M1 Science Education

This course is designed to enable students to revisit and explore in greater depth certain theoretical and methodological concepts in the pedagogy, communication, or history and epistemology of science. The goal is to develop a research project on a topic and research question defined by the student with the assistance of a faculty advisor. This project can be conceived as a continuation of the work required for the Master’s thesis in the second year of the program. It is intended as an introduction to research.

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This course aims to combine historical and epistemological approaches to critically analyze the construction of scientific knowledge, as well as the application of these approaches in science education. It is based on an overview of the major milestones in the history of science and introduces fundamental concepts of epistemology, without neglecting the cultural dimensions of scientific knowledge. This historical and epistemological exploration of the scientific disciplines does not claim to be exhaustive.

The program is divided into three parts:

History of Science and Technology

• An Introduction to the Major Trends in the History of Science
•  Elements of the History of Mathematics
•  Elements of the History of Physics
•  Elements of the History of Biology 

Epistemology

• logical positivism, verificationism, falsificationism
•  scientific realism and anti-realisms
•  paradigm and scientific revolution

Applications of the History of Science and Epistemology in Science Education

• parallel between the historical development of the sciences and the evolution of students' conceptions
• Epistemological Analysis and Investigative Approach for Science Education
• Uses of the History of Science in the Classroom

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This course offers students an introduction to the field of science and technology communication, with a focus on analyzing and exploring various communication strategies. It will provide an opportunity to examine the different forms and strategies employed in the socio-diffusion of science and to undertake an initial characterization of these approaches. Furthermore, it will provide an opportunity to begin identifying the institutions and actors involved in this field and to define the diversity of objectives and challenges that science communication faces in its relationship with society. The mechanisms at work in the contextual processing of knowledge will be the subject of an initial analysis.

On another level, the uniqueness of this course lies in its ability to bring together fields of study and research focused on science communication. We will highlight here the specific contribution of interdisciplinary research in science education and communication studies, and we will examine how these fields are positioned and how they complement other areas of research. 

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This course provides an introductory overview of the key concepts in the pedagogy of the sciences, research in science education in general, and their respective disciplines in particular. The aim is to examine how scientific knowledge is reconstructed in the classroom for instructional purposes.

The goal is to provide an academic foundation (theoretical and methodological elements) by integrating pedagogical issues related to mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.

It consists of a practical overview of the various approaches specific to the pedagogy of these disciplines and case studies focused on issues related to teaching specific concepts within the disciplines under study.

The EU encourages students to work with materials consisting of classroom corpora, recordings of classroom sessions, excerpts from textbooks or curricula, scientific texts, and instructional materials.

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The objective of this course unit is to provide theoretical tools for the analysis and development of resources intended for teaching and/or the dissemination of scientific knowledge. These tools integrate didactic, ergonomic, instrumental, and communicative approaches as they relate to scientific content in mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, and Earth sciences.

Based on a learning objective, students work on a project during the tutorial sessions.

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Scientific knowledge and research involving human subjects raise a range of ethical questions at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, and professional ethics. 
Biology relies on animals; in medicine, clinical trials are conducted with patients; in schools, students and teachers test approaches that inform the field of educational science; citizens and users are exposed to technologies that exploit their personal data; and so on. 

Research ethics, taken in a broad sense, thus encompasses a whole range of issues related to the relationship between science and society, including both long-standing and emerging challenges. The “Research Ethics” course combines instruction on the fundamentals of research ethics (the relationship between science and values; the foundations of ethics; the concepts of risk and precaution) with more applied aspects. In particular, students will examine examples drawn from the history and current events of science (scientific fraud, manipulation, and controversies; issues of North-South justice, etc.). They will learn about the various normative frameworks that aim to regulate the conduct of research today, particularly research that directly involves living beings (human or non-human). They will be made aware of the procedures to be implemented in their own research (reporting back to participants, respect for anonymity, secondary uses of research data, etc.) and will be encouraged to develop their reflective skills and learn to take a critical stance within the “innovation society.” 

In particular, education researchers are increasingly using audiovisual materials to illustrate their work or as research data. They have a particular need to understand the legal and ethical framework governing the use of these audiovisual materials (right to one’s own image, privacy protection, right to be forgotten, etc.). In some cases, applying this framework poses particular challenges, especially with the advancement of digital technology and the expanding possibilities for recording. 

Another challenge, common to all fields of academic research, concerns plagiarism—a phenomenon that is also linked to digital technology and the current changes in documentation practices and resource sharing. 

The module will place significant emphasis on case studies from the field of educational research. It will also involve examining the ethical review frameworks developed at universities abroad (e.g., Canada, the Netherlands, etc.) and reflecting on their suitability for research practices in education and the social sciences. 

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This course unit aims to introduce students to a professional environment through the observation of activities. Given the research-based training offered by the master’s program, this observation is initially focused more specifically on understanding how research teams operate in the field of science education, though it is not limited to this field.

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This course builds upon the course from Semester 1. It delves deeper into various didactic and epistemological issues and problems addressed in the previous semester. Students will be asked, based on a few examples, to analyze and explain certain specific features and commonalities (both didactic and epistemological) of the fields of study explored in the first semester. They will be asked to refine their understanding of the characteristics associated with a didactic approach to the conceptualization, modeling, and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The goal is to highlight, through a few examples, the value—for the didactics of a discipline—of epistemological and historical studies that allow for a reflection on how concepts are developed within the parent discipline, in interaction with other disciplinary fields and other approaches and issues arising from the didactics of other disciplines. 

• Mathematics Education: 
  • Decimal Numbers 
  • Modeling 

• Teaching Physics and Chemistry: 
  • Optics 
  • Chemical Elements 

• Science Education: 
  • Introduction to the Pedagogy of Scientific Ecology 
  • The Investigative Process 
  • Understanding and Solving Problems Related to Scientific Literacy 

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The objective of this course unit is to provide theoretical tools for the analysis and development of resources intended for teaching and/or the dissemination of scientific knowledge. These tools integrate didactic, ergonomic, instrumental, and communicative approaches as they relate to scientific content in mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, and Earth sciences.

Based on a learning objective, students work on a project during tutorial sessions, which they present at the end of the semester both orally and in writing.

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The purpose of the Introductory Courses (UEO) is to allow students to explore courses that are different from and complementary to those in their degree program, and to recognize, through a grade that counts toward the semester GPA, students’ commitment to activities aimed at personalizing their academic path.

Depending on the type of program chosen, this course may be designed to deepen students’ subject-specific knowledge and develop cross-disciplinary skills that support academic success, employability, and/or the full exercise of citizenship.

In specific cases where a student has already completed and earned credit for a master’s-level program, this introductory course unit may be subject to a recognition of prior learning (RPL) process, thereby exempting the student from taking this introductory course unit.

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This unit builds on the one offered in the first semester.

It offers students the opportunity to continue exploring the field of science and technology communication, this time focusing on institutions (museums, science centers, associations, etc.) and, more specifically, on the evolution of their missions and their relationships with the scientific community in relation to society. It addresses the same key issues, namely identifying the institutions and actors involved in this field and exploring other challenges and objectives that science and technology communication sets for itself. The mechanisms at work in the contextual processing of knowledge remain a priority. We will also examine specific topics such as particular modes of science communication in nature, through comic books, the heritage preservation of contemporary scientific objects, and issues related to exhibitions on living organisms or astronomy, among others. The originality of this course unit lies in its ability to bring together fields of study and research focused on science communication. We will highlight here the specific contribution of interdisciplinary research at the intersection of science education and communication studies, clarifying its positioning and complementarity with other research fields. 

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An internship is a temporary period of practical training in a professional setting
during which the student acquires professional skills and applies the
knowledge gained through their education in order to earn a degree or certification and to facilitate their
entry into the workforce. The intern is assigned one or more tasks that align with the
educational plan defined by their educational institution and approved by the
host organization.

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This course builds on the previous semester’s course and aims to enable students to revisit and explore in greater depth certain theoretical and methodological concepts in the pedagogy, communication, or history and epistemology of science. The goal is to develop a research project on a topic and research question defined by the student with the assistance of a faculty advisor. This project can be conceived as a continuation of the work to be carried out for the Master’s thesis in the second year. It is intended as an introduction to research.

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