SMILE abstract

The main goal of our proposal is to overcome the general lack of interest of pupils toward mathematics and scientific subjects.

Our challenge is to explore ways for integrating the informal learning approach, characteristic of out of schools activities and centered on the direct and active pupils’ involvement, with the formal one, more structured and directive, typical of the school. We intend to take advantage of the comparison among different European school systems and experiences to study and to experiment learning approaches based on cooperation, interactivity, creativity, enhancement of different learning styles and rhythms in order to:

- raise pupils’ curiosity about the surrounding natural and technological world

- motivate them, especially the less gifted ones, taking also account of the gender difference

- help them to acquire scientific literacy which will allow the future citizens to critically evaluate the received information in a world deeply influenced by science and technology

- give the necessary tools to prepare them towards lifelong learning

The ICT will play an important role in our project, as a means of developing knowledge and skills and of facilitating communication and cooperation. The collaboration with peers of different countries will make pupils feel the European dimension of their future citizenship and perceive the unifying nature of the scientific language, that refuse stereotypes and teaches tolerance.