Chemistry is all around us
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Scientific literacy at Second Chance Schools
Institute of Adult Continuing Education – Second Chance Schools
The Second Chance School is an educational structure designed for adult education and was founded by Greek law in 1997. The first one started working in 2001 and today 57 are in fuction all over Greece. Attendance at SCSs last 18 months (25 hours per week) and the adult graduates are issued with a leaving certificate equivalent with the Lower Secondary School leaving Certificate (Gymnasium). Chemistry is not taught as a separate subject but integrated with the other physical sciences (physics and biology). These schools do not follow the traditional teacher-centered approach; science is mostly by small team projects and simple experiments. The curriculum is not pre-specified and it is tailored to the needs and specific interests of the students.
The initiative aims at giving a second chance to education to adults who did not manage to complete the compulsory 9-year education as teenagers. The physical sciences taught aims at popularizing science and creating a minimum level of scientific literacy
Adults above 18 years old who have not completed only the first six years of compulsory education but not the additional three years of secondary school.
Simple chemical experiments and projects related to every day life activities (eg soap making)
This initiative has national impact
Approximately 5500 adults are attending the programmes of the 57 SCSs all over Greece
The initiative can provide an increase in the level of scientific literacy of the average adult. There are however doubts on the effectiveness of these school structures concerning the successful engagement of their adult students in collaborative effective learning.
Dr. Kalimeris Anastasios
T.E.I. of Ionian Islands
Assistant Professor