and Beijing Normal held coincident to the World Conference on mechanism to enable cooperation,networking and University. Science (WCS) held in Budapest,Hungary in June exchange of ideas now and into the future, using 1999 and co-sponsored by UNESCO and ICSU. the power of the Internet and growing world con- The conference reflects the continuing interest of One of the key recommendations from the WCS nectivity. These efforts would build on earlier CCBS in primary school education in science and stressed that “There is an urgent need to renew, work of the CCBS to develop a capacity building expand and diversify basic science education for “portal,” www.teachscience.org and other similar ini- all,…”(Science Agenda-Framework for Action/ tiatives. Section 2.4, Paragraph 22). The choice of China as a conference venue had The aim of this International Conference was to the added value of supporting countrywide initia- provide a forum to discuss strategies to accomplish tives underway to reform cur riculum for science this end. It was organized to focus less on presen- and mathematics in primary education. tations and submitted papers and more on net- working, providing opportunities for discussion, and developing specific action plans to guide future work of individuals,donors,NGO’s,higher education institutions and governments. The CCBS member and Vice Minister of Education, emphasis was placed on sharing practices,ideas, Professor Wei Yu addresses the conference. research and strategies to address common con- 4 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 7 Beijing Normal University, noted the immense III. Introduction changes underway in China and around the world by virtue of advances in science and technology he opening plenary was highlighted (Internet,information and communication tech- by messages and remarks from repre- nologies,genetic technologies). How then to pro- sentatives of the collaborating vide an education for children that prepares them groups. A choral presentation was adequately to live and work in that world? given by students of the primary schoolT attached to Beijing Normal University. It Speakers acknowledged the need to consider what served not only as entertainment and welcome to is taught,how it is taught and how teachers would Beijing.It also served as a reminder of the hun- be prepared to teach the new cur riculum. These dreds of millions of primary age children in China themes previewed issues that were discussed and around the world.Children requiring quality throughout the four days of the conference. education in science and mathematics to meet the challenges of the future—and the subject and Dr. Larry R. Kohler, Executive Director of ICSU, CCBS Co-Chair and Nobel Laureate Professor Leon objective of the discussion and deliberations at the described the makeup of the Council,its work and Lederman Conference. its long term interests in issues of capacity build- ing. He then read a letter of greetings from Following opening remarks by CCBS member Professor H.Yoshikawa, President of ICSU, which and Vice Minister for Education,Professor Wei Yu, further underscored the need for increased atten- a welcoming address by the Minister of Education, tion to the primary years, not only in capacity Chen Zhi Li,noted the historic occasion of the building, but also in the preparation and recruit- meeting and its importance to curriculum reform ment of young people to science and the promo- efforts currently underway in China. She and the tion of the public understanding of science. subsequent speakers, the presidents of CAST and CCBS Co-Chair and Nobel Laureate Professor Leon Lederman,in his opening remarks and introduction to the confer- ence, briefly recounted the history of CCBS and its interest in primary school education in science and mathematics. He described some of the common challenges faced in providing such edu- cation in developing and developed countries alike. Professor Lederman charged the conferees to develop an ICSU Executive Director, Dr. Larry Kohler leading a action plan that might focus on organi- discussion group of ICSU family with Dr. Due Yue, zation building, mobilizing donors,using Director, National Commission for UNESCO of China the World Wide Web to network and share information,and developing and A choral presentation by students of the primary school attached to deploying a cadre of science education Beijing Normal University technical co-operation providers. 5 ChinaDoc#2 3/14/02 11:34 AM Page 8 Similarly, programs in Brazil described by Professor IV. Key Program Themes Dietrich Schiel and science teacher Domingos Pereira Viana Filho emphasized hands on,integra- tive approaches to science teaching based on local- A New Approach to ly available material and locally meaningful themes. The challenge for Brazil (as well as for the Teaching Science and other sites) stems from the need to provide appro- priate instructional preparation and professional Mathematics development for a very large numbers of teachers, geographically dispersed over great distances,in oting the trend of curricula in many ways that are educationally sound. All groups countries emphasizing rote memorization acknowledged a role for technology in disseminat- of the facts of science, examples were N Professor Yves Quéré,CCBS member and speaker ing exemplary materials and potentially adaptable provided of “hands on”approaches to teaching instructional strategies. that had been developed and implemented in challenges were described not only as educational diverse regions of the world—in hundreds of and intellectual but also political —how to influ- A message from Professor George Charpak, schools in Chicago, Illinois in the United States; ence the incentives that affect the way schools are Nobel Laureate in Physics and a dr iving force in Paris,France;and in Ceara and San Palo in organized and run.