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• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Article

  Is art a "good" mediator in a Science Festival?

  by Fabienne Crettaz von Roten , Olivier Moeschler

  This paper relates to a special case of science-society mediation set up during the Science et Cité festival 2005. This national event took place in about twenty cities in Switzerland to promote a closer cooperation between science and society via art (theatre, music, dance, exhibitions, cinema, etc.), in order to reach the population at large. Results on the profile of the public, the role played by the cultural institutions involved, the motives of the visitors and the role of art in the science-society dialogue show that the goals aimed at by the festival's organisers were only partially reached. Moreover, the analyses shed light on the complex relation between art, science and society in public understanding of science activities.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Editorial

  Vatican-branded science communication

  by Nico Pitrelli

  The summer now gone has reported two episodes we would like to bring to the attention of the JCOM readers. Two minor pieces of news, unlikely to be in the limelight over the summer, when the media understandably focus on gossips and crime news. Even the experts – especially outside the Italian territory – would probably dismiss these events as minor, wouldn’t it be for the people involved. But let’s see the facts.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  Scientific education and European citizenship. Suggestions and results from the European project SEDEC

  by Roberto Ceriani

  Two concepts seemingly distant from each other, scientific education and European citizenship, have been the basis for "SEDEC - Science Education for the Development of European Citizenship", a European project funded by the European Commission in the framework of the Socrates/Comenius programme, aiming at producing training material addressed to European teachers. Started in autumn 2005, the project will end in 2008 with an in-service training course for European teachers and educators.

  European citizenship and active citizenship: an ever open debate

  by Lauretta D'Angelo

  Science popularization and European citizenship in Poland

  by Jacek Piotr Szubiakowski

  Science and scientists in the drawings of European children

  by Paola Rodari

  What is a scientist’s job? From the drawings to the citizenship

  by Etienne Bolmont

  Teachers' perception of the European scientists

  by Daniele Gouthier

  From the perception of science to the design of teaching materials

  by Laura Dumbrăveanu

  Debating as an educational method to science and citizenship

  by Sara Calcagnini

  School staff training: the opportunities offered by National Agencies in European countries

  by Chris Souvlis

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  School staff training: the opportunities offered by National Agencies in European countries

  by Chris Souvlis

  In 2007 the Life Long Learning Programme (previously Socrates) of the European Commission has started. The programme offers to teachers, educators and policy-makers of the education sector the opportunity to be funded for participating at various training courses organized in all EU countries by international networks and projects. The SEDEC course will be included in that list in 2008. The article shortly present how to ask for a grant.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  Science and scientists in the drawings of European children

  by Paola Rodari

  The first step of the SEDEC project has been a survey on teachers and pupils perception of science, scientists, and the European dimension of science. Different research actions have been organized for the different targets, and have been held in the six countries involved in the project: Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Romania. This article will present the analysis of more then 1000 drawings realized by 9 and 14 years old pupils and representing "a scientist". Form the drawings emerge stereotypes, fears, desires, expectations and more, a whole imaginery that has to be taken in account for an effective educative adn communicative action.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  What is a scientist’s job? From the drawings to the citizenship

  by Etienne Bolmont

  IUFM is a centre for the in-service training of teachers and the development of didactic research. IUFM contribution to the SEDEC project is essentially built on a reflexion on educational implications of the links between science and European citizenship. We are convinced that European citizenship may be developed in scientific activities in school, by the introduction of communication moments, where pupils have to express and defend their ideas, and also to understand and accept the others’ ones. We have implemented two activities using the results of the SEDEC survey on science perception, that make the pupils get a better view on scientific research, especially in the knowledge of two scientific “jobs”, astronomer and botanist. Our approach consists of allowing the children express their conceptions of these jobs, of organising a debate to clarify these ideas, and of confronting them with other pupils’ opinions in Europe, with the history of the involved science and with direct testimonies of scientists. The project should be pursued in allowing classes in Europe to communicate about a scientific problem and so, to live their European citizenship.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  Debating as an educational method to science and citizenship

  by Sara Calcagnini

  If one of aims of science today is to respond to the real needs of society, it must find a new way to communicate with people and to be acquainted with their opinions and knowledge. Many science museums in Europe are adopting new ways to actively engage the public in the debate on topical scientific issues. The Museum of Science and Technology "Leonardo da Vinci" in Milan (partner of the SEDEC project) has thus experimented some formats for dialogue with teachers and with the public in general. Our experience shows that museums can be places where science and the public on the one hand and democracy on the other meet.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Sep 20, 2007 Category: Commentary

  Teachers' perception of the European scientists

  by Daniele Gouthier

  The first step of the SEDEC project has been a survey on teachers and pupils perception of science, scientists, and the European dimension of science. Different research actions have been organized for the different targets, and have been held in the six countries involved in the project: Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Romania. This article will present the results of a questionnaire distributed between European teachers. A research on the scientific imagery should have an opposite perspective to the one of a teacher at school; whereas the latter, the keeper of a knowledge, has the usual task of transferring and checking the knowledge in their students, a researcher has to record and describe their interior world relating to science – the information, but especially the images, the expectations, the emotions related to it.

  Volume 6 • Issue 03 • 2007

• Date of publication Jun 21, 2007 Category: Commentary

  Education, facilitation and inclusion - The tunisinian experience

  by Adel Zouaoui

  Being aware of the fact that science is a decisive factor for development and individual well being and a citizen's right, no less important than all his other rights, Tunisia's new-Era initiated its Science City on 10 April, 1992. The purpose of such an institution is to disseminate science throughout the whole of Tunisia for the different categories of citizens and to help, in the context of dovetailing with the educational sector, youngsters get, from their earliest years, interested in science and its use.

  Volume 6 • Issue 02 • 2007

• Date of publication Jun 21, 2007 Category: Commentary

  The role of science centres and museums in the dialogue between science and society

  by Paola Rodari , Matteo Merzagora

  In a meta-analysis carried out in 2002, the two main associations of science centres and museums (ASTC, mainly US-centered, and ECSITE, mainly European) gathered all studies analysing the impact of science centres and museums on their local communities1. Four types of impact were identified: personal, social, political and economical. It was noticed that the vast majority of studies concentrated on the personal impact (that is, learning outcome, visitor satisfaction, etc.), while the latter three were largely neglected. The very fact of pointing this out, and many recent experiences - some of which are included in this commentary - show that there is now a shift of attention.

  Science museums in a knowledge-based society

  by Pietro Greco

  The first kiss of science - From interactivity to dialogue

  by Juan Nepote

  Education, facilitation and inclusion - The tunisinian experience

  by Adel Zouaoui

  The science and society movement and the MUSE project

  by Michele Lanzinger

  The Lisbon post-its: how science-in-society issues were reflected in the last ECSITE meetings

  by Paola Rodari and Matteo Merzagora

  Volume 6 • Issue 02 • 2007