The Piano Lauree Scientifiche, known simply as PLS, was born twenty years ago as a joint initiative of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the Confindustria association and con.Scienze, the national conference of directors of structures and articulations of science and technology of universities. Its initial mission was to strengthen the recruitment of students in Chemistry, Math and Physics. After then, the PLS expanded to include all scientific disciplines, including geology. Today the whole PLS comprises 9 scientific disciplines that involves more than 260 operative units throughout the Italian university system. The new 2023 call of the PLS has three main aims: to increase student recruitment and reduce the student dropout, to close the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) enrollment and to reduce social and economic barriers to access the university education system. The duration of this new PLS call is nominally 4 academic years, from 2022/23 to 2025/26. The Progetto Nazionale Geologia features all the 28 public universities that offer the 1st cycle degree in Geological Sciences and its main activities are: 1) active orientation for enrollment in the Geological Sciences degree, 2) training of tutors to contrast the dropout rate within the first year of enrolment, 3) design and implementation of indoor and outdoor laboratory activities for the secondary school students and teachers, 4) design of self-assessment and knowledge recovery pathways for university entrance, and 5) professional development of secondary school science teachers. To date, most of the initiatives of the Progetto Nazionale Geologia are aimed at the active orientation of prospective students (44% of all initiatives, n = 239) and the laboratory activities (40%), the latter often involving experiences outside the classroom. This reflects (a) the urgent need to increase the number of students enrolled in a Geological Science degree, given the nearly 20% loss of enrolled students in 2022 compared to 2018 and (b) the firm belief that field experiences are those that add value to a Geological Science degree. Almost 10% of the initiatives of the Progetto Nazionale Geologia is aimed at the professional development of the secondary school science teachers, who generally have a background in biology and related disciplines and are keen to improve the quality of their teaching of geology. Our contribution will outline the essentials of the new Progetto Nazionale Geologia of the PLS and will showcase a few examples on how we reach the secondary students to make them discovery geology and its societal impacts.
A nationwide effort to engage secondary school students in geology - The new Progetto Nazionale Geologia of the Piano Lauree Scientifiche
Buosi C.;
2024-01-01
Abstract
The Piano Lauree Scientifiche, known simply as PLS, was born twenty years ago as a joint initiative of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, the Confindustria association and con.Scienze, the national conference of directors of structures and articulations of science and technology of universities. Its initial mission was to strengthen the recruitment of students in Chemistry, Math and Physics. After then, the PLS expanded to include all scientific disciplines, including geology. Today the whole PLS comprises 9 scientific disciplines that involves more than 260 operative units throughout the Italian university system. The new 2023 call of the PLS has three main aims: to increase student recruitment and reduce the student dropout, to close the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) enrollment and to reduce social and economic barriers to access the university education system. The duration of this new PLS call is nominally 4 academic years, from 2022/23 to 2025/26. The Progetto Nazionale Geologia features all the 28 public universities that offer the 1st cycle degree in Geological Sciences and its main activities are: 1) active orientation for enrollment in the Geological Sciences degree, 2) training of tutors to contrast the dropout rate within the first year of enrolment, 3) design and implementation of indoor and outdoor laboratory activities for the secondary school students and teachers, 4) design of self-assessment and knowledge recovery pathways for university entrance, and 5) professional development of secondary school science teachers. To date, most of the initiatives of the Progetto Nazionale Geologia are aimed at the active orientation of prospective students (44% of all initiatives, n = 239) and the laboratory activities (40%), the latter often involving experiences outside the classroom. This reflects (a) the urgent need to increase the number of students enrolled in a Geological Science degree, given the nearly 20% loss of enrolled students in 2022 compared to 2018 and (b) the firm belief that field experiences are those that add value to a Geological Science degree. Almost 10% of the initiatives of the Progetto Nazionale Geologia is aimed at the professional development of the secondary school science teachers, who generally have a background in biology and related disciplines and are keen to improve the quality of their teaching of geology. Our contribution will outline the essentials of the new Progetto Nazionale Geologia of the PLS and will showcase a few examples on how we reach the secondary students to make them discovery geology and its societal impacts.
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