The examples of innovation in upper secondary school – initial assessment of the Natural Science teaching syllabus as part of “Education full of Imagination” Project

Abstract

For a long time education was a discipline in which spontaneous and not well-tested activities were feared and the attempts to introduce innovations were very rare. However, in recent years innovation in education has acquired a new meaning. Despite many critical remarks and debates on the process of introducing changes in education, the accepted solutions have contributed to the quality of didactic process. This paper presents the initial assessment of the syllabus of a supplementary subject - Natural Science - in upper secondary school. It stems from the project entitled Education full of Imagination, undertaken by the Tischner European University in Krakow. The main aim of the project is to improve the quality of education in four pilot upper secondary schools in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (Kraków) and Silesian Voivodeship (Katowice) implementing two innovative syllabuses in the fields of Science and Humanities. This project also aims at promoting the designed syllabuses and teaching materials in the whole country. The important feature of this syllabus is its interdisciplinary nature. Pupils should perceive the presented topics in a comprehensive manner. They should see its practical (utilitarian) application (without excessive theorizing) and its relevance to the latest achievements in science. Such a concept of teaching Natural Science will allow pupils to develop their interests in Natural Science subjects. They will understand and use modern methods and research achievements applied in Natural Science.