| PDCD Science “Developing
a periphery driven curriculum development model for school science”
This project, working with partners from the Dublin Institute
of Technology and the University of Sofia in Bulgaria, has at its heart
the intention to impact favourably on the experience of learning and teaching
in physics and chemistry across all phases of education. In doing so,
it will make the study of these subjects at all levels a more attractive,
interesting and stimulating experience.
The project will capitalise on the enthusiasm and knowledge of successful
science teachers who will work alongside teacher trainers and trainees,
academic scientists, multimedia developers and learning technologists
to identify potential areas of curriculum development that could take
advantage of active learning environments, including C & IT, in order
to enrich the science classroom.
It will be conducted as participatory action research, characterised by
Argyris and Schön as “... [taking] its cues - its questions,
puzzles and problems - from the perceptions of practitioners within particular
local practice contexts”. The model of curriculum development will
be readily transferable to teachers and trainee teachers in other subjects.
In doing so, the project will reflect the desired pedagogic outcomes to
foster active co-operative processes among groups of learners.
This will be supported by multi-level collaborative web sites. Local
participants will be supported by online conferencing, enabling them to
conduct asynchronous discussions about ongoing developments. Curriculum
materials will be posted to related websites where internal critique can
be made, support gained and ideas developed and enhanced. At the national
level, emerging good ideas and best practices can be shared and these
can, when and where appropriate, be posted to the international site.
At each level, the conferences will be supported and facilitated by the
university-based researchers.
PDCD Science http://starphysics.dit.ie/html/about.htm
Project partners
University of Sofia
http://www.uni-sofia.bg
Prof. Boris Galabov
Boris Galabov is a professor of computational chemistry at the
University of Sofia, Bulgaria. He is author of 110 refereed scientific
publications in the fields of computational chemistry and molecular spectroscopy
and of a research monograph (Elsevier Science). He has also a number of
publications in the field of educational studies. He has coauthored a
number of reviews on educational policies published by OECD. B. Galabov
has been a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt
University and the University of Georgia as well as a visiting lecturer
at the University of Salford (UK).
He has presented plenary and invited lectures at more than 30 international
conferences and over 20 seminars in universities and research institutions
in Europe and the United States. B. Galabov coordinated several EU funded
educational projects in Bulgaria: Phare Multi-Country Programme for Distance
Education (1995-1999), European Survey of Information Society (1999-2001),
Open Guidance and Advisory Services Model (2002), and Minerva PDCD Science
project (2002). During 1991-1993 B. Galabov was a vice rector for academic
affairs of Sofia University. In 1993-95 he served as a deputy minister
of education in the Bulgarian government responsible for the higher education
and research sectors. He has been consultant to many projects of the Council
of Europe, OECD and other international organisations. Email:
galabov@chem.uni-sofia.bg
Dublin Institute of Technology
http://www.dit.ie
Jen Harvey
Email: Jen.Harvey@dit.ie
Martin Somers
Martin is currently working as a researcher on the PDCD Science
project based at the Dublin Institute of Technology. Email:
msomers@dit.ie
London Metropolitan University
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri
Andrew Ravenscroft
Prof. Andrew Ravenscroft was Principal Research Fellow and Deputy
Director of the Learning Technology Research Institute at the London Metropolitan
University and is a Chartered Psychologist. He has published widely, is
a reviewer for many international journals, conferences and funding agencies,
and has led or collaborated on twelve funded research projects in this
area.
Enzian Baur
Enzian was a researcher on the PDCD Science project
based at the Learning Technology Research Institute at London Metropolitan
University.
 The
project is funded by the EUs Socrates-Minerva Programme.
Contact details
Learning Technology Research Institute
London Metropolitan University
35 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA
Tel: +44 (0)207 749 3753
Fax: +44 (0)207 749 3781
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri
Last updated 26 March 2012
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