Encouraging and enabling students to independently design & conduct networked RiNA projects to overcome harms concerning them in STEM-SE relationships – after application-based teaching about hard-to-discover STEM-SE, Skills & Products, which may enable students to help overcome neoliberal practices like stratifying inquiry-based learning, sanitized STEM education & public propaganda.
Students’ Research-informed & Negotiated Action (‘RiNA‘) Projects
Skills Apprenticeship Resource (PDF file)
Graphic Novel About Civic Actions to Overcome Industrial Pollution
Position Statement, L. Bencze (71-page PDF document)
STEPWISE Rationale & History
STEPWISE Theory & Resources Links
Collaborative Action Research
STEPWISE in Elementary Schools
Since its inception in 2006, STEPWISE has been mainly explored and developed in secondary school science contexts, including with students in after-school clubs. We have worked with a few teachers in elementary schools, however – as described in the video at right/below. Based on such work, we believe that students in elementary schools are quite capable of developing critical views about science & technology and societies more generally and developing and taking personal & social actions to overcome harms of their concern. However, there are few STEPWISE-informed teaching & learning materials available for teachers’ uses. If you are interested in collaborating with us in action research to develop and field-test STEPWISE approaches in elementary schools, you might review the videos below and then write to larry.bencze@utoronto.ca.
Introduction for Elementary School Teachers
STUDENTS REFLECT
TEACHER TEACHES
STUDENTS PRACTISE
Students Talking About Their RiNA Projects