I am a Strong Country in Technological Innovation (Deep Focus) Teacher | Science | Technology
Xushui Road Primary School in Qingdao, Shandong Province recently launched a science education activity, where students learn to make their own paper cup rockets.
Photo by Zhang Ying
On May 15, the staff of the Everest Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences explained the functions of scientific instruments to the students of Quanquan Primary School in Zhaxizong Township, Dingri County, Xizang.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Fei
During his inspection tour of Yuying School in Beijing, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that he hoped that students would set up the ambition of "scientific and technological innovation and strengthening the country with me" from an early age, bravely become young scientists at the moment, strive to become great scientists in the future, and make contributions to the realization of China's high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
Science education is an important foundation for enhancing national technological competitiveness, cultivating innovative talents, and improving the scientific literacy of the whole population. The quality of science education in primary and secondary schools is crucial for cultivating students' scientific literacy. How to implement school science education effectively? How to create educational resources for surgery in Kuan School? How to provide higher quality science education for primary and secondary school students and comprehensively improve their scientific literacy? Various regions and schools are exploring.
The course focuses on exploration and stimulates students' curiosity
"What do you most want to do when you see wires, batteries, small light bulbs, scissors, and red and blue watercolor pens?" During a fourth grade science class at Yongxiu County Foreign Language School in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, the materials prepared by the teacher Zhao Jiayu aroused the interest of the students.
"Let's try it out ourselves first to see if we can make the small light bulb light up. Also, whether the light bulb is on or not, we need to draw the specific circuit diagram." As soon as the words were finished, the children excitedly tried.
Why do some light bulbs light up while others don't? Carefully observe each part of the material and make any discoveries? As the problems deepen layer by layer, students engage in argumentation and speculation in practice, summarizing patterns.
The first step in science education is to fully develop and improve science courses in accordance with the national curriculum plan, and continuously optimize lesson plans and study plans to stimulate students' curiosity.
"In addition to regular science courses, the school has also built maker laboratories and set up teaching projects such as wheeled robots and drones. After class services are provided, involving comprehensive knowledge learning and exploration of technology, engineering, art, mathematics, and other fields." Xiong Junmin, the school principal, introduced that students have gained many creative technological works through on-site and experiential project learning.
One of the basic principles of science education is to appreciate the beauty of science in practice, cultivate scientific spirit in teaching, focus on practice, and stimulate interest. At present, schools across the country are constantly innovating methods and approaches, putting students first and teaching according to their aptitude, guiding them to consciously acquire scientific knowledge, cultivate scientific spirit, enhance self-confidence and self-reliance, and cultivate patriotism.
South Bin Road Primary School in Hechuan District, Chongqing will build a science experiment classroom, a science and technology innovation center, and a science popularization themed exhibition hall. It will organize interest groups on robotics, science fiction painting, 3D printing, model making, and other topics to allow students to experience the charm of technology anytime, anywhere; Xinwu District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province has opened up planting areas, breeding gardens, meteorological stations and other gardens on campus, installed IoT devices, and students can observe plant growth, understand animal habits, and observe weather and climate while getting close to nature
"To enhance the scientific literacy of young people, we need to provide them with more opportunities to use their hands and brains to carry out scientific innovation activities." Ni Minjing, the director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, said that currently, there are still some bottlenecks in the improvement of young people's scientific literacy, such as physics, chemistry and other science courses that focus more on solving problems than solving them, and extracurricular science popularization activities that lack the cultivation of scientific methods, skills, and scientific spirit. Next, we will continue to promote the reform of science education curriculum in primary and secondary schools, highlight comprehensive practicality, enhance experimental links, and strengthen science teaching with a focus on exploration.
Strengthen the horizontal connection between disciplines and carry out project-based teaching
Not long ago, Chu Mingtao, a student at Furong Middle School in Changjun, Changsha City, Hunan Province, received an award certificate from France - the Silver Award at the Paris International Invention Exhibition. "I used the principle of bionic bird claws and lever to invent a 'shoe cover' for gripping cable devices, which facilitates workers to walk on inclined cables and improves work efficiency." Speaking of the award-winning work, Chu Mingtao is very grateful for the help provided by his mentor Chen Shuizhang.
"Can the friction force when gripping the cable be greater? The angle formed between the sole of the foot and the cable is different, can the 'shoe cover' change the gripping direction accordingly?" In order to make the work more perfect, Teacher Chen Shuizhang proposed a new question, and Chu Mingtao followed the new idea to develop the 'shoe cover 2.0 version'. Teacher Chen Shuizhang said that science teachers should have the awareness of synchronous learning with students when guiding them in project research.
The newly revised "Compulsory Education Science Curriculum Standards" strengthen the requirements of science courses in hands-on practice, experimental exploration, and innovative thinking cultivation, emphasizing the educational concepts of project-based teaching and interdisciplinary comprehensive practical ability, and putting forward higher requirements for science teachers. The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Education stated that science teachers should not only impart scientific knowledge, but also cultivate students' thinking patterns, be able to flexibly apply scientific methods, master scientific ideas, disseminate scientific spirit, and have active innovative consciousness and organizational ability for scientific and technological activities.
"The school adopts the approach of 'self-improvement+skillful borrowing of external forces' to promote the development of the science teacher team." Xia Qin, the principal of Furong Middle School in Changjun, introduced that on the one hand, the school actively encourages teachers to participate in various training and professional learning, and establishes an excellent science and technology counselor team that combines full-time and part-time work, using the workshop of science and technology innovation masters in primary and secondary schools as a platform; On the other hand, an external expert workstation has been established, and an "academician tutoring station" has been established to hire academicians as scientific mentors, achieving regular guidance and training for teachers by experts and engineering and technical personnel.
"Science education and subject teaching are closely related, and it is recommended to provide science education and training for subject teachers." Song Shaowei, Executive Director of the Learning Science Laboratory of the Department of Psychology at Tsinghua University, said that it is advisable to strengthen the supply of science teachers from the source, establish a group of teacher training majors for primary school science teachers, optimize the training programs for science education and related majors, strengthen the horizontal connection between disciplines, strengthen educational practice, encourage students to minor in other science and engineering majors or core course modules, and focus on improving the practical abilities of teacher students in project-based teaching and interdisciplinary teaching.
In recent years, the construction of the science teacher team in China has significantly accelerated. According to data released by the Ministry of Education, the total number of full-time science teachers in primary schools in China increased by 35.3% in 2022 compared to 2012, with a steady increase in science teachers in middle and high schools. At the same time, through the implementation of key projects such as the National Training Program and the Summer Science Teacher Training Program, the comprehensive qualities of science teachers, such as job identity, cutting-edge awareness, and practical ability, have significantly improved.
Integrate internal and external resources and make good use of social classrooms
On the playground of the First Primary School of Xi'an Aerospace City in Shaanxi Province, a brilliant and diverse scientific experiment is being staged. Liquid nitrogen vaporizes rapidly when it encounters warm water, and its volume rapidly increases. With a loud bang, a "nitrogen cloud" slowly rises. The students in the audience opened their eyes wide and felt very surprised.
Next, interesting small experiments such as "helium changing sound" and "palm flame" sparked bursts of applause. The students are enthusiastic and all want to explore the wonders of science.
"In order to cultivate students' interest in science, achieve the integration of learning and thinking, and integrate education with entertainment, the school actively expands scientific practice activities. On the one hand, 'invite in', carry out activities such as bringing the spirit of scientists into the campus, science festivals, and science popularization vans; on the other hand, 'go out', organize students to go to scientific education venues for scenario based and experiential scientific practice." Vice President Lu Yan of the school introduced.
A while ago, the school organized sixth grade students to visit the Xi'an Yanliang Chuying Spreading Wings Aviation Culture Popularization and Study Base, experiencing the charm of aviation technology firsthand. "Observing different types of aircraft up close and making airplane models, various activities have opened our eyes," said sixth grade student Han Mingxi. "My favorite thing is the VR experience. After putting on my glasses, I feel like a captain, operating a complex dashboard and soaring in the sky."
Making good use of the social classroom, mobilizing relevant units, and jointly serving scientific practice education is an indispensable aspect of scientific education. In recent years, China has continuously strengthened the construction of various high-quality off campus venues. At the same time, universities, research institutes, enterprises and institutions have also established various scientific education and social practice bases, greatly enriching off campus scientific education resources. Data shows that as of the end of 2021, 408 physical science and technology museums, 612 mobile science and technology museums, 1251 science popularization vans, 1112 rural high school science and technology museums, and China Digital Science and Technology Museum have been built.
"While the resources of off campus science education continue to expand, there are also problems such as scattered distribution of resources, uneven quality, and poor supply and demand coordination." The relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Education stated that on the one hand, we should continue to strengthen the construction and opening of resources such as venues, bases, campsites, parks, and production lines, providing a material foundation for off campus education; On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the connection between supply and demand sides, make the participation mode from "short-term" to "normal", and achieve a "two-way flow" between extracurricular science education and schools.
Nowadays, more technological and educational resources are converging. Open the National Smart Education Platform for Primary and Secondary Schools and the Science Popularization Education Column in the "After School Services" area, where students can roam various science and technology museums; The "Academician Expert Science Popularization Education Open Course" jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Academy of Sciences provides high-quality science popularization education resources for teachers and students... Integrating internal and external resources, accurately matching student needs, new driving forces and advantages of science education continue to emerge, planting the seeds of science in the hearts of more children.
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