University news

The University welcomes a delegation from Taiwan this week for an International Symposium on Education with the focus on raising achievement.

Taiwan has a unique education system that generates high levels of achievement and the symposium is intended to encourage a frank exchange of ideas.

Symposium organiser Professor Eric Wilkinson said: "In the West there is a growing interest in the Far East, particularly in China. Such interest has been boosted by Olympic Games in Beijing and the high economic growth of the People’s Republic of China (11% in 2007). Recent international studies on educational achievement have shown that a number of Asian countries figure strongly, particularly in Maths and Science education. Taiwan is one such country. However, although Taiwan is an independent island country off the eastern coast of China, it is not internationally recognised as a nation-state. Indeed the position of Taiwan has and continues to be disputed by China. Nevertheless, Taiwan has a unique education system that generates high levels of achievement."
 
The two-day international symposium has been organised in the Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow on 21-22 August 2008. Over the two days, six professors from two universities in Taiwan will be addressing the symposium including Professor Chin-Chung Tsai of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, who is a world-class figure in Science Education. 
 
Professor Tsai will discuss the role of science education in grade 1 to grade 9 of Taiwan. He will offer an introduction for the national science curriculum, its rationales and goals. Some international comparison results for Taiwan students’ science education outcomes, such as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) or PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), will be examined. Professor Tsai will give an overall view for the science education research in Taiwan in the last ten years. Some major research projects will be reviewed and their main findings will be presented including Taiwan students’ conceptions of learning science, their focus on preparing for tests, and their perceptions toward science learning environments and teacher authority will be discussed.

Further information:
Professor Eric Wilkinson
Tel: 0141 330 5409 
Email: j.e.wilkinson@educ.gla.ac.uk

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First published: 18 August 2008