RESEARCH – SciTeach Center

The goal of the SciTeach Center project is to create and support a sustainable, collaborative, network for primary school teacher professional development for teaching science in Luxembourg. In particular, we have worked to develop ways to use the insights gained in academic research for supporting teachers in the development of their educational praxis, particularly in primary school science.

The SciTeach Center team has developed a comprehensive in-service training program for science education, embedded in a research-driven professional development concept for primary school teachers. Through the project, we have developed opportunities for teachers that include professional development courses, teaching resources for loan, as well as collaborative research opportunities, all around the teaching and learning of science at the primary school level in particular. This is anchored in a resource center located in the Maison de Savoir in Belval, which houses and disseminates teaching materials for primary school science education. Materials are provided through the Science Teacher Resource Center for pre- and in-service teachers to borrow and use in their classrooms.

Courses are offered for pre- and in-service teachers, providing innovative pedagogical approaches for engaging young children in science, a particular focus of which targets strategies for working with culturally and linguistically diverse students.

The SciTeach Center project was initiated with three main objectives:

1) the development of a teacher professional development program,

2) the development of an accompanying science education resource center,

3) the establishment of a network to support the teaching of science at the elementary level.

Taken together, these three objectives set the foundation for the sustainable professional development of primary school teachers in science, with the overall goal of strengthening science teaching and learning in Luxembourgish primary schools and thus promoting science education to children, families, and teachers.

Embedded in this project is ongoing research to evaluate the effectiveness of the offerings as well as to support the continued evolution of the professional development program and accompanying resource center. At the center of the SciTeach Center project development has been the creation of a network of those working in the field of primary science education in Luxembourg, and the team has established several key collaborations with stakeholders including those working in informal education, teacher education, and science education.

The SciTeach Center hosts visiting scholars for short- and longer-term research exchanges, and the team collaborates in numerous international networks and projects.

The SciTeach Center initiatives have recently been enhanced through the FNR funded Sci2School project, which expands the offerings of the SciTeach Center through school-based professional development opportunities at several schools across the country.

Relevant Research from SciTeach Center Team Members

2022

Publications

Siry, C. (in press). Situating difference as a valuable resource in education research. In Scantlebury, K. (Ed.) Moving science education into the 21st century: A festschrift in honor of Kenneth Tobin (in press)

Siry, C. (forthcoming). Critical perspectives on learning to teach: Collaborative teaching and research in elementary teacher education. Springer.

Siry, Wilmes, te Heesen and Sportelli. (2022). Young Children’s Transmodal Participation in Science Investigations: Drawing on a Diversity of Resources for Meaning-Making. In A. Jakobsson, P. Nygård Larsson, & A. Karlsson (Eds). Translanguaging in Science Education.

Presentations

Wilmes, S.E.D., Siry, C., te Heesen, K., de Alburquerque Trigo, M., Barbu, R., & Sportelli, D. (2022). The different lenses we look through: Examining the role(s) of language and communication in science education research. Science Educators for Equity and Diversity (SEEDS) January 2022 Conference, “Refusing “Back to Normal”: The role of science education in enacting more just and joyful futures”. January 28. 2022.

2021

Publications

Siry, C. (2021). Coping and scholarship during a pandemic. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 16(2), 319-325.

te Heesen, K., Siry, C., & Wilmes, S.E.D. (2021). Innovativer naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht mit mehrsprachigen Kindern: Was lernen wir von den luxemburgischen Grundschulklassen? Nationaler Bildungsbericht.

Wilmes, S.E.D. & Siry, C. (2021). Multimodal Interaction Analysis: a Powerful Tool for Examining Plurilingual Students’ Engagement in Science Practices. Research in Science Education, 51, 71–91.

Wilmes, S.E.D. (2021). Interaction rituals, emotions, and early childhood science: digital microscopes and collective joy in a multilingual classroom. Cultural Studies of Science Education.

te Heesen, K. (2021). Das illustrierte Flugblatt als Wissensmedium der Frühen Neuzeit. Zeigestrategien und Vermittlungspotenzial eines zweikanaligen Kommunikationssystems. In: Kollmann, S. & Reh, S. [Eds.]. Zeigen und Bildung. Das Bild als Medium der Unterrichtung seit der frühen Neuzeit. 1. Workshop „Pictura Paedagogica Online: Pädagogisches Wissen in Bildern“. Berlin : BBF, Bibliothek für Bildungsgeschichtliche Forschung des DIPF. p. 9-34

Presentations

te Heesen, K., Siry, C., Trigo, M., & Wilmes, S. (Co-presenters). Working towards responsive science education pedagogies during a time of crisis: centering community, diversity and access. SEEDS (Science Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice) January 2021 Conference (Reflecting in a Time of Crisis: Envisioning New Paths for Socially-Just Science Education), 28 January to 1st February 2021, International Synchronous Zoom Conference.

de Albuquerque Trigo, M., Siry, C. (2021). What Tendency for” Inquiry” and” Language”: Examining Key Journals in Science Education. LuxERA Emerging Researchers’ Conference 2021. November 10/11, 2021.

Wilmes, S.E.D. & Siry, C. Science Education Research in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts: Critical Views and Emerging Questions. National Association for Research in Science Teaching Annual International Conference, April 2021, virtual.

te Heesen, K. & Siry, C. (Co-presenters) Bees and the Making of the citizen. Revisiting the history of teaching science to unravel the intertwining of societal needs and movements over time. ISCHE, June 2021, virtual

Barbu, R., Trigo, M., Wilmes, S., & te Heesen, K. (Co-presenters). Adapting to Covid19 in Luxembourg: Centering community, diversity and access in remote primary teacher education for science. 14th Conference of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA 2021), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, virtual format, 30 August to 3 September 2021

Wilmes, S. & te Heesen, K. (Co-presenters): The COVID19 pandemic in Luxembourg and Germany: Response comparison from researchers’ and families’ perspectives. Mid-term Conference (From Disruption to Recovery during COVID-19: International Responses by Science Educators in Formal and Informal Settings), Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, 7 & 21 June 2021, online.

Barbu, R. (Presenter). Collaboration and re-imagined science education pedagogy in times of crisis. Mid-term Conference (From Disruption to Recovery during COVID-19: International Responses by Science Educators in Formal and Informal Settings), Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, 7 & 21 June 2021, online.

Trigo, M., & Siry, C. (Co-presenters). What Tendency for „Inquiry“ and „Language“: Examining Key Journals in Science Education. LuxERA Emerging Researchers’ Conference 2021, 10 & 11 November, online.

Conference keynote lectures

Siry, C. (KASE; Korean Association of Science Education) Working towards equity in teaching science with linguistically-diverse primary school children, Jan. 29, 2021.

Yacoubian, H. & Siry, C. (ESERA; European Science Education Research Association) Coming together across difference; The uniting role of social justice. Aug 2021.

Barbu, R., & Siry, C., (Organizer & Discussant). Working towards responsive science education.

Doctoral School participation (PhD student)

Trigo, M. (2021). Supporting primary education through science within the Portuguese-speaking community in Luxembourg. ESERA Summer School, 5-9 July 2021, online.

2020

Publications

Siry, C. (2020). Science education during times of crisis: Calling for reflections, responses, and forward thinking from the CSSE community. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 15, 317-322.

Siry, C. (2020). Dialogic pedagogies and multimodal methodologies: Working towards inclusive science education and research. Asia Pacific Science Education, 1-18.

Salloum, S., Siry, C., Espinet M. (2020). Examining the complexities of science education in multilingual contexts: Highlighting international perspectives. International Journal of Science Education, 42 (14), 2285-2289.

Adams, J. & Siry, C. (2020). “Living authenticity in science education research.” In K. Otrel- Cass, M. Andrée & M. Ryu [Eds]. Examining research ethics in contemporary science education research: being responsive and responsible, p. 143-158.

Monteira, S.F., Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. & Siry, C. (2020). Scaffolding Children’s Production of Representations Along the Three Years of ECE: A Longitudinal Study. Research in Science Education.

Siry, C. & Gorges, A. (2020) Young students’ diverse resources for meaning making in science: learning from multilingual contexts. International Journal of Science Education.

Siry, C. & Wilmes, S.E.D. (2020). Working toward equitable research practices: the value of highlighting complexity and respecting context. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 1-11.

Wilmes, S.E.D. & Siry, C. (2020). Science notebooks as interactional spaces in a multilingual classroom: Not just ideas on paper. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 57(7), 999-1027.

Presentations

From Disruption to Recovery during COVID-19: International Responses by Science Educators in formal and Informal Settings. Online Conference hosted by Seoul National University. November 6 and 13, 2020.

- Siry, C. “Luxembourgish response to COVID-19: actions, partnerships and teaching/learning support”
- Siry, C., Wilmes, S.E.D., te Heesen, K., & Trigo, M. “SciTeach Center responses to COVID-19 crisis: presenting its initiatives and materials”
- te Heesen, K. & Wilmes, S.E.D. “The COVID19 pandemic and its impacts on education in Luxembourg and Germany: Response comparison from researchers and families perspectives”
- Trigo, M. Covid-19 in Portuguese educational scenario: actions, responses and reflections.

te Heesen, K., Siry, C. (2020). Enacting responsive science teacher education: revised strategies , adapted resources and rapid digitization during a time of crisis. DigiMINT Project Steering Committee, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. September.

2019

Publications

Park, J. & Wilmes, S. E. D. (2019). A critical co/autoethnographic exploration of self: Becoming science education researchers in diverse cultural and linguistic landscapes. In C. Siry & J. Bazzul (Eds.), Critical Voices in science education research: Narratives of academic journeys. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

Bazzul, J. & Siry, C. (2019). Critical voices in science education research: Narratives of academic journeys. Sense / Brill.

2018

Publications

Wilmes, S.E.D., te Heesen, K., Siry, C., Kneip, N., Heinericy, S. (2018). The role of critical reflexivity in the professional development of professional developers: A co-autoethnographic exploration. Interfaces educação.

Wilmes, S.E.D. & Siry, C. (2018). Interaction rituals and inquiry-based instruction: analysis of student participation in small-group investigations in a multilingual classroom. Science Education.

Adams, J., Avraamidou, L., Bayram-Jacobs, D., Boujaoude, S., Bryan, L., Christodoulou, A., … Zembal-Saul, C. (2018).The Role of Science Education in a Changing World. Lorentz Center, Netherlands.

Siry, C., Andersen, K.N., Wilmes, S.E.D. (2018). „Doing Science“: Erwerb von Kompetenzen im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht der École fondamentale. In Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET), Universität Luxemburg; Service de Coordination de la Recherche et de l’Innovation pédagogiques et technologiques (SCRIPT) (Eds.) Nationaler Bildungsbericht Luxemburg 2018.

Siry, Christina. (2018). The science curriculum at the elementary level: What are the basics, and are we teaching them? In Bryan, L.; Tobin, K. (Eds.) Thirteen questions for science education.

Wilmes, S.E.D., Siry, C., Gomez-Fernandez, R., Gorges, A. (2018). Reconstructing science education within the language I science relationship. In Tobin, Kenneth; Bryan, Lynn (Eds.) 13 Questions: Reframing Education’s Conversation: Science.

Presentations

Siry, C., Wilmes, S.E.D., te Heesen, K., Kneip, N., Heinericy, S. (2018). Being and becoming Science Education Professional Developers: A Co-Autoethnographic Examination.

te Heesen, K., Kneip, N., Heinericy, S., Siry, C., Wilmes, S.E.D. (2018). The role of critical reflexivity in the professional development of professional developers: A co-authethnotaphic exploration.

Wilmes, S.E.D., Siry, C., te Heesen, K., Kneip, N., Heinericy, S. (2018). Critical reflexivity in the professional development of professional devlopers: A co-autoethnographic exploration. Poster.

te Heesen, K., Siry, C., Schreiber, C. (2018). From Epics to Novelization : Conceptualizing Science Education Curricula and Practices through a historical lens. Scientific Conference.