És(cola)Ciência

A 5th year student observing plant structures at a binocular stereoscopic microscope

The És(cola)Ciência is a project based on science communication approaches that explores a complementary educational strategy to promote school success. The project was developed in the subject of Natural Sciences, during 3 years, following the students from the 5th to the 7th grade, at a school of Beja, on Baixo Alentejo, Portugal.
The project was based on the social problem of school failure that have serious repercussions on the lives of the populations and the territory of Beja, and explore the application of non-formal science education methods and scientific literacy, combining the learning of contents and the approach of emerging related issues, with the promotion of socio-emotional skills.
With a transdisciplinary team of professionals in the project, Science was introduced to students thought playful-scientific activities, so that students could experience the curricula in a practical and simple way, stimulating their curiosity and awakening their motivation and involvement with school. Therefore, they can have an open window to better understand the world around them, and to develop principles and values that may help to build their individuality in society.

Problem addressed

The projet addresses the social problem of school failure.

School failure in Portugal is an identified social problem and has become a worrying phenomenon, both due to the extent it has acquired and the repercussions it has on the lives of individuals and societies. The impact of school failure translates into students' lack of motivation that can lead to school dropout and, in more serious cases, to social discrimination. These compromising the academic future of the individuals and their access to employment and better remuneration, as well as their intellectual development, which influence their posture and attitude in society.

Regarding the regional context, Baixo Alentejo is the largest rural interior sub-region of Portugal, and the most affected by the phenomenon of desertification, making it an economically and socially disadvantaged territory. At Baixo Alentejo schools, more than half of the students attending basic education (5th and 6th years) come from families with low education and low economic resources where social exclusion, violence and indiscipline predominate. Moreover, school failure rates are among the highest in the country. Beja is the biggest city of Baixo Alentejo with the largest number of students enrolled in basic education, representing 54.5% of the student population at this level of education, and with school failure rate of 14%.

Innovative solution

The És(cola)Ciência project intended to create a disruptive strategy by introducing informality in formal contexts, exploring the concepts of science communication and scientific literacy for children. Based on these concepts, this pilot project was thought to carry out playful-scientific activities together with socioemotional skills actions during 3 years, following the students from the 5th to the 7th grade, in natural science lessons, intervening once a week.

We tried to combined factors that are speculated to be antagonistic, ludic activity versus school learning, but that show positive responses and attitudes, and confidence in relation to Science and School and the valorisation of knowledge and learning.

The És(cola)Ciência project was promoted by CEBAL, a non-profit R&D unit located in Beja, Portugal. CEBAL develops its activity in the areas of agro-food, agroforestry, plant and animal genetics, bioinformatics and process engineering, focusing on the valorisation and sustainable use of natural resources. CEBAL develops its action in close connection with local community and local economy, considering the characteristics and the potential of Alentejo region.

In line with CEBAL mission, playful-scientific activities developed with the students introduced many sustainability aspects, such as reusing, recycling, efficient use of resources or circularity, in line with the curricula of natural sciences. We did it with the materials we used on the experiments, in the speeches used, with a strong sensibilization component, and by calling students to action and connecting them with nature and the territory. In addition, we introduced novel ways of looking to resources and processes by giving examples of the research that CEBAL or other researchers do in the diferent areas. Along with this, we worked socio emotional skills with children. We highlight here the exemple of empathy. Empathy is being considered a key strength, a value skill for sustainability. Empathy-sustainability involves empathy with others and empathy with nature, mediated through place and identity. The experiments and games we performed with the students intended to promote their engagement with nature and empathy with nature, so they can feel an emotional experience of the natural world. Understand distress of an animal that is suffering the consequences of pollution of its habitat or the progressive deterioration of a natural environment or resources, are examples of it.

Key results and benefits

The results and benefits from the project found through the social impact evaluation developed were the following:

Relevance and pertinence of the project, considering that it responded to the needs diagnosed and felt by the stakeholders, in particular, by the beneficiary school. Very satisfactory response to the needs, interests and priorities of the target audience.
Introduction of an experimental aspect in the classroom context in the Natural Sciences discipline, which is seen as essential in the learning process of children in this age group.
Available resources were used efficiently, even during the Covid-19 pandemic period and when there were changes in the implementation team. These resources also allowed participation, in 2022, in Ovibeja, an agricultural fair that takes place annually in Beja.
Very satisfactory execution of the activities foreseen in the application, with the adoption, during the Covid-19 pandemic period, of strategies altering the co-presence format, with frequent and interactive maintenance of contact with the project's beneficiaries. In fact, during the Covid-19 period, the intervention constituted an added value for Natural Sciences teachers.
Positive effect between project attendance and the increase in grades in the Natural Sciences subject at the end of the 2022/2023 academic year (7th year of schooling) compared to academic years prior to the intervention (2017/2018; 2018/2019; 2019/ 2020). At the same time, there was an increase in the school success rate between the periods compared, by 3.25 p.p.
Potential of the intervention for the development of students' socio-emotional skills, through the promotion of reflection and discussion activities on topics related to self-knowledge, empathy and team spirit, recognized by teachers and guardians.
Increased students' scientific literacy associated with greater curiosity and scientific experimentation. There was an improvement in performance in the discipline of Natural Sciences in 128 of the 7th year students intervened by the project in the 2022/2023 academic year, compared to the history of the subject of Natural Sciences in the 3 academic years prior to the intervention (2017/20218; 2018/2019; 2019/2020), in the same group of schools.
Degree of student satisfaction in relation to the project was overall very positive, with no significant fluctuations being observed in the different periods of data collection. This satisfaction is associated with an increased level of motivation and interest in Natural Sciences school subjects.
Important conditions for the benefits of the project to last over time, with emphasis on the potential for replicability of complementary strategies through Natural Sciences teachers, the appreciation and recognition of CEBAL's work among young audiences and future young people with greater awareness the practicality of the teachings he obtains in a school context, in particular Natural Sciences content.

Potential for mainstreaming

There were gathered important conditions so that the benefits of the project could last over time, with emphasis on the potential for replicability of complementary strategies through Natural Sciences teachers, the appreciation and recognition of CEBAL's work among young audiences and future young people with greater awareness the practicality of the teachings he obtains in a school context, in particular Natural Sciences content.