Promoting the Integration of Inquiry Based Science and English Learning in Primary Education Through Triadic Partnerships

Abstract

In September 2014, university professors from UAB (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona) and teacher educators from CESIRE (Centre for Support of Educational Innovation and Research) started to collaborate in the design of a primary teacher development program called “IBS and English learning in primary education”. One of the goals of this program was to create a sustainable triadic partnership (Primary school teachers/UAB university professors, researchers, and primary student teachers/CESIRE’s teacher educators) which fosters educational innovations and research in the integration of Inquiry based science and English in primary education in Catalan schools. The triadic partnership, piloted for the first aim in the academic year 2014–2015, has provided a scenario for successful collaborative and innovative teacher development processes. The first strength of the teacher preparation model has been the explicit theoretical support provided by university and teacher educators from both science and foreign language education. The theory acted as an arena where to create a boundary object that was shared and negotiated among all participants. The boundary object was supported by the theoretical framework of the program and by the development of a tool used by all participants. This tool was designed to guide the planning of the Inquiry Based Science instructional unit in English and it will be refined in the next future theoretically and practically. The second strength of the program has been the composition of the learning community including school teachers, student teachers, university professors and teacher educators from both science and language education disciplines.