Improving the Attitude Towards Science and Technology in Dutch Primary Education

Transcription

1 Improving the Attitude Towards Science and Technology in Dutch Primary Education Carlijn Schendstok Programma VTB, The Hague The Netherlands Summary The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, together with national organisations of enterprises in the technology sector, established a national programme to incorporate science and technology into the curriculum and the organisation of primary schools (ages 4-12). Over 2500 primary schools (a third of all Dutch schools) received a grant of 25,000, together with substantial support from regional support centres. Within a period of 3 years they have to incorporate science and technology into their everyday school practice. The aim is to bring about a change in attitude towards science and technology in schoolchildren. The progress of the schools is closely monitored: all participating schools submit their progress in an annual report. Also, each year, schools take part in research into the attitude of 12 year old pupils towards science and technology. The monitoring results are discussed by groups of teachers, aiming to optimize the effect of science and technology education on the attitude of their pupils. In addition, all schools are visited by an auditor who judges the quality of the implementation. The auditor also collects examples good and promising school practice, which are then disseminated to all Dutch schools via a website The audit results are used to further improve the attitude towards science and technology in Dutch primary education. The VTB Programme The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the technology sector and trades unions have jointly expressed their ambition to ensure that technology 1 acquires an established place on the curriculum 2. In 2004 this ambition was translated into a National Plan of Action for the Expansion of Technology in Primary Education , which forms the basis for the implementation of the VTB Programme (Programme for the Expansion of Technology in Primary Education). This programme is founded on three principles: firstly, the idea that children who are introduced to technology at school at an early age have the opportunity to develop a positive attitude to science and technology. Secondly, it is assumed that pupils with a positive attitude to science and technology will be more likely to choose science and technology subjects as their education continues. The VTB Programme thus represents a long-term investment in the knowledge economy. Thirdly, the VTB Programme is based on an educational ideal: integrating technology into primary education improves the level of technical literacy in society. The purpose of the VTB Programme is to ensure that in 2500 primary schools technology is firmly embedded in the teaching, organisation and policy, and that for all Dutch primary 1 The Plan of Action refers to technology. In the meantime, the VTB Programme has expanded its aims to include science and technology. 2 The VTB Programme is financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the educational funds made available by the technology sector. The Platform Bèta Techniek (Science and Technology Platform) acts on behalf of the sponsors as the contact with the VTB Programme. 383

2 schools, access to the information and materials needed to introduce technology into the school is made as easy as possible. The 2500 schools were accepted onto the programme in stages, with a number of schools starting each year, beginning in 2004: Table 1: participation in VTB Programme: Cluster 1 November schools Cluster 2 April schools Cluster 3 April schools Cluster 4 April schools Cluster 5 April schools Schools taking part in the VTB Programme have three years in which to integrate science and technology into their organisation, curriculum and policy. The VTB schools accept the goals of the VTB Programme to expand science and technology in primary education. These goals encompass the minimal intervention schools are required to undertake to integrate science and technology. They conclude an agreement with the VTB Programme of the Science and Technology Platform stating that after three years they will have achieved all the goals. VTB Programme Goals Organisation: 1. Expansion of science and technology is promoted by the technology coordinator and the teaching staff. 2. Sufficient time, materials, space and experts are available. 3. The school has external contacts in the field of science and technology. Curriculum: 4. There is a clear progression in the syllabus covering at least two year groups. 5. The school uses the design loop, visits, guest teachers and Internet. 6. The school monitors achievement of the goals it has set. Policy: 7. The school has established goals. 8. A syllabus comprising a clear progression is agreed upon. 9. Science and Technology figure in the School Plan. The goals are set out in the VTB questionnaire. This electronic questionnaire is completed annually, in April, by the head and/or the technology coordinator (or coordinators) of each VTB school. The goals can also be found on the VTB website (only in Dutch), where the knowledge base is outlined. In order to follow developments in the VTB schools, the VTB Programme has established a system of monitoring and auditing, which also gives schools an overview of their progress with regard to the teaching of science and technology. The VTB Programme monitoring and auditing process encourages schools to take a critical look at their progress, to identify problems and to make improvements. In addition to the electronic questionnaire, schools have access to a further two monitoring tools and a quality audit: Attitude measurement 384

3 In a system introduced in 2008, the attitude of Year 8 pupils (aged 11/12) in all VTB schools is measured each year. The measurement is carried out by their class teachers. The test is available in electronic form from and includes a clear guide for the teacher. In January 2008, 27,000 pupils were measured and in October and November 2008, a further 28,000 pupils. Focus group discussions The results of the attitude measurement and the VTB questionnaire provide input for focus group discussions. In these discussions, which are led by a regional support centre, groups of five to seven VTB schools are brought together to exchange views. They are held at the end of the first and second VTB Programme years. The schools from Clusters 2, 3 and 4 took part in discussions in February and March These exchanges of views must be attended by the head and the technology coordinator, who may be accompanied by other members of staff. During the focus group discussions the results of the questionnaire and the attitude measurement are compared and an attempt is made to identify the key success factors for the effect of science and technology teaching on the attitude of pupils. A digital tool has been developed to help schools reflect on the integration process, both individually and with others. No record is made of the outcome of the focus group discussion for use by the Science and Technology Platform/VTB Programme. It is up to individual schools to take note of any relevant points for their own use and to take back to the classroom any recommendations for further improving science and technology teaching. Audits Since 2008, regional audit teams have carried out audits at all VTB schools. The meetings with the first 1200 schools (Clusters 2 and 3) took place in the period from March to July In 2009, a further 600 schools (Cluster 4) will be visited by an auditor, and in 2010 it will be the turn of the last 600 (Cluster 5). The audit concentrates on the nine goals set by the VTB programme. In addition, particular attention is paid to three areas: ownership and sustainability; attitude and the influence of the VTB Programme on how pupils select education options; differences in attitude between boys and girls. In order to build up a picture of the situation in VTB schools, the auditors were asked to award a grade for the various elements of the programme. The auditors rated 67 of the 1106 schools unsatisfactory and 4 schools were awarded a maximum 10. The most commonly awarded rating was 7 and the average 7,1. The results show that after three or four years over 70% of the VTB schools have achieved all the goals. To build up a fuller picture, the schools have been divided into categories. The following eight categories were defined on the basis of the results of previous audits: 1. Model school: a school that has embraced science and technology in a way that results in a clear policy, concrete implementation within a large section of the school and a firm place in the curriculum. They are an example for other schools. However, this does not mean that there is no room for further improvement in these schools. 48 of the 1106 schools were categorised as model schools. 2. Advanced schools: schools with a clear policy, concrete implementation and sufficient expertise. Science and technology are firmly embedded in the school programme. The auditors considered that 222 schools met the criteria for the advanced school category. 3. Promising beginners: this is the biggest group. Beginners are schools with a clear aim, who are making good progress with the introduction. They are still looking at additional ways to implement a science and technology programme at school. According to the auditors, 416 of the 1106 schools have reached this stage. 385

4 4. Project schools: these are schools that are working on science and technology as long as funds are available, but which are expected to lose interest once the money dries up. This group has some features in common with the group of limited activity beginners ; the difference lies in the attitude of the school. The auditors came across 16 project schools among the schools they visited. 5. Beginners in the planning phase: the intent is clear, as is the aim, but as yet there has been little concrete activity in terms of introducing science and technology. The auditors encountered 126 beginners in the planning phase. 6. Limited activity beginners: schools in the initial phase. The school is still investigating the area and has as yet no clear intent or policy and very little actual activity. There are 112 schools in this category. 7. Exploring beginners: schools in the initial phase, with a limited amount of activity in relation to science and technology, but no clearly defined intent or policy. According to the auditors, 76 schools are in this exploratory phase. 8. Second attempt schools: these are schools that have done little or nothing in terms of science and technology, but have recently made a renewed attempt. In many cases there were good reasons for being in this situation, such as the only person with any knowledge of science and technology having left the school, or the school having had to concentrate on its survival or a merger. There are 43 schools in this category. The VTB Programme audit has three important roles. It supports schools during the introduction process, so that the performances defined can be achieved and maintained. It is also intended to monitor the self-evaluation process carried out by the VTB schools. For the programme as a whole, the audit sets out the overall results, which can then be used as the basis for formulating policy recommendations. Attitude measurement In January 2008, the VTB Programme introduced its first large-scale measurement of attitude to science and technology in VTB schools. All VTB schools were offered the opportunity for their Year 8 pupils to take part. Just over 27,000 primary school Year 8 pupils completed the science and technology attitude measuring exercise. Around 4% of these pupils were in special education. The measurement has now been adjusted to take account of this group of pupils. This exercise measures the attitude of Year 8 pupils at VTB schools to science and technology. The instrument used distinguishes six areas in which pupils can score from 0 to 4 points: 1. What pupils think can be included in science and technology (a traditional view versus a broader view); 2. The gender-stereotypical ideas pupils have about science and technology; 3. The extent to which pupils believe that science and technology are difficult; 4. The enjoyment that pupils get from science and technology; 5. The importance to society that pupils ascribe to science and technology; 6. The degree to which pupils expect to choose a scientific or technological job. The pupils scores for these areas were as follows: 386

5 Boys Girls Ave. (SD) Ave. (SD) Gender-stereotypical attitudes to technology 2,64 (0,88) 1,86 (0,69) Idea that technology is difficult 1,84 (0,50) 1,95 (0,48) Understanding of the importance of 2,91 (0,47) 2,70 (0,47) technology Enjoyment of technology 3,03 (0,44) 2,81 (0,46) Expectation of a technological education or job 2,41 (0,88) 1,74 (0,62) Traditional view of technology 3,21 (0,54) 3,18 (0,53) Broader view of technology 2,73 (0,58) 2,75 (0,57) Table 3 Average score in the scientific areas Boys Girls Ave. (SD) Ave. (SD) Gender-stereotypical attitudes to science 2,22 (0,90) 1,49 (0,59) Idea that science is difficult 2,61 (0,60) 2,50 (0,61) Understanding of the importance of science 2,94 (0,48) 2,81 (0,47) Enjoyment of science 2,89 (0,64) 2,67 (0,64) Expectation of a scientific education or job 1,94 (0,70) 1,69 (0,61) Traditional view of science 3,27 (0,47) 3,25 (0,48) Broader view of science 2,77 (0,49) 2,70 (0,48) The results of the measurement indicate that boys show a far higher level of stereotypical attitudes to technology than girls. Boys also think that girls are not as good at technology as they are. Girls are a little more likely to think that technology is difficult, but less likely to think that science is difficult. Boys are more likely than girls to say that they intend to choose a scientific or technological education or job. The location and the type of school also seem to influence the pupils' opinions. Girls in the larger cities are more likely to enjoy technology and to expect to choose a technological education or job. They are also less likely than the girls outside the cities to believe that boys are better at science and technology. The analysis of the first attitude measurement exercise and the VTB Programme questionnaires shows almost no link between the VTB related characteristics and the various areas covered in the attitude measurement. One of the main reasons for this is that attitudes are slow to change. Although the measurement cannot be used to evaluate the VTB Programme, it has other roles. Schools find it a useful means of assessing how the introduction of science and technology has affected pupils. They also think that, when taken in conjunction with the focus group discussions, it offers a good opportunity to reflect on the situation in terms of their own integration process. From the schools' point of view, the attitude measurement is an important means of raising awareness: by participating in the measurement exercise schools are made aware of the attitudes of their pupils and also of the effect of introducing science and technology at school. 3 The standard deviation (SD) shown in the table indicates the extent of the differences between values, and thus the distribution of the values. 387

6 For the national organisation of the VTB Programme, the attitude measurement exercise provides valuable policy information, namely, how to have a positive influence on pupils attitudes. This is then translated into concrete guidance for teachers. In order to ensure a positive attitude, it is important that pupils realise that they are being taught science and technology. An analysis of background information shows that the more hours of science and technology lessons pupils feel (!) they have had, the more positive their attitude becomes. Teachers can also focus more on the social relevance of science and technology and play a role in improving the image of science and technology, and jobs in those sectors, by using male and female role models. Attitude measurement also raises the problem of gender stereotyping in primary schools. The results show a significant difference in attitudes to science and technology among boys and girls. However, primary education seems to deny the existence of these differences. In some cases, schools have objected to the way in which the questions are worded, where they make a distinction between boys and girls. The audit results also indicate that, in the classroom, the schools observe no difference between the attitudes of boys and girls. For the Science and Technology Platform, these results are a stimulus to pursue research into the differences in attitude between boys and girls, and how teachers can deal with this effectively, so that the attitude of boys and girls to science and technology improves and to enable them to make the very best use of their talents in this area. Bibliography Dekker, B., Krooneman P.J., Walma van der Molen, and van der Wel, J (2007), Verbreding Techniek in het Basisonderwijs: Stand van Zaken 2007 [The Expansion of Technology in Primary Education: progress report 2007]. Amsterdam, Regioplan. Dekker, B., Krooneman, P.J. and van der Wel, J.J., Bronnenboek VTB: stand van zaken Technisch rapport [Source Book for The Expansion of Technology in Primary Education: progress report Technical report]. Amsterdam, Regioplan. Inspectie van het Onderwijs, afdeling Kennis, Techniek in het basisonderwijs. Technisch rapport (2008) [Education Inspectorate, Knowledge Section, Technology in Primary Education. Technical report (2008)] (nog in bewerking) [Work in progress]. Wel, J.J. van der, and Krooneman P.J., Bestandsvergelijking: Hoe verhouden de resultaten op de inspectievragenlijst zich tot de resultaten van de vtb-scholen op de vtbvragenlijst?[data comparison: how do the results of the Inspectorate questionnaire compare with the results of the VTB schools on the VTB questionnaire?] Amsterdam, Regioplan. Wel, J.J. van der, and Krooneman, P.J., Hoe staan leerlingen van groep 8 tegenover techniek en wetenschap? [What do Year 8 pupils think of science and technology?] Amsterdam, Regioplan. Wel, J.J. van der, and Krooneman, P.J., Bestandsvergelijking 2009: Een nieuwe vergelijking tussen resultaten van de inspectievragenlijst met resultaten van de vtbvragenlijst. [Data comparison 2009: a further study of how the results of the Inspectorate 388

7 questionnaire compare with the results of the VTB schools on the VTB questionnaire.] Amsterdam, Regioplan. 389