Responsible Research and Innovation in Science Teaching - Romanian Teachers’ Reflections Expressed in an On-line Course Organized on edX Environment

Abstract

Even the Responsible Research and Innovation (hereafter RRI) concept is not yet clarified at the scientific literature level, it is more and more frequency used, being promoted in the European Union policies (Owen et al, 2012) and programs in Science and beyond (Owen et al, 2013). At the educational level, RRI refers mainly to the idea that the future EU citizens have to possess the necessary skills to manage complex issues related to emerging technologies, and more, they are sufficiently informed about how science works. In the context of achieving of those educational goals, European Union funded - since 2014 - a big number of European projects, in order to bring closer research and innovation results to the large public. The FP7 ENGAGE Project (Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science Equipping the Next Generation) is one of those approved projects that started in January 2014 and lasts till March 2017.This paper emphasizes our findings concerning the teachers’ reflections about challenges and prospects related to implementation of RRI specific aspects in Science lessons, collected at the end of the 1^st edition of the on-line course entitled "Methods of promoting RRI dimensions in Science Education". This course was organized in an on-line format, through the edX environment, by Valahia University of Targoviste, in November-December 2015.