TEACHERS, STUDENTS, parents and scientists will be called upon to help find ways of improving how science subjects are taught in the classroom.
The effort is part of a €3.4 million EU research project to be led by Dublin City University.
The goal will be to increase student interest and enjoyment of science subjects according to DCU’s Dr Eilish McLoughlin who has been appointed principal investigator for the project.
The fall in numbers of students taking science at Leaving Cert and third level prompted the research, she said.
“We need to establish a new way of thinking about how science is learned and bring all the stakeholders together to implement and support this approach in the classroom,” Dr McLoughlin said.
One method to come under scrutiny will be to move from rote learning to an “inquiry-based approach”. It involves having the teacher encourage the students to take more control of observation and experimentation, in the process building up their own knowledge.
The research will involve education specialists, scientists, teachers and students as well as parents and private sector companies.
It includes more than 60 partners in 11 countries, with funding coming from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme.