R. Subramaniam and Leo Tan Wee Hin Singapore National Academy of Science

1. Role of scientific academies and science centers in promoting science education: Experiences from Singapore R. Subramaniam and Leo Tan Wee Hin Singapore National Academy of Science National Institute of Education Nanyang Technological University

2. Capacity building and economic development • Correlation between capacity building and economic development is well established in the research literature. • Science and technology are also instruments for promoting socio-economic development. • Capacity building in a country is largely dependent on science and technology capabilities. • Role of the scientific establishment – universities, teacher education institutes, science centers, scientific academies, scientific societies and even schools, takes on greater overtones.

3. Central thesis of this presentation • Full dimensions of science teacher education can be achieved only if there is participation from other stakeholders such as scientific academies and science centers. • Singapore experience will be shared.

4. STRENGTHENING LINKAGES OF SCHOOLS WITH SCIENCE CENTERS

5. On the role of science centers • They are institutions which popularize science and technology to students and the public -in this way, people are able to realize the important role played by science and technology in their lives and society. • By sensitizing people to the role played by science and technology in promoting socio-economic development, science centers also help to improve science literacy among the population.

6. How science centers promote their mission objectives? • Mainly through (a) exhibitions on various themes in science and technology for students and the public, (b) science enrichment programs for schools, (c) promotional activities for the masses. • Linkages with schools have helped science centers to reach out to students and bring science to the public domain. • Strong support in the research literature to show that the affective and kinesthetic dimensions of the learning process can be improved when students participate in the educational programs of science centers

7. Status of science centers in developing countries • Science centers have been around for about 40 years since the establishment of the Exploratorium in San Francisco in 1969. • More than 95 % of science centers are located in the Western world. • Very few science centers in the developing world. • Only in more recent times have there been a small number of science centers established in Asia – for example, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan.

8. Singapore Science Center • Established in 1977. • Attracts about a million visitors every year • Has the most comprehensive menu of science enrichment programs among all science centers in the world. • Over 100,000 students and science teachers attend the science enrichment programs every year. • The science enrichment programs complement the school science syllabus.

9. Kinetic Garden at the Singapore Science Center

10. Mathematics exhibit at Singapore Science Centre

11. How science centers support science teachers • Teacher on attachment programs, which allow science teachers to take a sabbatical for a year and work on innovative education programs. • Workshops for science teachers on a variety of themes – for example, use of exhibits for teaching, doing project work using the resources at the science center, and so on. • All these constitute part of the professional development of science teachers – an unorthodox route for their continuing education but nevertheless a valuable mechanism in extending the scope of their training.

12. Summarizing comments in relation to role of science centers • In many developing countries that do not have science centers, science teachers (and therefore their students) are missing out on an important aspect of science learning. • There is a strong case for the establishment of more science centers in the developing world. • In many countries of the Western world, the establishment of science centers was supported by foundations and philanthropists. • In the case of Singapore, it was government-initiated. • Actually, the scientific intelligentsia in a country can utilize independent citizenry efforts to jump-start the setting up of science centers if the government can lease out land or building. • Many exhibits can be easily fabricated using indigenous resources and expertise.

13. LINKAGES WITH SCIENTIFIC ACADEMIES AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

14. What are scientific academies and scientific societies? • They are non-governmental organizations that serve the disciplinary interests of their members and the wider cause of science and technology in society. • As professional societies, they wield tremendous clout by virtue of their membership and the fact that the elites of the profession are their members.

15. Status of scientific academies and scientific societies in developing countries • In the Western world, scientific academies and scientific societies are well established, are highly regarded by governments, and play an important role in society through their scholarly activities and programs. • In the developing world, the movement is still in its infancy.

16. Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS) • Established in 1967 • Operating without a building – has been having a virtual office even before the advent of the Internet • Mailing address: c/o Singapore Science Centre • No full time employees – all volunteers • Only source of regular income is the S$500 paid by each of its nine constituent societies for their annual subscription fees

17. Constituent Societies of SNAS • Singapore Association for the Advancement of Science • Singapore National Institute of Chemistry • Institute of Physics Singapore • Singapore Institute of Biology • Singapore Mathematical Society • Singapore Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology • Singapore Society for Microbiology & Biotechnology • Singapore Institute of Statistics • Science Teachers’ Association of Singapore

18. Cooperation of scientific academies and scientific societies with science teaching profession in Singapore • Through schemes which promote project work among students • Science teachers gain valuable experience when they assist respective constituent societies to train students for the local and international Olympiads. • Workshops regularly conducted by scientific societies for science teachers as part of their professional development.

19. Young Scientist Badge Scheme • Allows students to engage in project-based investigations in 15 disciplines: Geology , Zoology, Mathematics Physics, Ornithology, Botany Astronomy , Chemistry, Entomology Ecology, Meteorology, Environment Information Technology, Food Technology and Water • Students need to complete tasks in an Activity Card and then get these certified by the class teacher. • Successful completion of Activity Card gets student a highly coveted ‘I am a Young Scientist’ Badge in the appropriate discipline. • Over 60,000 badges awarded annually.

20. Young Scientist Activity Card in Physics

21. Singapore Youth Science Festival • Science Teachers’ Association of Singapore and the Singapore Science Centre have been organizing the Singapore Youth Science Festival since 1978. • A diversity of activities are held during the fortnight over which the Festival is held – science carnival, science camp, etc. • Reaches out to over 100,000 students and teachers every year.

22. Science Olympiads • National Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics are held annually by the respective constituent societies of SNAS. • Besides helping to promote the respective disciplines among students, they also help to prepare students for participation in the respective international Olympiads. • Olympiads help to identify talent for further nurturing, an important outcome in the process of education.

23. Science Olympiads (cont’d) • Efforts by professional societies have yielded good results for Singapore: International Mathematics Olympiad in Mexico in 2005: 4 Silvers and 2 Bronzes International Biology Olympiad in Argentina in 2006: 2 Golds and 2 Silvers International Physics Olympiad in Singapore in 2006: 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronzes

24. Summarizing comments in relation to scientific academies and scientific societies • The scientific intelligentsia in a country should take an active role in energizing the scientific society movement. • Links with science teaching profession can benefit science teachers and students.

25. Message from this presentation • Science teacher education is too important a mission to be left to the purview of any one stakeholder. • Its full import can be realized only when the various actors – government, teacher education institutions, science centers, scientific academies / scientific societies and the science teaching profession join forces for the national good!

26. References • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R.(1998). Developing countries need to popularizescience, New Scientist (UK),2139, 52. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R.(1999). Scientific societies build better nations, Nature (UK), 399, 633. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R.(2000) Wiring up the island state, Science (USA), 288, 621-623. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R.(2003a). Science and technology centres as agents for promoting science culture, International Journal of Technology Management (UK), 25, 413-426. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R. (2003b). Virtual science centers: Web-based environments for the promotion of non-formal science education. In Anil Aggarwal (Editor), Web-based Education: Learning from Experience, pp 308-329, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, USA. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R.(2002). Science and the student entrepreneur, Science (USA), 298, 1556. . • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R. (2006).Teaching and learning with tablet PCs. In Tan W.H.L. and Subramaniam, R. (Editors), Handbook of Research on Literacy in Technology at the K-12 Level, pp 410-424, Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, USA. • Tan, W.H.L and Subramaniam, R. (2007). Role of scientific academies and scientific societies in promoting science and technology: Experiences from Singapore, International Journal of Technology Management (UK) in press.