ENSITE (2019-2022) is an Erasmus+ project supporting the development of future science and maths teachers’ environmental citizenship and related teaching competences.
We face severe global environmental challenges such as climate change, plastic waste and loss of biodiversity. To develop sustainable solutions for these challenges, people need skills to deal with them. We need not only scientific know-how, but also skills such as critical thinking, creativity, responsible citizenship competences and a forward-perspective.
ENSITE supports this endeavour. Researchers from 11 European countries work closely together to develop an innovative approach which aims at improving higher education by including environmental socio-scientific issues in science initial teacher education (ITE).
Eleven university-teams from across Europe are developing modules for ITE. These modules cover subject knowledge on socio-scientific issues (SSI) and how to deal with them, implications for learning/teaching processes, pedagogical concepts to design lessons, and the role of teachers’ background which affects teaching SSI. We perform several pilot activities validating our modules at partner higher education institutes and paving the way for long-term implementation.
Activities of the project include three summer schools intended to engage students from all over Europe in a variety of innovative activity and stimulate inter-cultural and social experiences. We also organize national and international events to promote the project among relevant educational stakeholders, initializing dialogue on the subject.
Project Consortium:
The University of Malta is represented by Dr Josette Farrugia and Dr Martin Musumeci from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education. Further information may be obtained by email.
