InSSTER

InSSTER, Innovative STS (Science, Society, Technology) Education Research Centre, is a dynamic multidisciplinary research hub that brings together passionate educators and scholars from diverse fields within the field of education. Our collaborative team includes faculty members and researchers from the Department of Education at the University of Nicosia. Together, we explore the intersection of inclusive research education, science, society, and technology, with a strong emphasis on innovative and inclusive practices.

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Vision

InSSTER promotes research in education focusing on innovative and inclusive practices in Science, Society, Technology education. This involves transforming schools to cater to all children, including marginalised groups, aiming to eliminate exclusion. It also emphasises cultivating skills for global problem-solving, ensuring inclusive education, and addressing gender equality in digital skills. InSSTER aligns with the Digital Education Action Plan for comprehensive and high-quality digital instruction and training (European Commission, 2020).

Objectives

  • 1

    Conduct state-of-the-art research under the umbrella of innovative and inclusive education with links to science, society and technology;

  • 2
    Participate in competitive EU calls and receive external funding for projects
  • 3
    Establish a national and international network with relevant, researchers, schools, and policy makers;
  • 4
    Engage with society on issues related to inclusive science and technology education, and
  • 5
    Offer continuous training on skills, methodologies and technologies to its members and beyond.

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Research

The members of InSSTER are involved in funded research under the umbrella of Innovative and Inclusive education with links to science, society and technology.

  • SciLMi: Meta-Scientific Literacies in the (Mis-)Information Age

    • Start: 06/2023
    • End: 05/2026

    Local Principal Investigator
    Maria Evagorou

    Participants
    Maria Vrikki, Christiana Karousiou

    Coordinator
    University of Innsbruck

    Ref.
    ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PEX-TEACH-ACA

    Budget
    1500000 EUR

    Agreement No.
    101104523

    Website

    The SciLMi Teacher Academy is rising to the challenge. It will develop, pilot and evaluate cross-disciplinary blended intensive mobility programmes and trainings for pre- and in-service teachers that provide them with the required transversal competences, digital skills and inclusive teaching strategies to educate the future generation to critically engage with socio-scientific issues, and research and evaluate scientific claims and arguments for decision-making and action (PISA 2025 Science Competency 3). After the project’s lifetime, the programmes and trainings will be continued utilising Erasmus+ KA funding. Given the pan-European dimension of the challenge, the SciLMi Teacher Academy will build a pan-European Hub consisting of providers of initial and continuous education, schools, teacher associations, education authorities, foundations, NGOs, libaries, science centres and other stakeholders to actively involve in the process, to share the implications drawn from the evaluation and to facilitate the integration of meta-scientifc literacy skills into the education systems across Europe, ensuring the impact of the project is sustainable.

  • VRnSight: “Boosting Virtual Reality Learning within Higher Business Management Education”

    • Start: 01/2018
    • End: 12/2020

    Local Principal Investigator

    Participants
    Efi Nisiforou

    Coordinator
    Fachhochschule des Mittelstands FHM

    Ref.
    Erasmus+, KA3 Strategic Partnerships for higher education

    Budget
    292025 EUR

    Agreement No.

    Website
    https://www.vrinsight.org

    The project VRinSight aims to roll-out Virtual Reality learning in Higher Education and in the teaching of business management across Europe through a partnership between education and industry. The project runs over a 2 year period co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ program. An EU Survey of SMEs & Higher Education Institutes was conducted in an effort to understand the challenges involved in introducing VR learning techniques in business management education. The project will offer a complete VR integration guide to educators through a unique VR Training Program and accompanying VR Training Curriculum. Additionally, the project offers a comprehensive Green Paper on Virtual Reality Teaching & Learning giving educators, business and policy makers across Europe an insight on how VR technology can be embraced.

  • Fighting the online post-truth conspiracy (NEWSPIRACY)

    • Start: 12/2022
    • End: 11/2024

    Local Principal Investigator

    Participants
    Christiana Karousiou

    Coordinator
    Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)

    Ref.
    Erasmus+, KA220-HED - Cooperation partnerships in higher education

    Budget
    250000 EUR

    Agreement No.
    2022-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000089608

    Website
    https://newspiracy.eu/

    NEWSPIRACY aims to raise public awareness of the existence of fake news and their influence, learning about their mechanism and their creation process, in order to be able to detect and analyze them in greater depth.

  • Empowering and Inspiring Higher Education students in the STEAM field (STEAM4LIFE)

    • Start: 12/2022
    • End: 11/2024

    Local Principal Investigator

    Participants
    Christiana Karousiou

    Coordinator
    Fachhochschule des Mittelstands

    Ref.
    Erasmus+, KA220-HED - Cooperation partnerships in higher education

    Budget
    250.000 EUR

    Agreement No.
    2022-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000087805

    Website
    https://www.steam4life.eu/

    STEAM4LaIFE focuses on empowering Higher Education students (with a focus on women) to actively engage in the STEAM field, while promoting higher educational institutes in building their capacity to implement innovative STEAM activities and approaches. This will help to empower and encourage women in the STEAM field, enhancing their confidence and self-esteem and positively affecting their future career choices.