Proceedings International Workshop Science education and guidance in schools: the way forward Editors Antonio Raschi, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Italy Annamaria Di Fabio, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Firenze, Italy Luca Sebastiani, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy 21-22 October 2013 Auditorium Sant’Apollonia, Florence, Italy ISBN 978-88-903469-2-7 ACARISS.indb 1 15/12/13 00:35 ACARISS.indb 2 15/12/13 00:35 This workshop was organised within the project ACARISS project (www.acariss.it) funded by Tuscany Region. PAR-FAS Funding. Action Line 1.1.a.3. This publication reflects the views only of the authors and the Region cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ACARISS Increasing the knowledge on environmental issues and pollution risks involving school with experimental activities Edizioni ETS ACARISS.indb 3 15/12/13 00:35 ACARISS.indb 4 15/12/13 00:35 Co-Conveners ANTONIO RASCHI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Italy ANNAMARIA DI FABIO, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Firenze, Italy LUCA SEBASTIANI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy Scientific Committee JACOBUS GIDEON MAREE, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, South Africa VALENTINA GRASSO, Institute of Biometeorology (IBIMET-CNR) & Environmental Modelling and Monitoring Laboratory for Sustainable Development (LAMMA), Italy ANNA GRIMALDI, Department of Labour Market and Social Policies - ISFOL, Italy ALEXANDER LUX, Dept Plant Physiology, Comenius University, Slovakia ARIANNA MENCIASSI - BioRobotic Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy JOSEP ANTON MORGUÍ, Institut Català de Ciències del Clima (IC.3) Parque Científico de Barcelona, Spain PHILIPPE SAUGIER, Independent consultant, former CarboSchools coordinator, France SALLY SORIA-DENGG, GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Germany Organizing Committee ANTONIO RASCHI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze LUCA SEBASTIANI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa ANNAMARIA DI FABIO, Department of Education and Psychology - University of Firenze ELISA BUSELLI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa FRANCESCA CECCHI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa ALESSANDRA FRANCINI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa ANTONIO MINNOCCI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa LUCIANO MASSETTI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze LETIZIA PALAZZESCHI, Department of Education and Psychology - University of Firenze LAURA PELLEGRINO, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze GRAZIELLA ROSSINI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze FRANCESCA UGOLINI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze Technical Committee CHIARA SCRETI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze GIACOMO TAGLIAFERRI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Firenze MARIO LANINI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, FIRENZE CAROLINA VAGNOLI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, FIRENZE FRANCESCA MARTELLI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, FIRENZE Text Processing of Proceedings FRANCESCA UGOLINI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Italy CHIARA SCRETI, Institute of Biometeorology - CNR, Italy ACARISS.indb 5 15/12/13 00:35 ACARISS.indb 6 15/12/13 00:35 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The organizing committee acknowledges, with gratitude, the following schools that worked into ACARISS project: Direzione Didattica Terzo Circolo - Carrara I.C. Don Milani - Marina di Massa (MS) I.C.I. Marcocci - Fontanelle (PO) I.C. Capannoli - Capannoli (PI) I.C. Capannoli - Terricciola (PI) I.C. Fra da Peccioli - Palaia (PI) I.C. Galilei - Montopoli (PI) I.C. R. Fucini - Monteroni d’Arbia (SI) I.C. R. Fucini, Succursale - Vescovado di Murlo (SI) I.C. Vico Alighieri - Grosseto I.C. Fra da Peccioli - Peccioli (PI) I.C. Galilei - Montopoli (PI) I.C. Pacinotti - Pontedera (PI) Istituto Nautico Cappellini - Livorno Istituto Nautico Verrazzano - Porto Santo Stefano (GR) Istituto Tecnico Agrario - Firenze Istituto Tecnico Cellini - Firenze Istituto Tecnico Commerciale - San Marcello Pistoiese (PT) Istituto Tecnico Commerciale Giotto Ulivi - Firenzuola ITIS Galilei - Livorno ITIS Marconi - Pontedera (PI) ITIS Pisa - Pisa Liceo Artistico Polo Bianciardi - Grosseto Liceo Chelli - Grosseto Liceo Scientico - San Marcello Pistoiese (PT) Liceo Scientico Castelnuovo - Firenze Liceo Scientico Giotto Ulivi - Borgo San Lorenzo (FI) Liceo Scientico Majorana - Capannori (LU) Liceo Scientico N. Copernico - Prato Liceo Scientico XXV Aprile - Pontedera (PI) 00. Editoriali.indd 7 07/01/14 11:09 ACARISS.indb 8 15/12/13 00:35 WELCOME ADDRESS ACARISS.indb 9 15/12/13 00:35 ACARISS.indb 10 15/12/13 00:35 The direct observation of scientic phenomena and their experimentation and discus- sion in classroom rather than the mere transmission of theoretical knowledge are powerful didactic tools for Science Education. Students can be, in fact, challenged with the object of the study, actively involved in asking questions and formulating hypotheses that can be tested through experiments in classroom. We successfully tested these concepts and approaches in the ACARISS project (www.acariss.it – Italian Acronym for Increasing the knowledge on environment and pollution risks involving schools with experimental activi- ties; funded by Tuscany Region) which aimed to create links between Scientic community and Schools and to make Science teaching more attractive for students by giving tools and methods to teachers for developing scientic themes in classroom. To present the ACARISS experiences, to a wider audience, an International workshop, was organized in Florence. Its title, “SCIENCE EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS: THE WAY FORWARD” reects the aims to promote a scientic debate on science learning and teaching methodologies in schools but also on the use of ICT for sci- entic learning in the area of environmental sciences, life sciences and applied robotics. We thought this workshop could facilitate networking and future collaborative projects. The enthusiastic contribution from many academics and researcher colleagues all over the world, witnessed by these proceedings, went much beyond our expectations Hoping that this book will be useful to all those engaged in the teaching of Science we address a particular thank to all of them that contributed to the success of “SCIENCE EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS: THE WAY FORWARD” workshop, and to the Tuscan Regional Government that provided the means to make the Project and the Workshop possible. Antonio Raschi Annamaria Di Fabio Luca Sebastiani ACARISS.indb 11 15/12/13 00:35 ACARISS.indb 12 15/12/13 00:35 There are two keywords for our future: youth and science. Linking these words is a strategic objective, reachable only through new and original methodologies of science information which go over the current academic vision of science, closed to non-experts, and beyond the traditional methods of science teaching. Indeed, the scientic community is often felt as disconnected from the civil society and the labour mar- ket, while the knowledge of environment and the research of solutions to environmental problems are real issues whose caring is nowadays our common responsibility. It is there- fore crucial to raise people awareness on environmental issues and on science potentiality to solve them. This will also enhance the capacity of the next generations to take their own decisions and actions in professional and personal life, on the base of a conscious and proved knowledge. Within the Acariss project, it has been conrmed that scientic education in a new and original way, alternative to frontal lessons, is possible and effective. Inquiry Based Learning is an effective methodology to attract students to science and transmit a scientic culture made of observations, hypothesis, models, explanation and concept acquisition. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that it raised up youth sensitiveness toward the environment, cu- riosity toward the scientic thematics and their career choices. Initiated by scientists of the Institute of Biometeorology-CNR in Florence and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, with the support on science communication and evaluation methodology by the Department of Science of Education and Psycology of the University of Florence, Acariss attempted to bring authentic science experiments into the classrooms of the schools of Tuscany Region, directly inspired by eld and laboratory research, with the broader perspective of building sustainable societies. ACARISS project reached about 40 schools, scattered in the whole regional territory, and offered didactic materials and sci- entic tools to teachers, contributing to the teaching quality. Nevertheless, Acariss project is not an isolated example of good practice in science teach- ing, as demonstrated by the contributions presented at the international Workshop, “Science Education and guidance in schools: the way forward”, and included in this volume. The Workshop was organized at the conclusion of the Project, to present the result and to discuss them with a wider audience, and we were proud to host in our city of Florence, the active group of participants coming from a wide range of European and extra-European countries, surely attracted by Florence, as capital of art and science, but also intrigued by the workshop thematics. I am sure that the workshop gave participants large opportunities for exchanges and opened to future collaborations with new inputs of experimentation. The presentations and posters covered a wide range of themes on science didactic and science communication: study cases with practical examples inside