(1502) INCORPORATING SCIENCE FICTION LITERATURE IN TEACHING SCIENCES

摘要

Currently, through its programmes for education and training (e.g. the Lifelong Learning Programme),the EU is striving to enable individuals at all stages of their lives to pursue stimulating learningopportunities across Europe, to integrate various educational and training initiatives. In the LLPStrategic Priorities 2012 it is stated that “understanding the fundamental concepts of science and aninterest in sustainable development has thus become key for active, responsible citizenship.” TheCouncil of the European Union points towards the right direction, through one of five benchmarksincluded in the strategic framework Education and Training 2020: “By 2020, the share of low-achieving15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 %.” In the same document,the Strategic Objective 2 states that greater attention needs to be paid to “making mathematics,science and technology more attractive,” and that more efforts should be made in order “to ensurehigh quality teaching, to provide adequate initial teacher education, continuous professionaldevelopment for teachers and trainers” and “to strengthen science teaching.” In spite of the limitlesseducational affordances of science fiction, European education currently ignores or even downgradesthis popular genre, as scholars and educators do not consider it “high literature.” Towards thispurpose, the Comenius multilateral project “Science Fiction in Education - SciFiEd” aspires toencourage EU teachers to incorporate science fiction in their teaching, through an informed,organized, and cross-curricular approach. The current paper presents the key features of themethodology used within the SciFiEd project, an interdisciplinary/cross-curricular approach thataddresses all key competences and multiple curricular areas through science fiction literature andmedia. A synthesis of research findings (both field research and desk research) upon the use of SciFinarrative in Romania, in didactic activities, and on its usefulness, potential of increasing learningattractiveness, motivation and results is equally presented in the paper. The last part of the paperunderlines the elaboration of SciFi teaching units and the role/involvement of in-service teachers indesigning and implementation of these units.