Description : A scientifically literate citizen is considered to be someone who, on the one hand, possesses knowledge of scientific concepts, natural phenomena, and scientific laws and, at the same time, has developed scientific thinking skills. These knowledge and skills are particularly important for addressing socio-scientific issues that concern modern societies, such as the sustainable management of energy resources. Furthermore, fostering scientific literacy is a fundamental goal of preschool education.
Within this framework, the course aims to enhance students' scientific literacy, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning natural sciences, as these are deemed more suitable for fostering scientific literacy in young children. The theoretical foundation of scientific literacy derives from the sociocultural theory of science teaching and learning. This theory also provides the framework for applying key teaching and pedagogical approaches in interdisciplinary STEM education in preschool settings.
The course focuses on teaching the concept of energy, as it is a concept whose meaning has an interdisciplinary character but also a strong social interest. The goal is to develop the scientific literacy of future educators so that they acquire knowledge and scientific thinking regarding energy (energy literacy). For this reason, the course has a laboratory-based structure, enabling students to actively engage in collaborative activities. Through these activities, they will gain knowledge that will allow them, as future educators, to design and implement educational activities aimed at fostering scientific and technological literacy in preschool children. Such activities cover a wide range of the preschool education curriculum, including natural sciences, technology, and applied engineering.
Outline : The course includes the following units:
Unit 1: Cultivating scientific literacy in schools
(Sample subtopics: sociocultural theory of teaching and learning, the cultural component of natural sciences, sustainable development goals, sustainable energy resource management)
Unit 2: Modern didactic & pedagogical approaches to Interdisciplinarity
(Sample subtopics: concepts in science, technology, applied engineering, and mathematics; inquiry-based teaching and learning of energy concepts; the engineering design approach in energy technology topics)
Unit 3: The interdisciplinary approach in STEM Education – The Example of energy as an interdisciplinary concept with strong social interest
(Sample subtopics: principles of designing, implementing, and evaluating STEM teaching scenarios based on an interdisciplinary approach; principles of designing, implementing, and evaluating conventional and digital educational materials)