Science education for the development of future-scaffolding skills

In the contemporary society of global uncertainties and social acceleration, the imagination of the future has become problematic. Instead of a promise, the future is often perceived as a threat. Many young people feel marginalized or excluded from economic and social life due to the crisis, and in many countries, especially those with high youth unemployment rates, perceive their country's education and training system as not well aligned with the world of work. In this context, the younger generations find it difficult to project themselves into the future and exploit their potential as responsible and active people, citizens and future professionals.

In this challenging context, the question that drives the work of the group is the following: how can STEM teaching support students in the development of skills to manage rationally and emotionally uncertainty towards the future and to imagine themselves in the future?

In order to address the question, the research group developed modules on artificial intelligence, quantum computers and climate change, within the ERASMUS + project I SEE (Inclusive STEM Education to Enhance the capacity to aspire and imagine future careers).

The aim of the modules is not only to develop professional skills, but also to promote the identities of students as capable people and citizens in a global, fragile and evolving world, providing them with "future-scaffolding skills". They include strategic thinking and planning, risk taking, uncertainty management, creative thinking, modeling and argumentation, action competence.

Since 2017, the modules have been implemented and monitored within curricular and extracurricular contexts, with secondary school students, or in teacher training courses. On an annual basis, student workshops are organized in the context of the PLS (Piano Lauree Scientifiche).

Settori ERC

PE2_16 General physics 

SH4_11 Education: systems and institutions, teaching and learning

SH4_14 Teaching and learning

National and international partnerships

I SEE: Inclusive STEM Education to Enhance the capacity to aspire and imagine future careers (ERASMUS +, KA2, 2016-1-IT02-KA201-024373, 01/09/2016 - 31/08/2019. Coordinator: Olivia Levrini, University of Bologna (www.iseeproject.eu)

FEDORA: Future-oriented Science Education to enhance Responsibility and Engagement in the society of acceleration and uncertainty (H2020-SwafS-2019-2-two-stage, 01/09/2020 - 31/08/2023). Coordinator: Olivia Levrini, University of Bologna (www.fedora-project.eu)

Produzione scientifica

Levrini, O., Tasquier, G., Branchetti, L., & Barelli, E. (2019). Developing future-scaffolding skills through Science Education. To be published in International Journal of Science Education. DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2019.1693080

Tasquier, G., Branchetti, L., Levrini, O. (2019). Frantic Standstill and Lack of Future: How Can Science Education Take Care of Students’ Distopic Perceptions of Time? Bridging Research and Practice in Science Education, 205-224, Springer.

Barelli, E., Branchetti, L., Tasquier, G., Albertazzi, L., Levrini, O. (2018). Science of Complex Systems and Citizenship Skills: A Pilot Study with Adult Citizens. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14, pp. 1533 – 154.

Branchetti, L., Cutler, M., Laherto, A., Levrini, O. Palmgren, E.K., Tasquier, G., Wilson, C (2018). The I SEE project: An approach to futurize STEM education. Visions for Sustainability, 9: 10-26. doi:10.13135/2384-8677/2770

Tasquier, G., Levrini, O., Laherto, A., Palmgren, E., Wilson, C. (2018). The challenge of working with the future within STEM education. Poster accepted for the 13th International Conference on the Learning Sciences “Rethinking learning in the digital age: Making the Learning Sciences count”, London, June 23-27, 2018 and published on the conference proceedings.