LILLE SUMMER SCHOOLS - GENERAL AIM

This Lille International Summer School mainly aims to improve scientific, historical and philosophical techniques of investigations within science teaching in order to make education and foundations of science more interesting, from a theoretical and experimental standpoint. Furthermore, it is well-known that science is an important component of EU cultural heritage and provides the most important explanations for the material world. Recently fewer young people seem to be interested in science and technical subjects. Does the problem lie in wider socio cultural changes such as the ways in which young people in the EU countries now live and wish to shape their lives? Alternatively, is it due to failings within science education itself?

Generally speaking current school science curricula has been developed to prepare students for university and college scientific degrees. Such education does not meet the needs of the large majority of students who will not pursue tertiary studies in science or even science related fields. These students require knowledge of the main ideas and methodologies of science.  What about of cultural process? It seems that the didactics applied to scientific disciplines across Europe have failed to solve the crisis between scientific education and EU social economic development: new teaching methods, changed and new curricula as well as educational goals.

Finally, how can the history and philosophy of sciences assist in solving the crisis in science with regards to education and foundations in Europe? How can a new approach to science education produce reliable knowledge?