Making Learning Science Fun through Web2.0 Technologies: a Qualitative Study in Romania

Many countries have seen declining numbers of students choosing to pursue the study of Physical sciences, Engineering and Mathematics at university, while the percentage of Science & Technology graduates has fallen in several EU countries. The consequence is that the supply of scientists to sustain knowledge economies, which are heavily dependent on science and technology, is perceived as a significant problem. To address this problem, even starting with the pre- university education, the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project " SciFUN: Making Learning Science Fun" envisages to prepare European educators to better engage students in Science Education and as an effect of that, to increase students' motivation and achievement in science and other connected subjects, such as Technology Education, Informal Learning, Environmental Education, Multicultural and Civic Education. The current paper presents findings from a qualitative study performed in Romania during the initial phase of the SciFUN project implementation, with the purpose to identify the state- of- the- art in Science Education and teachers' needs and preparedness in relation to making learning science fun through the use of mobile devices and Web2.0 technologies. The research was achieved through Literature and Curricula Review, Focus Group and questionnaires applied to science teachers who teach to students aged 9 to 15. (C) 2017 Published by Future Academy www. FutureAcademy. org. uk