Workshop

4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education

The 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education was held from the 15th of November 2022 to the 17th of November 2022 (UTC time)


ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE.

The topic for this year’s Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education is ‘Leveraging the potential of astronomy in formal education’ and is scheduled to run 15 to 17 November 2022 as a fully virtual event on Hopin as in previous years.

This year’s Shaw-IAU Workshop focuses on the role of astronomy in the core regions of formal, primary and secondary, education: How do we teach astronomy as its own subject? What is the role of astronomy in teaching physics or chemistry – or in communicating such a central future topic as climate change? In sessions marked with a * we aim to hear specifically from teachers. We also address the question of how to approach those who set the framework for teaching: How can you get your administration, or at a much higher level: your education ministry, to listen to you? Last but not least we look at how to bridge the divide between the fundamentals that are commonly taught in school and results from cutting-edge research, which tend to be fascinating to students and the general public alike.

Astronomy & Curriculum

  • Astronomy in schools: how do you get your administration and your ministry to listen?
  • How to develop an astronomy curriculum

    • Insights from Astronomy Education Research

  • Astronomy education research on the role of astronomy in schools
  • Student interest in astronomy and other subjects: research and practical experience

    • Astronomy Education in Practice

  • Teaching astronomy in primary schools: How, why, and in what context*
  • Teaching astronomy as its own subject in secondary schools*
  • Teaching astronomy as part of other subjects in secondary schools – astronomy as a “gateway science”*

    • Students in a changing climate: how can astronomy help?*


    Gravitational waves, black hole shadows and exoplanets: Can we make a place for cutting-edge results in schools?



    Talks and posters may be presented in any language, however, we will need English abstracts for talks and posters, English subtitles for talks and English translations for posters.

    Abstract submissions have closed

    Speaker suggestions have closed

    The sessions for the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education are listed below

    Opening Session

    The opening session of the 4th Shaw-IAU Workshop will begin with welcome messages from our director Markus Pössel, IAU president Debra Elmegreen and Chair of the Board of Adjudicators and member of the Council of the Shaw Prize Foundation Reinhard Genzel. This will be followed by short introductions to both the workshop schedule and the Hopin platform to get you acquainted with the surroundings and to help you get the most out of the workshop.

    Chair

    Markus Pössel

    Markus Pössel

    Schedule

    Astronomy education research on the role of astronomy in schools

    The session focused on the impact of Astronomy Education Research on science literacy and practices in schools. Specific skills and competencies in astronomy that may be transferred into other and sometimes more general contexts are discussed: spatial thinking, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking. Astronomy is related to scientific methods and may thus contribute to motivating students into STEAM subjects and careers. Last, evaluation and assessment tools of curricula and teachers’ professional development will be presented.

    Chair

    Merryn Cole

    Merryn Cole

    Emmanuel Rollinde

    Emmanuel Rollinde

    Schedule

    Astronomy in schools: how do you get your administration and your ministry to listen?

    One of the goals of the Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) is to professionalize astronomy education for formal education in primary and secondary schools. One of the challenges that are faced in many parts of work, is that astronomy is not included in the schools’ curriculum. In this session, we will hear from astronomy professors, lecturers, and teachers who have had the experience of advocating for astronomy education in schools, with the ministry of education.

    Chair

    Li Peng

    Li Peng

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Schedule

    Gravitational waves, black hole shadows and exoplanets: Can we make a place for cutting-edge results in schools?

    Cutting-edge science is not only exciting and interesting but also acts as an important introduction to both scientific content and the challenges of doing science. Often, people first become fascinated by astronomy thanks to hearing about a new, ground-breaking result. But cutting-edge science is difficult to teach about: By definition, it is a rapidly changing topic, and the latest results today may eventually become redundant in the future. This constantly shifting scientific landscape makes the incorporation of cutting-edge results into lessons and curricula tricky. In this session we will discuss how to introduce cutting-edge results in schools, and highlight the challenges faced by astronomers, science communicators and teachers in building educational content for scientific areas such as gravitational waves, black holes shadows and exoplanets into the curriculum. This session consists of two parts which can be attended in any order.

    Chair

    Niall Deacon

    Niall Deacon

    Anna Sippel

    Anna Sippel

    Schedule

    How to develop an astronomy curriculum

    In this session, we will hear from astronomers, lecturers, and teachers on their experiences and work in developing an astronomy curriculum in their own countries. For most parts of the world, astronomy is not included as a subject of its own in primary and secondary school, it is either a part of other subjects such as Physics, Geography, or Natural Sciences. Astronomy continues to be a growing field of study that captures students’ interests from an early age, as such, the development of an astronomy curriculum is important to equip learners with knowledge and skills that would improve their scientific literacy.

    Chair

    Li Jian

    Li Jian

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Schedule

    Student interest in astronomy and other subjects: research and practical experience

    This session focused first on students’ mental models in astronomy. General methodology to characterize those models will be discussed as well as their evolution through specific pedagogical designs. A particular focus is made on cognitive thinking and mental models about spatial thinking, relativity principle, and referential frame. Then, astronomy is considered a more global “gateway” to science, focusing on interdisciplinarity and methodology of investigation. The gender issue in science is also discussed in the specific context of astronomy. Interestingly enough, the studies presented in this session include different scales, from a case study with one class to an international comparison, with qualitative and quantitative analysis.

    Chair

    Merryn Cole

    Merryn Cole

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Tshiamiso Makwela

    Schedule

    Students in a changing climate: how can astronomy help?

    In this session we will meet scientists and researchers from around the world exploring how astronomy helps us understand the changes occurring in earth’s many climates. We’ll also explore how astronomical activities can help predict the challenges and impacts those changes will have on indigenous populations around the world. We will hear from researchers developing experiences to help educate every aspect in society from children just beginning their education journey to the people developing regional and national policies which impact climates and by extension our lives. This will also include a live panel discussion for you to connect with people/researchers/astronomers to discuss the ideas and issues addressed in the session further.

    Chair

    Anna Sippel

    Anna Sippel

    Schedule

    Teaching astronomy as its own subject in secondary schools

    In this session, we will hear from mostly lectures and teachers from different countries who are passionate in teaching "astronomy" as its own subject in secondary schools. In most countries, astronomy is not listed as an independent subject in national science curriculum standards, so teachers sometimes need to re-design the annual curriculum for their students. In addition to such a specific school-focused experience, we will also have opportunities to share the developed classroom activities. Moreover, last but not least, efforts to communicate with decision makers to emphasize the importance of astronomy in its own subject will be shared.

    Chair

    Jungjoo Sohn

    Jungjoo Sohn

    In-Ok Song

    In-Ok Song

    Schedule

    Teaching astronomy as part of other subjects in secondary schools – astronomy as a “gateway science”

    Astronomy intersects with many courses, such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. It is well suited as a gateway science. This session brought together a panel of 7 experts with vast experience in teaching astronomy as part of other subjects for school students. They share how to teach math and physics with astronomical examples, provided experience in teaching and taking forward astronomy in schools, introduced the projects that using online telescope and software used to analyse astronomical images in the classroom, giving the students opportunity to talk with astronomers, finding young talents for astronomy. Their contributions allow us to learn from their experiences when teaching astronomy in schools.

    Chair

    Cui Jie

    Cui Jie

    Zhu Jin

    Zhu Jin

    Schedule