Development of common approaches to involvement youth into science and technical sphere

Guidelines

BeTech! Guidelines (published in January 2022).

----------

BeTech! project report published 8.6.2021

Report on the best STE(A)M practices in Finland and in Oulu region

Report on the best STE(A)M practices in Finland and in Oulu region is published in University of Oulu Study Materials Series. The report can e.g. be used as study material which supports the development of science and technology teaching and learning processes.

The publication is divided into three parts. At first, the contents of this publication are put into the Finnish context by brief description of the education system in Finland and some peculiarities of the new national core curriculum in basic education in Finland, which have some impact on science and technology teaching and learning.

In second part the history, present and new actors in developing best practices in science and technology education in Finland is described concluding, that there is a need for national level steering and organizing the development of science and technology teaching and learning.

The third part focuses on with more detail to the technology industry cooperation and future needs for science and technology education in Oulu region concluding, that cooperation between school-level and technology industry level needs concrete and sustainable actions for better teaching and learning for professional future in the sphere of technology industry.

Publication information:

Ulvinen, V.-M., Vaara, H., & Kaleva, S. (2021). Report on the best STE(A)M practices in Finland and in Oulu region. University of Oulu Study Materials Series E18. Oulu, Finland: University of Oulu. JULTIKA University of Oulu repository. http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/isbn978-952-62-2992-8.

----------

BeTech! Research posters presented at NFSUN 2021 & articles published in NFSUN21 Proceedings

Two BeTech! Research posters were presented at NFSUN 2021 conference. The posters and articles in NFSUN21 Proceedings can be downloaded below.

The NFSUN conference 2021 was virtual due to the Covid-19 situation and hosted by VIA University College in Aarhus, Denmark on June 1.–2. 2021.

The Nordic Research Symposium on Science Education (NFSUN) is a forum for the presentation and discussion of research on Nordic science education. The symposium links research and development and welcomes researchers, as well as teachers from all levels of education. More information about NFSUN 2021:

https://www.tilmeld.dk/nfsun2020/welcome.html

Posters and articles

Mona Kvivesen & Päivi Tomperi (2021) poster Students’ attitudes towards science in North Calotte

Päivi Tomperi & Mona Kvivesen (2021) poster In-service and preservice teachers’ conceptions of nature of science

Articles in NFSUN21 Proceedings [online] at https://nfsun.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NFSUN-proceedings-2021-final-1.pdf

----------

BeTech! project article published 16.11.2020 in Journal of Education and Training Studies

Attitudes towards studying and learning science and mathematics, and their impact on learning in the two schools in the Northern Finland

The objective of this study was to examine secondary students’ attitudes towards studying and learning science and mathematics, and how the attitude constructs were linked in students’ responses.

Article information:

Tomperi, P. (2020). Evaluation of the secondary students’ attitudes towards studying and learning science and mathematics, and their impact on learning in the two schools in the Northern Finland. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 8(12), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v8i12.5080

----------

BeTech! project article published 1.6.2020:

Teacher’s role is important in directing students’ attitudes towards science and mathematics

It is well known that while students’ interest towards school science and technology is quite high, their science and technology career aspirations have become alarmingly low especially in developed countries.

The complex structure of attitudes views attitudes as consisting of at least three distinct domains. Enjoyment for learning science can lead to positive feelings towards science related activities at school. Students’ positive attitudes towards science are visible when they are reading science magazines for pleasure and visit science exhibitions. Expose to evidence like ozone depletion may influence students’ beliefs about the importance of science.

Common features of students’ attitudes towards studying and learning science and mathematics in comprehensive and secondary schools in the North Calotte region of Norway (Alta), Finland (Oulu) and Russia (Murmansk) were investigated. Data was collected by conducting an online survey for 581 students. Based-on results, our model consists three factors: the perception of the teacher, anxiety towards science and mathematics, and motivation.

The results suggest that most students are motivated to study sciences and mathematics. There were also gender differences in attitudes to students’ future studies and career plans. Most girls recognized the importance of these subjects for their future studies and careers, while boys showed more interest than girls in local career opportunities at industry.

Teachers have an important role in directing students’ attitudes towards science and mathematics. Students experienced that the teachers who use innovative teaching approaches both motivate and reduce anxiety in their learning process.

Article information:

Tomperi, P., Ryzhkova, I., Shestova, Y., Lyash, O., Lazareva, I., Lyash, A., Kvivesen, M., Manshadi, S., & Uteng, S. (2020). The three-factor model: A study of common features in students’ attitudes towards studying and learning science and mathematics in the three countries of the North Calotte region. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education, 8(1), 89–106. https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.8.1.1369

----------

Examples of project events

BeTech!-seminars in Alta and Murmansk 28.–29.9.2021

Last BeTech!-seminars were organized in Alta and Murmansk 28.–29.9.2021. In Murmansk there were participants from Murmansk. In Alta there were participants from Alta and Oulu. During the seminars the participants, teachers and teacher students, participated the seminar programmes, worked together and also had a change to discuss and share experiences.

BeTech!-seminar in Murmansk 15.–16.4.2021, online

Third BeTech!-seminar was organized in Murmansk 15.–16.4.2021 as a web event. During the seminar participants took part in virtual company visits and heard about future working life possibilities.

BeTech!-seminar in Alta 11.–13.2.2020

Second BeTech!-seminar took place in Alta 11.–13.2.2020. During the seminar participants explored for example fish herding and energy industry. On Thursday the participants got to know the Arctic University of Norway. On Friday 14.2.2020 we visited Kiruna mine. From Oulu there was 44 young people, their teachers and subject teacher students participating the seminar.

BeTech!-seminar in Oulu 26.–27.9.2019

BeTech!-seminar brought together more than hundred young people and their teachers from Alta, Murmansk and Oulu. During the two days the participants visited for example Nokia, Science Centre Tietomaa, Oulu Mining School and FabLab. They also participated European Researchers’ Night on Friday.

BeTech! online visits to companies in Murmansk

Socium+ and Murmanself have organized interesting online visits to local companies for high school. The school students have visited Gaspromnef, Atomflot, and Murmansk Commercial Port.

On the 17th of November 2020, meeting with Gaspromneft was held. Alexey Fadeev, Head of Production Support Directorate of Gazpromneft, shared information about shelf projects, eco monitoring and competences needed to work in the Arctic. The meeting was followed up with Q&A session.

On the 24th of November 2020 there was a meeting with representative of “Atomflot”. Viktor Talybin, Chief Officer of icebreaker “Vaigach”. Within this event school students have discussed the issues of providing stable, safe and efficient exploitation of icebreaker fleet, personnel qualifications, and peculiarities of work as a Chief Officer.

Kids at Atomfleet (promo video, there is a possibility to autogenerate the subtitles and autotranslate the video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSyy-rTNLs&t=129s

On the 28th of January 2021, a meeting with representative of Murmansk Commercial Port was held. The history of Port was presented along with small quiz to test the knowledge of school student as the history of Port goes along the history of Murmansk. School students managed very well. Representatives of Murmansk Cadet school were present along with a school from Zapolyarniy, Murmansk region.