WP6 Dissemination and Exploitation

Dissemination activities

1. Putting together the Dissemination & Exploitation interim and final plan and corresponding Communication (Media) Plan
   • Drawing up and implementing a Communication (Media) plan to ensure extensive and positive coverage of the consortium in the national and international media; actively working with the consortium’s “outside” dissemination partners to achieve the project’s dissemination and communication goals;
   • Relatedly, writing together the Dissemination & Exploitation plan focusing more specifically on disseminating and opening up new knowledge and know how arising from SciCar
2. Developing the project website
3. Compiling mailing lists and contact databases (M1-3)
4. Dissemination and communication
   • Working closely with WPs 2,3,4,5 to communicate and disseminate information about the courses and seminars, joint schools, the results of academic mobility, final conference, collaborative projects, etc.
   • Disseminating and communicating the scientific results of the project to diverse audiences, using a variety of tools and strategies, including the project website, mailing lists, events, Facebook, You-tube, social media, etc.
   • Organising a series of public dissemination events, such as best practice talks at schools, presentations at education and research fairs, panel discussions, White Paper presentations, etc.
   • Developing printed promotional materials introducing the consortium
   • Producing short (1-3-minute) multimedia clips to help disseminate and popularise the results of the project (conferences, collaborative projects, major publications, etc.). These will be linked to the project website, and posted on appropriate university platforms (UTTV, Youtube, etc.)
   • Collecting and analysing data about the effectiveness and reach of the communication and dissemination effort, as well as reactions and feedback to the project by stake-holders and user communities
5. Organising a final research & dissemination conference

Publications

Academic journal articles

Re – UT

Dissertation defended, submission process supported by Sci Car

• Tapashi Binte Mahmud Chowdhury, Doctor’s Degree, 2022, (sup) Miia Rannikmäe; Jack Barrie Holbrook, Establishing trans-contextual science education in promoting active informed citizenry for societal development, University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences
  
• Helen Semilarski, Doctor’s Degree, 2022, (sup) Miia Rannikmäe; Regina Soobard, Improving Students’ Self-Efficacy towards acquiring Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Core Ideas and 21st Century Skills for Promoting Meaningful Science Learning, University of Tartu, Faculty of Science and Technology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences

Articles which submission has been supported by SciCar experts

• Semilarski, H., Soobard, R., Holbrook, J., & Rannikmäe, M. (2022). Expanding disciplinary and interdisciplinary core idea maps by students to promote perceived self-efficacy in learning science. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 1-20. DOI: 10.1186/s40594-022-00374-8
• Holbrook, J., Chowdhury, T. B. M., & Rannikmäe, M. (2022). A Future Trend for Science Education: A Constructivism-Humanism Approach to Trans-Contextualisation. Education Sciences, 12(6), 413. DOI: 10.3390/educsci12060413

Conference presentations

• Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2022, November 6-11). Women in chemistry [Conference presentation]. Malta 10, Frontiers in Science – Innovation, Research and Education in the Middle East, A Bridge to Peace, St. Julian, Malta.

Abstract: Women continue to represent a small proportion of faculty members in science and technology programs, especially in more prestigious research institutions (Mamlok-Naaman, 2021). They still need to cope with discrimination, with an unconscious bias, as well as with the demands of their families. According to UNESCO institution of Statistics, fewer than 30% researchers all over the world are women. The analysis of “A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences, How to measure it? How to reduce it?” survey, contributed to the understanding of this phenomenon and to the identification of the various factors causing it. The recommendations address a variety of groups: instructors and parents of girls in primary, secondary, and higher education; educational organizations; Scientific Unions and other worldwide organizations. This presentation will deal with the situation of women scientists in Israel, with examples of women chemists in academia, as well as in the SciCar project.

• Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2022, August 28 – September 1). Women in chemistry – in Scientific Careers (SciCar) Horizon Project [Conference presentation]. 8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress (ECC8), Lisbon, Portugal.

Abstract: Despite about 50% of the world’s human population being female, carrying undeniable potential to participate in social, scientific and economic development, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in almost every high-profile human activity, including science. Even in countries where women have been widely integrated into these high-profile human activities, they frequently only occupy supporting positions or are underpaid compared to the men who perform the same role. Currently in science, approximately 30% of the researchers worldwide are women, due to longstanding bias and gender stereotypes that discourages females from science related fields, in particular STEM research. This is important to address as UNESCO to be vital for sustainable development outlines science and gender equality. This presentation will deal with the situation in the world, with examples of women chemists in academia, as well as in the SciCar project.

• Rannikmäe, M. (2022, July 11-13). Assessing students scientific literacy levels using science competence driven e-testing method [Conference presentation]. 15th European Conference on Research in Chemical Education, Rehovot, Israel

Abstract: PISA results show that students’ motivation to learn and their efficacy beliefs are important factors in determining test results. Studies determining students’ SL at the age of 15, against a PISA-defined “working” definition, have shown Estonian students achieve high scores. However, LoTeGum study has shown that students’ higher order cognitive skills change little during gymnasium studies and that students’ self-efficacy towards science subject studies is low. Unfortunately, there is also evidence that actual classroom science teaching is lagging behind the thrust towards a competence focus associated with SL. Utilising a theoretical framework, utilising an e-testing platform, determining cognitive levels of SL (and mathematics), has been developed in Estonia in which testing occurs at different school levels, allowing evaluative feedback on curricula-related, student cognitive levels. However, to respond to society/workforce needs, there is a need to expand the context of e-testing e.g. add self-evaluative components enabling a correlation between curriculum-related learning and students’ perceived self- competence to further promote the wider vision of SL.

• Rannikmäe, M. (2022, July 11-13). Evaluating the effectiveness of SciCar project- impact of the first year [Conference presentation]. 15th European Conference on Research in Chemical Education, Rehovot, Israel

Abstract: SciCar – a science education project – addresses the need to systematically raise the level of expertise among researchers and educators who are involved in science & technology (S&T) education within UT and associated institutions, currently seen as ineffective in making science teaching careers attractive and enabling teaching to adopt more relevant context-based approaches. The project especially addresses, via a Twinning partnership, bringing in expertise from top-level science education countries – Israel and Finland, particularly focusing on enhancing career awareness, enabling a capable workforce, and on promoting science-related careers. This is seen as enabling appropriate models for enacting a change of paradigm related to teacher education and science career awareness. A major focus is put on (1) reducing the gap between scientist and science educator beliefs in the training emphasis of future STEM-related teachers, (2) the involvement of the science education community in making the teaching profession more attractive, (3) thus determining keyways & appropriate models for instituting a paradigm change with a view increasing the number of STEM-related teachers, (4) and giving emphasis to competence development in promoting science-related career awareness. The project seeks to identify best practice on knowledge transfer between science development and science education.

• Kõlamets, L. (2022, July 11-13). Lower Secondary School Science Syllabus Energy Concept Learning Outcome Analysis in Estonia [Conference presentation]. 15th European Conference on Research in Chemical Education, Rehovot, Israel.

• Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2022, July 18-22). What does Research in Science Education say about students learning? [Conference presentation]. 26^th IUPAC International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE 2022), Cape Town, South Africa.

Abstract: Different ideologies and different research agenda led to the development of research tools that try to assess science students’ learning. The challenges and big questions which literature research explores, and which will be included in this presentation refer to students, to the curriculum according which they are taught, and to the science teachers. Research about students’ learning will consist of examples such as (1) cognitive and affective skills, (2) motivation vs. learning difficulties, and (3) misconceptions and alternative conceptions. It is connected to the curriculum as well, by asking questions such as: Is it relevant to students’ lives? Is it up-dated according to scientific and technological discoveries? Society is constantly changing, scientific knowledge is accumulating owing to new discoveries and innovations, and information and communication technologies (ICT) became an intrinsic part of our lives. The challenges for teaching and learning science increase, and teachers should receive sustained support in order to gain knowledge of different teaching strategies and of assessment skills. This can be done by attending professional development workshops that deal with those topics, which will consequently stimulate their creativity and diversify their instructional strategies in the classroom. Such skills should improve their ability to teach and understand their students learning difficulties, since they will better understand the goals, strategies, and rationale of the curriculum. In the presentation, there will also be an example of how the active learning for which we strive in order to stimulate and motivate students towards developing of scientific literacy, also stimulates and motivates the teachers. The example refers to one of the objectives of “Addressing Attractiveness of Science Career Awareness (SciCar)”, an EU-funded project: To reflect the combination of expertise in educational research, making science-teaching careers attractive, and promoting science-related careers through encouraging attractive science teaching in schools.

• Mamlok-Naaman, R. (2020, November 19-22). Inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning science [Conference presentation]. 2nd International Conference on Science, Mathematics, Entrepreneurship and Technological Education, Zoom.

Abstract: The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996, 2012; Achieve, 2013) reaffirm the conviction that inquiry is central to the achievement of scientific literacy. The National Science Education Standards use the term inquiry in two ways (Lunetta, Hofstein & Clough, 2007; Bybee, 2000): (1) inquiry as content understanding, in which students have opportunities to construct concepts, patterns, and to create meaning about an idea in order to explain what they experience, and (2) inquiry in terms of skills and abilities. Under the category of abilities or skills, Bybee (2000) includes identifying and posing scientifically oriented questions, forming hypotheses, designing and conducting scientific investigations, formulating and revising scientific explanations, and communicating and defending scientific arguments. It is suggested that many of these abilities and skills are in alignment with those that characterize inquiry-type laboratory work, an activity that puts the student in the center of the learning process. A few projects will serve as examples, e.g., Scientific Career (SciCar), in the framework of Horizon

Non-scientific non-reviewed publications

Re UT

• Kuidas mõtestada end looduskeskkonna osana (How to make sense of yourself as part of the natural environment)

Media Release

Re UT

• Loodusteadusliku hariduse aastane doktorite saak (Science Education Annual PhD outcomes)

Website

The SciCar project website has 2 parts (a) open (b) closed (for partners only)

 (a) the website  www.scicar.eu 

Re UT website: www.ut.ee

Re-UH: www.helsinki.fi

Re. Weizmann

www.weizmann.ac.il/ScienceTeaching/research-and-development/chemistry/projects/1264 (English) and www.weizmann.ac.il/ScienceTeaching/he/research-and-development/chemistry/projects/addressing-attractiveness-science-career-awareness- (Hebrew)