Science education expertise made in Luxembourg

Science education experts at the University of Luxembourg hosted a three-day field visit for visitors from La Main à la Pâte – Paris and Marseille last month, showcasing innovative science education methodologies developed in Luxembourg.

The visit was made possible with the support of the European wide FP7-funded “Fibonacci Project”. Begun in 2010, the Luxembourg branch of the Fibonacci Project has worked directly with Luxembourgish teachers to develop innovative teaching methodologies. The main goal of the project has been to build upon the expertise of teachers and support them in using inquiry-based teaching approaches in primary schools. This hand-in-hand work with Luxembourg’s teachers has led to the development of innovative techniques to support teachers as they teach science in novel ways. The field visit allowed the team at the University of Luxembourg to share their resources in ways they hope will benefit their partners’ work with teachers and students.

“This was an exciting opportunity as we were able to share expertise unique to Luxembourg with our partners. The methods developed in our project in Luxembourg will no doubt help support the teachers at the other centers in France” explains Dr. Christina Siry, Associate Professor in the EMACS research unit, and Coordinator of the Fibonacci Project – Luxembourg. The field visit allowed for sharing of resources and techniques between all participants.

In addition, curricula about the globally relevant topic of “Education for Sustainable Development,” written by Dr. Andrea Teuchert of EMACS, was showcased.  “We were excited to share initial results from the Luxembourgish pilot of a multi-media driven curriculum introducing the three pillars of sustainable development in multi-lingual classrooms.”

Visitors from Paris and Marseille also learned about the unique situation in Luxembourg’s schools including multilingual instruction and competency-based instruction, issues that are increasingly relevant in many countries in Europe. “This field visit supported exchange, discussion, and planning, all of which can benefit the development of science education projects in Luxembourg as well as in Gardanne” says Fibonacci field-visit organiser Sara Wilmes. 

For more information, visit the Fibonacci Project’s website .

_{Photo (from left to right): Edith Saltiel, Sophie Charvet, Vanessa Simoncini, Andrea Teuchert, Christina Siry, Catherine Le-Frapper and Sara Wilmes.}