The science option is an enseignement de détermination (a guidance subject), which is proposed to pupils when they enrol on their first year of upper secondary school (15- to 16-year olds) . It is part of a pilot project launched at the start of the 2004 school year by the Académie de Montpellier (local education area). Lessons are designed to give pupils a “taste” for science, in a multidisciplinary manner. They must therefore teach pupils how to use a scientific approach by seeking to develop qualities such as organisation, autonomy, initiative and imagination, while presenting science in an interesting and motivating fashion. The involvement of teachers from several disciplines in the project (mathematics, life and earth sciences, and combined physics and chemistry, at very least) makes it possible to used a mix of approaches to specific situations, research assignments or local problems. In 2004, this subject option concerned nine upper secondary school classes and one lower secondary school class (14- to 15-year olds). 27 science options were offered in 2005.

The initiative is being piloted by the Montpellier local education area. It is currently the only local education authority to have established such a measure on a systematic basis. The Strasbourg and Caen Rectorates (local education authorities) have made this guidance subject available for a few classes. The idea of this subject option came from a mathematics teacher who had spent most of his career in Alsace. With some of his colleagues, he had launched “scientific option” for pupils in their first and even their second year (15- to 17-year olds) at a Strasbourg upper secondary school.

Yes

Yes

No

A science officer has been appointed within each upper secondary school, whose role is to act as a contact point for their colleagues. All science officers regularly receive information from the local education authority, and each year they are invited to participate in two or three meetings or training days on the promotion of science. The local education authority furthermore asks teachers who run the science option to respond to questions and send reports on their activities at the end of each school year.

The schools have publicised the science option during open days.

The schools disseminated the results in various different ways, for example at exhibitions and workshops, which were sometimes organised by pupils for their school-friends or pupils from neighbouring lower secondary schools during the Fête de la Science (national science week).

Lessons are multi-disciplinary and based on an active learning approach (experimentation, problem-solving, etc.). The objective is to demonstrate that these subjects share a common culture. The subject option is jointly coordinated by teachers from the three subject areas over a weekly period of three (preferably consecutive) hours. This gives the teachers concerned a degree of flexibility for managing the three hours. Pupils must be in small-groups during activities which require this. It is desirable for teacher’s lessons to be scheduled over the year to make it possible, in some weeks, to devote all of the three hours to activities such as excursions, visits and conferences. Evaluation of pupils’ performance is facilitated by the use of a single notebook or folder for the subject option, and through the use of a single grade and an assessment by the option’s team of teachers in the term report.

There are currently no specific courses to provide science teachers with in-service training.

This initiative is aimed at pupils who are interested in science but not necessarily already determined or very enthusiastic to do it. The goal is to help pupils adopt a positive approach to science and, even if they are not going to continue studying it, to give them a positive image of science and a real “scientific culture” as future citizens. Statistics tend to the shortfall in people going on to scientific careers is particularly noticeable among young women. This option could provide an opportunity for pupils to give shape to plans about their future and convince families with doubts to encourage their children to embark upon reputedly difficult studies. The teachers seek to ensure that those pupils who take this science option are inquisitive, interested and motivated by science, although they do not necessarily have to be very clever.

This option has worked very well since the first year. At the start of the school year in 2005, 27 options were offered. A survey was launched in October to find out what pupils in the second year of upper secondary school had chosen to do after having taken the science option in the first year.

The main benefits lie in the multidisciplinary approach, which enables teachers to interact more together and helps pupils learn about scientific processes by understanding the links between the three subjects. The main obstacles lie mainly in the fact that teachers are not used to working in a multidisciplinary fashion. Neither do they have sufficient time to discuss between themselves during their working day. Furthermore, decentralisation of responsibilities to schools will mean that principals will have to choose whether or not to make staff available for this type of option within their overall budget. There is no national directive on this matter, only some recommendations.

The approach is clearly multi-disciplinary in this initiative. This is in contrast to other guidance subjects in the first year of upper secondary school, which are generally in the languages or art field and focus on just one discipline.

Through a multidisciplinary approach and the use of investigative methods, this initiative contributes to the renewal of pedagogical approaches.

There are informal contacts between the local education authority and the teachers responsible for the science options. Certain pupils use ICT within the option.

At the beginning, a group worked with the Institut de Recherche et d’Etudes Mathématiques (institute for mathematics research and studies). The link between the science option and universities and research organisations will be made systematic in the long-term.

Following up an idea by a mathematics teacher, the Montpellier local education authority decided to encourage the introduction of a science option in the local education area’s upper secondary schools. Previously, there was no extra science option for pupils in the non-specialist section of the first year of upper secondary school. The aim of this new option was to develop pupils’ scientific culture by helping them to develop an experimental approach and take the initiative.

The science option is jointly run by the mathematics, life and earth sciences and physics/chemistry teachers. They jointly determine the working methods and topics. The teachers’ coordination meetings take place outside the formal work schedule.

The introduction of the science options has been done with no extra budget resources in the schools. Furthermore, the local education authority has provided no extra funds for this initiative. Local education authority services support networking, and inspections provide validation. Nevertheless, certain principals have made resources available for this option, because this gives it a good image in the school. A specific room is sometimes made available for the pupils and teachers on this option. Lastly, certain school science officers have some paid hours for this work, but this is not systematic.

The success of this option is dependent on regular contacts, especially via the internet and/or working meetings between colleagues from the three subject areas concerned.

Each school develops its own specific plans.

Each year, inspectors for the subject-areas concerned visit all of the science options, attending classes to assess the science option and to check that it is in line with original intentions. The chief inspector contacts the school principals when the science option proposed does not comply with the terms of reference proposed by the local education authority. A working group was set up in conjunction with the Montpellier IREM (institute for research on mathematics education) in order to pool information on the various experiences of the different upper secondary schools. http://www.irem.univ-montp2.fr/optionsciences/opsc1.html Partnerships have been established with teaching and research establishments, local authorities and approved associations.