Principles and results of
                  La main à la pâte
                     1996-2011
                     Pierre Léna
              Emeritus Professor, Université Paris Diderot 
         Délégation à l’éducation et la formation – Académie des sciences
         Education for innovation  -  The Role of Arts and STEM Education
             OECD-France Workshop  -  Paris – May 23-24, 2011
                 1. La main à la pâte 1996-2011
 •   Science & technology in school with inquiry : 
      – Pre-school, primary (Gr.1 to 5), middle (Gr.6-7 since 2006) ;
      – Method : dissemination from pilot centers ;
 •   Leadership Académie des sciences + partners ;
 •   Focus : resources (incl. e-) for coaching teachers in service ;
 •   Progressive changes in science lessons : 
      – From < 5% (1996) to 30-40 % of classes (> 100.000 teachers) ;
      – Inquiry recommended in curriculum, but variable practice.
 •   Assessment : 
      – Student : subject knowledge, competencies, motivation. 
      – Teacher : tools for formative assess. in classroom ; image of science.  
      – System  : professional devt. of teachers.
 •   International impact : InterAcademy Panel & Academies.   
             2. Our principles
   – Science & technology for all students (no gender issue) ;
   – Age range 5-13 : neuronal connectivity ; curiosity ;
   – Science in deep relation with language (oral & written) ;
   – Skills being developed :
    • Learning based on understanding ; 
    • Curiosity, observation, manipulation -> subject knowledge ;
    • Inquiry, questioning, hypothesis -> thinking skills ;
    • Writing, discussing, group work -> language & social skills ;
    • MISSING : connection with mathematics (-> EU project Fibonacci) ;
   – Help modify the vision of science by teachers ;
    • Curriculum, resources ; 
    • Bridge the gap between science world and school world.   
                                                        5
                Listening to the student’s own words …
                         A burning candle - Grade 5 - Ecole Jean-Moulin
               ( from DVD Enseigner science & technologie à l’école –English - Spanish - Chinese)
  •   Experiment, material, candle, beaker ….
  •   To observe, to report ..
  •   Hypothesis…
  •   How to prove ? The proof…
  •   To ask questions…. Why ?
  •   To vary the experimental conditions… What happens if I change the bucket’s size ? 
  •   Collected data… 
  •   To measure… 
  •   Length of burning, measuring time…
  •   Science notebook, to write… 
  •   To establish a relation…
  •   ………..
          Sensate experienze… necessarie dimostrazioni…(Galileo)