The readers of this blog will agree on that the integration of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles in educative contexts is certainly beneficial for students, as it supports them - among others - in the development of critical, creative and open-minded thinking and furthers cooperative learning aptitudes. Moreover, it upholds transversal educational frameworks that can benefit collaborative planning in school activities and promotes the introduction of multidisciplinary learning exercises in the classroom.

In that manner, it is essential to construct principles that will support the implementation of RRI in academic teaching and learning activities, both at primary and secondary level. Particularly, it is recommended that educators consider applying continuous self-reflection processes, to determine how RRI-oriented their practices are. 

Along these lines, European Schoolnet has developed an educational handbook entitled “RRI in practice for schools. Handbook for teachers” with the aim of helping educators to develop and implement RRI practices in the classroom as well as to include self-reflection processes in their everyday practices.

To help bring RRI to life, the RRI Tools project has identified eight showcases, which are good examples of RRI in practice. We will introduce you to each of these, explaining what it is and why they are good representatives of RRI. At the end of the article, find a testimonial on how you could use the showcase training resource to have a better understanding of RRI, get trained and train others.

Science education has a very critical role for the implementation of the new paradigm of RRI where a different relationship between science and society is to be established. As stated in the European Commission document of Science With and for Society: “investing in making scientific and research careers more attractive for young people improves their culture, prepares them to act as well-informed citizens and equips them with the necessary knowledge and skills to match the current and future labour market needs“. How should scientific and research careers be made attractive for young people? How do we need to prepare our future generations to be disposed and prepared to participate in R&I and in R&I decision-making?

Although Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has gained prominence in Europe in the past years, even as a priority topic at the European Commission, the findings of a new comparative analysis on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education in Europe indicate that RRI remains to be fully embedded in national school education systems. Currently, it is more a concern and concept used by the academia and generally unknown at schools in 24 out of the 30 countries observed.

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Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA), the RRI Tools Hub coordinator for Greece and Cyprus, is what you would expect from a typical school on one hand with numerous kids floating the school premises from nursery to high school, but on the other hand it hosts a very dynamic Research and Development department. Even in the period of the Greek crisis, the department is engaged in European funded projects in the field of science education, ICT, science communication, gamification and more.

Teachers in Estonia being engaged in Ark of Inquiry activities

One of the...

Sheena Laursen from Experimentarium, the science centre and RRI Tools Hub coordinator for Denmark, explains how to improve visitors navigation through the museum with a Responsible Research and Innovation perspective.

A small project with limited resources and a large task of working with dialogue and participatory process as the primary means to success.

Experimentarium is in the midst of renovating the old science centre building and re-designing the insides from scratch. The Navigation Project will help visitors to always find what they are looking for. In order to succeed with this we involve all stakeholders – first and foremost the visitors themselves.

We look to the city for inspiration. We want to create the same possibilities of...