Lifelong Learning Programme

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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION
TEACHING OF PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY
NAME OF AUTHOR(S)
Education commission ANQUE – National Association of Spanish Chemical
NAME OF PUBLISHER
Eureka magazine, about teaching and science divulgation. Vol. 2, number 1, pages 101 - 106
YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2005
LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION
Spanish
PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY
Legislative document
TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION
Researchers, Teachers, Policy Makers
SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION
3 – 10 pages
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS
The present manifesto was published in the year 2005 by the National Association of Spanish Chemists in defense of the teaching of physics and chemistry subjects in our country. In such document they state that the knowledge of physics and chemistry is essential to understand and face in a competent and discerning manner the problems of our society. Therefore, the reduction of teaching hours on these subjects in the last curricula and their progressive elective nature which contributes to the decrease of pupils in the subjects of science and, subsequently, in the further degrees on sciences, has become a worrying issue to take into account.

During the mandatory schooling of our education system, the subjects of Physics and Chemistry are not taught as independent subjects till the 3rd grade of ESO, they have a small teaching load and they are considered as elective subjects. This develops in a poor scientific literacy of the students, a decrease in the number of pupils who choose the scientific baccalauréat/post-compulsory schooling, and a level of knowledge which is lower to the level expected for these grades. In the post-compulsory schooling, its own structure and the fact of having to choose among the subjects of Physics and the Chemistry in the second grade, do also contribute to both, the poor education and the decrease of pupils. With regard to the contents of the curriculum, its design does not introduce practical aspects focused on the pupil, fact which added to the short number of teaching classes, the high ratio and the excessive length of the curriculum, make the teaching time insufficient and prevent the development of laboratory practice. Besides, it emphasises the importance of training the teaching staff on the introduction of methodological contents better adapted to the needs of our students.
Among the proposed measures, we can find the following:
- To consider the Physics and the Chemistry as compulsory subjects in every grade of the secondary schooling.
- To increase the number of teaching hours.
- Compulsory laboratory practice providing it with the necessary resources and a laboratory teacher.
REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION
The importance of the present document with regard to the teaching of science in Spain is crucial, since it shows that there is an increasing awareness of the scientific community and the teaching staff regarding the scientific literacy of our society and the image that science projects among the citizens. In it, both, teaching staff representatives and chemistry expertise state their concern for the lack of institutional support to the scientific subjects, with a short number of class hours and electivity along the whole educational system.

The fact of ending up with these problems would provide an approach more contextualised and less formal/official of the teaching of sciences in our country. Moreover, teachers and expertises are aware that the institutional support must be followed by a methodological change in the teaching of the subjects of chemistry and physics, increasing the number of laboratory hours and providing it with the necessary resources to promote the teaching of science from a practical point of view.
PDF OF THE PUBLICATION
NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION
CECE – Spanish Confederation of Education and Training Centre

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National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.

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