2003 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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University of Limerick
George McClelland
Lucent Science Teacher Initiative

Physics laboratory session during the five-day LMT Summer School, June 2002

The University of Limerick has been the largest single producer of graduate teachers of science in Ireland for over 30 years, and is at the forefront of research and innovation in the training of science teachers. An example is the Lucent Science Teacher Initiative (LSTI), launched at UL by the Minister for Education and Science on 17 November 2000. This important project, which aims to develop and evaluate new models for training teachers of science, involves the Colleges of Science and Education in the University, and a number of second level schools. Specifically, the LSTI trains and qualifies Lucent Mentor Teachers (LMTs) who then act as mentors to student teachers of science placed in their schools for Teaching Practice.

The LSTI won substantial support in 2000 in the form of a grant of $306,800 from Lucent Technologies, the major US-based telecommunications multinational. A total of 66 proposals from around the world were considered by Lucent in that year and the LSTI was one of only three non-US proposals to be supported. The success of the LSTI in this highly competitive process constitutes significant international recognition of the importance of the project to the future of science education in Ireland.

The key goals of the LSTI are:

��to involve participating schools as partners with the University in the training of student teachers of science
��to establish structures through which the experience and expertise of participating schools can contribute to professional teacher training
��to enable the participating schools to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the University.

Training of LMTs involves attendance at two Summer Schools one year apart, separated by a probationary period. A total of 29 science teachers from 20 schools in Munster, Galway and Kilkenny have participated so far, and nine have been qualified as LMTs. More will be qualified after this year's Summer School.

Initial assessment indicates that the project has been very successful - having been well received by students, schools, UL tutors, and teachers. Students in particular have responded very positively to mentoring. We hope that this initiative will form the model for the future training of science teachers at UL and elsewhere, and will provide a valuable avenue of professional development for serving teachers. Innovative projects of this type will maintain UL's position as the leading centre for science education in the Republic of Ireland.

Contact: Dr. George McClelland, Head, Dept. of Physics, University of Limerick; E-mail: [email protected] ; Web: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~lsti/