Invited talk by Sanne Tromp, director of the Junior College Utrecht, at the conference Talent development and creativity in Science in educations in the Nordic countries, 15 sep 2010, Soro, Denmark.

1. Challenging talented high school students:
the case of Junior College Utrecht,
Faculty of Science, Utrecht University
15 September 2010
Sanne Tromp, Director Junior College Utrecht
s.tromp@uu.nl

2. Mission Junior College Utrecht
Educating tomorrow’s
research leaders
Inspiring today’s
science teachers.

5. Utrecht University
Founded in 1636
7500 staff members
30.000 students
45 undergraduate programmes
167 Master’s programmes
7 Faculties, including…
… the Faculty of Science
2100 staff members
4700 students
8 undergraduate programmes
25 Master’s programmes
1 Pre-bachelor Institute (JCU)

6. JCU
45% 50% 55%
New national policy objectives (2011-2016):
• A further increase the number of SMT students
in high school
• A focus on excellence

7. Junior College Utrecht
Joint venture of Utrecht University and 26 partner
schools.
Two goals:
1. To offer a challenging science & math
programme for 100 talented high school students
2. To create a laboratory for teachers to innovate
in science & mathematic education.

8. Institutional setting
26 partner schools Utrecht University
provide provides
- 100 well-motivated students - Staff
- Secondary school science teachers - University teachers
- Funding - Funding
- Labs
Junior College
Science & Technology Platform/
Ministry of Education & Science
provides
- project funding
- opportunities for sharing good practices

9. A challenging math & science programme
100 selected students, 16-18 years
Programme lasts 2 years, 2 days / week
Teachers from schools & Utrecht University
Students at JCU at their regular
follow schools
lessons Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
about biology physics non-science subjects
chemistry mathematics
taught secondary teachers and regular teachers in
by university lecturers the partner schools

10. Current research into the classroom

11. Building an academic community

12. Provide opportunities for independent research

13. JCU education programme: 6 characteristics
1. Accelerated curriculum
2. Enrichment activities
3. Independent research possibilities
4. Science oriented peer group
5. Specific pedagogy
6. Informal relationships and academic community

14. Some results JCU students
• Winners in national and international
science competitions (e.g. olympiads)
• Average grades national exam are 1 to
1.5 points above national average
grades (scale 1-10)
• More than 80% opted for a science study
at university

16. First year science students at Utrecht University:
920
JCU students choosing for Utrecht University:
20
So… we need more output than JCU students
alone.
2nd goal of JCU:
To create a laboratory for teachers to innovate
in science & mathematic education.

17. Laboratory for innovation in science
education
Educational Research
programmes JCU: frontier at
in schools Closing the Gap university

18. An example of closing the gap:
The moving earth, a earth science module
A new subject at high schools in 2007:
Advanced science, math & technology
Subject consists of interdisciplinary science and
math modules, thus multidisciplinary teaching
teams
JCU contributed with development of 12
modules.

19. Earth Science on high school?
Earth Science: a bachelor’s programme at
universities, but not a subject at high schools.
Could we create a module about earth science that
connects physics, mathematics and physical
geography?
Example: students learn how physics helps to
understand earth quakes.

20. Dissemination of new earth science module
Phase 1
Students at JCU
Developing teaching
materials at JCU
Adjustments
Phase 2
Students at
Testing materials at partnerschools
JCU partnerschools
Certification
Phase 3
Students at all
Materials available to high schools
all schools

22. A challenge for students and teachers?
An opportunity for professional development
Challenging interdisciplinary approach for students
Orientation on content and level of higher education
A relatively unknown field of study structurally
embedded in high school curriculum

24. Working with talented students and innovating
science education: some lessons learned
Create a curriculum with student choice and
independent research
Place emphasis on academic community
(science students and teachers are human, too).
Focus on teachers: learning by doing creates steep
learning curves for them
Create a learning community that involves all
stakeholders: teachers, researchers, school principals.

25. Focus on Teachers
How to involve teachers?
- Content
- Professionalism
- Early adaptors; and don’t forget the large
group of followers
- Concrete activities
Ingredients of our teachers programme:
- Development groups
- Conferences
- Workshops at schools
- Course materials available @ Internet
- Time for teachers (financial support)

26. Utrecht University
JCU
School School School School

27. Towards a learning community of schools and
university

28. Pitfalls to avoid
Researchers know much of little, teachers know
little of much.
Purely content driven curriculum development
(again, science students and teachers are human, too!)
Indulge in enrichment, think too little about
national examinations

29. Wishlist
Structural budget
More effective dissemination and adoption of
teaching materials and pedagogy
More student driven curriculum, while
maintaining quality

31. Faculty of Science policy towards secondary
and bachelor education
• Increase the quantity and quality of bachelor
students
• Improve the quality of bachelor education
• Contribute to high quality science and
mathematics education at secondary school
level:
– Curricula
– Professional development of teachers
• Increase the number of secondary teachers in
science and mathematics

32. Profielen gekozen door meisjes in het vwo, leerjaar 4-6, 2003/’04-2009/’10*

33. Profielen gekozen door jongens in het vwo, leerjaar 4-6, 2003/’04-2009/’10*