Abstract
Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) as a new kind of education has been introduced into both the individual countries and the EU as a whole as an appropriate method for improvement on the current unsatisfying state of science education. Recently, new curriculum documents started to take effect in Czech Republic; these documents emphasize acquiring key competences and support the implementation of new strategies of teaching and learning. Many suggestions for IBSE education were also created as a part of national and international projects. For this reason, our article will focus mainly on the preparedness of pupils/students and their teachers for this new teaching method as a further condition of the application of IBSE into schools. In the first part of the article, we will list methods, procedures and results of a research that aimed to determine whether the pupils/students have enough skills to use the inquiry based method of teaching. In the second part of the article, we will start by focusing on the determination of teacher preparedness for IBSE and then on the preparation and realization of the IBSE training system for in-service and pre-service teachers in Czech Republic. This training system is based on the identification of a scientific “mystery” and active work of the teachers connected with their experience of inquiry and discovery. In the third part of the article, we will talk about the TEMI project which creates training programs for science teachers using IBSE and in which our country participates right now.
Highlights
At the beginning of the 21st century, Czech Republic came to similar conclusions as the rest of the EU – students’ scientific knowledge, including chemistry, was very formal and shorttermed, often based on memorization and without any deeper understanding and the ability to apply the knowledge in practice
Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) as a new approach to education seemed to be an appropriate method for the improvement of the current state (Franklin, 2000) (ESTABLISH, 2010) (Banchi, H., Bell, R., 2008)
The advantages of IBSE adjusted according to the MŠMT in 2009 are: students learn active problem solving in teams, students’ interest in science increases, students acquire scientific methodology and students are much better prepared for their further life and lifelong education, both through the method of work and through the durability of acquired knowledge
Summary
At the beginning of the 21st century, Czech Republic came to similar conclusions as the rest of the EU – students’ scientific knowledge, including chemistry, was very formal and shorttermed, often based on memorization and without any deeper understanding and the ability to apply the knowledge in practice. The questionnaire inquiry among teachers was performed as a part of the European project ESTABLISH in which we participated and it had similar results For these reasons, we consider the main problem of the application of the IBSE method in Czech Republic the insufficient preparation of the teachers for its teaching. We consider the main problem of the application of the IBSE method in Czech Republic the insufficient preparation of the teachers for its teaching To solve this problem, we started to organize a training system for in-service and pre-service teachers as a part of the European project TEMI (see below) and as a follow-up to the results of the project ESTABLISH and the national project "Making Science Is Easy"
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