InSSTER

InSSTER, Innovative STS (Science, Society, Technology) Education Research Centre, is a dynamic multidisciplinary research hub that brings together passionate educators and scholars from diverse fields within the field of education. Our collaborative team includes faculty members and researchers from the Department of Education at the University of Nicosia. Together, we explore the intersection of inclusive research education, science, society, and technology, with a strong emphasis on innovative and inclusive practices.

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Vision

InSSTER promotes research in education focusing on innovative and inclusive practices in Science, Society, Technology education. This involves transforming schools to cater to all children, including marginalised groups, aiming to eliminate exclusion. It also emphasises cultivating skills for global problem-solving, ensuring inclusive education, and addressing gender equality in digital skills. InSSTER aligns with the Digital Education Action Plan for comprehensive and high-quality digital instruction and training (European Commission, 2020).

Objectives

  • 1

    Conduct state-of-the-art research under the umbrella of innovative and inclusive education with links to science, society and technology;

  • 2
    Participate in competitive EU calls and receive external funding for projects
  • 3
    Establish a national and international network with relevant, researchers, schools, and policy makers;
  • 4
    Engage with society on issues related to inclusive science and technology education, and
  • 5
    Offer continuous training on skills, methodologies and technologies to its members and beyond.

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Research

The members of InSSTER are involved in funded research under the umbrella of Innovative and Inclusive education with links to science, society and technology.

  • STEMkey: Teaching standard STEM topics with a key competence approach

    • Start: 09/2020
    • End: 08/2023

    Local Principal Investigator
    Maria Evagorou

    Participants
    Efi Nisiforou

    Coordinator
    University of Education in Freiburg, Germany

    Ref.
    Erasmus+, KA2

    Budget
    450000 EUR

    Agreement No.
    2O2O-I-DEO1.KA2O3.OO5671

    Website
    https://icse.eu/international-projects/stemkey/

    The main purpose of the project is to prepare pre-service teachers to teach STEM related topics with an emphasis on key competences (critical thinking, argumentation, digital skills). The research group will prepare specially designed professional development materials that will be tested with pre-service teachers in partner countries.

  • ICSE Science Factory: Combat a shortfall of scientists and citizens versed in science

    • Start: 01/2023
    • End: 12/2025

    Local Principal Investigator
    Maria Evagorou

    Participants
    Efi Nisiforou, Maria Nicolaou, Evi Kostantiniou, Maria Vrikki, Elena Papanastasiou, Myrtani Pieri, Iris Charalambidou

    Coordinator
    University of Education in Freiburg, Germany

    Ref.
    HORIZON/WIDERA/2022ERA01

    Budget
    1980000000 EUR

    Agreement No.
    101093387

    Website
    https://icse.eu/reported/icse-science-factory/

    The ICSE Science Factory supports the EU’s endeavor to combat a shortfall of scientists and citizens versed in science. It does so by offering a unique combination of different measures, each of them tackling the issue from a different starting point, thereby leveraging impact. The unique features of the ICSE Science Factory are, in a nutshell:
    • New high-capacity cross-sectoral partnerships in five partner countries consisting of science researchers, science education researchers and non-formal education providers, supported by attached schools, enterprises and community institutions.
    • Innovative concept to enlarge the number of scientists and scientific knowledge in the communities:
      1. To strengthen the partnerships, we organise local partnership conventions, where we share and apply research findings, and local public fairs to integrate communities in the scientific learning process.
      2. With the expertise of the local cross-sectoral partnership, in each country we offer collaborative and interdisciplinary lighthouse activities and open schooling activities for community members (on health, digitalisation, Green Deal), supported by mentoring.
      3. All activities are complemented by a series of interactive career talks, focussing especially but not only on female role models in science and on overcoming stereotypes.
    • An educational, research-backed concept for our lighthouse and open schooling activities which deliberately includes real-life problem-solving on issues relevant to society (including decision-making), and the concept of challenge-driven innovation, which integrates communities in overcoming challenges.
    The activities are supplemented by special features: The setting up of stimulating science labs in each country, a threefold system for encouraging mentoring across the partnership and a systematic approach to quality assurance by using design research, which strives for solutions tailored to local communities based on a joint European concept.  

  • VRinHE: Integrating Virtual and Augmented Reality in Higher Education Curricula

    • Start:
    • End:

    Local Principal Investigator
    Efi Nisiforou

    Coordinator
    UNIVERSITY OF RUSE ANGEL KANCHEV

    Budget
    259015 EUR

    Agreement No.
    2021-1-BG01-KA220-HED-000032128

    VRinHE aims to build the capacities of HE institutions and their staff, to integrate Virtual and Augmented Reality in teaching and learning, targeting key EU priorities. The project will sustainable promote digital transformation of the HE sector, by providing relevant stakeholders with innovative methods, approaches and guidelines to increase the participation rates, improve the quality of HE, and foster university learners’ digital, 21st century skills. A discussion on the importance of following coherent strategy and policy will also be initiated.

  • Active Citizenship Through Dialogue in Virtual teacher Communities

    • Start: 12/2022
    • End: 11/2024

    Participants
    Maria Vrikki, Maria Evagorou

    Coordinator
    Christiana Karousiou

    Ref.
    Erasmus+, KA2

    Budget
    250000 EUR

    Website
    https://actdiv.weebly.com

    Citizenship education became a highlighted priority within the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) following the so called Paris Declaration. ACT-DI-V aspires to promote responsible citizenship through dialogic and argumentative pedagogies and offer opportunities to individuals to express their ideas freely, evaluate ideas critically and engage in meaningful discussions. Specifically, ACT-DI-V’s objectives are to:
    1. raise awareness about the importance of promoting active and responsible citizenship education through dialogue and argumentation
    2. build the pedagogic competences of teachers on active and responsible citizenship education
    3. develop hands-on resources on promoting active and responsible citizenship education to improve the students’ critical thinking and decision making skills
    1. support teachers in reflecting on their practices within a VCoP