Advanced Resources for Inquiry and Evaluation in Science

Activity: Participating in or organising an event typesParticipation in workshop, seminar, course

Description

One of the aims of S-TEAM is to empower teachers to make their teaching more inquiry-based. This is not a process with a sudden end, but a continuing exploration by teachers as they adapt this aim to a wide range of educational contexts (for example, different age groups, different courses, new curricular initiatives and thinking, different institutions, and different ‘class personalities’). Therefore, the teachers in the first group to have completed the first module in this series (PISCES) do not see it as an end point but a beginning. Another aim of S-TEAM is to disseminate its programmes as effectively as possible. As a result, we want to empower others to deliver PISCES, with Strathclyde University retaining accreditation of the outcomes. Discussion with the above group of teachers led to the conclusion that teachers wanted to go beyond PISCES in order to feel empowered to deliver it. In particular, they wanted a module in line with the above aims. They also wanted to continue with the PISCES model in which evaluation tools had not become targets. This model involved basing intervention questions on the perceived difference between valued goals and what was currently occurring in practice. The tools provided by PISCES are, therefore, tools for describing and evaluating change, not for setting targets. ARIES is a pilot of a module with the aims outlined in the previous section and in line with this rationale that will empower the teachers to feel confident in delivering PISCES to their colleagues.
Period5 May 201123 Jun 2011
Event typeCourse