Policy, research and tools to increase scientific and technological culture in Italian schools

Various authors

Volume of the national review ‘Annali della Pubblica Istruzione’ (‘Annals of Public Education’)

Italian

The volume describes the strategies promoted by the Italian Government together with other national partners (School Institutions, Universities, local Cultural and Professional Organizations) to improve the teaching-learning process of scientific and mathematical disciplines in Italian schools.After a brief introduction in which the aim of the document is explained (by Giuseppe Cosentino and by Luigi Berlinguer, Minister of Public Education at that time), the volume illustrates the different operative plans in six sections:
1) Explaination of the teamwork for the development of scientific and technological culture;(pages: 3-26)2) Report on OCSE-Pisa 2006, chosen as a benchmark for the cultural framework;(Author: Bruno Losito, pages 27-36)
3) Report on IIS Plan (Insegnare Science Sperimentali, that is Teaching Experimental Sciences), devoted to the improvement of didactics in Physics, Chemistry and Natural Sciences;(Author: Irene Gatti, pages 37-90)
4) Report on [email protected] Plan, devoted to the improvement of didactics in Mathematics;(Authors: Ferdinando Antonello, Lucia Ciarrapico, Giovanni Margiotta, pages 91-108)
5) Report on the Programming of European Structural Funds 2007-2013 for Southern Italian Schools and for learning of Sciences and Mathematics;(Author: Annamaria Leuzzi, pages 109-118)
6) Report on ‘How people learn’ by the Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council, re-printed from National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.;(Authors: Suzanne Donovan, John D. Bransford, James W. Pellegrino, pages 119-186)
In the appendix (‘Documents’) the Order in Council of the Italian Government, dated 4th August 2006 establishing the undertaken plans, is reported.

The document represents an appreciable attempt to exploit scientific and technological learning in Italian schools through a multicultural approach, by also taking advantage of international experience on the subject. Of note is the attention paid to the plans of teachers training, a few of which are still in progress.

http://www.annaliistruzione.it/riviste/annali/rivistaannali.htm

Dr.Marina Alloisio

Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale - University of Genoa

Researcher