The 1st Session of Scientific Thoughts and Methods Salon & Inauguration Ceremony of Master Physicist Studio held

On March 28, the 1st Session of Scientific Thoughts and Methods Salon & Inauguration Ceremony of Master Physicist Studio were held at Beijing 101 Middle School. CAS Academician and Beijing Association of Youth Science and Technology Education Wu Yueliang and head of the scientific research division of CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics Zhuang Ci, director of Beijing Youth Science and Technology Center, Secretary General of Beijing Association of Youth Science and Technology Education and research librarian Zhang Xiaohu, Executive Vice Principal of Beijing 101 Middle School Xiong Yongchang, physics teaching researcher of Beijing Academy of Educational Science and special-class teacher Zhang Yufeng and experts and special-class teachers from Beijing Normal University, Capital Normal University and the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China participated in the inauguration ceremony.

The master physicist studio of Beijing Academy of Science and Technology Education Innovation (“Studio”) gathers famous experts in physics research and physics education in Beijing, who combine their practices with school courses while cultivating scientific thoughts and methods of teenagers, using scientific thoughts and methods as an important bridge for teenagers to learn scientific knowledge and improve their core qualities. Moreover, they permeate and feed back into daily teaching activities through scientific thoughts and methods to cultivate students’ capabilities of ‘extrapolation” for yielding twice the result with half the effort and to provide important support for cultivation of reserve teenage professionals innovative in science and technology.

The studio has CAS academician Wu Yueliang as the director of expert advisory committee and Zhang Yufeng as the host of the studio; professor Li Chunmi and associate professor Yao Jianxin from the physics department of Beijing Normal University, and professors Xu Peijun, Lu Muzhi and Zhuang Ci from the physics department of Capital Normal University serve as members of the expert advisory committee of the studio; Vice Principal of Beijing No. 4 High School, Vice President of Beijing Institute of Education Zeng Yongjun, director of teaching research center of Chaoyang District Wang Jun and physics teaching researcher of Beijing Haidian Teachers’ Training College Cui Yan serve as members of the studio; head of physics teaching research team of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China Chen Weimeng, director of teaching affairs of Beijing 101 Middle School Shi Yi, head of physics teaching research team of the Experimental High School Attached To Beijing Normal University Li Yuwei and head of physics teaching research team of the Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University Han Lixin were selected to the studio as seed teachers.  

Zhang Xiaohu spoke highly of the preparatory efforts of the studio. He said the establishment of the studio is expected to focus on improving science literacy of students in classroom on the one hand, on the other hand, it is also expected to pay much attention to continuously cultivating top-notched students and providing them with a direct-through channel of professional growth by combining bringing scientific thoughts and methods into classroom with the scientific and technological innovation reserve talent training program for middle school students and the sci-tech reserve teenage professionals program. He expected the studio to strengthen systematic planning efforts, exert the exemplary effects of famous teachers, work hard on bringing practice onto the ground in an effective and efficient manner, further enable teenagers to deeply master and apply scientific thoughts and methods and endeavor to push forward the efforts to cultivate a large group of teenagers with the potential of scientist.

Wu Yueliang said scientific thoughts and methods are very important to enabling teenagers to engage in scientific research and make innovations in the future, as he is very supportive of the beneficial exploratory efforts to bring scientific thoughts and methods into classroom at the phase of basic education. As the director of the expert advisory committee of the studio, he would also continuously support this undertaking. Xiong Yongchang, on behalf of Beijing 101 Middle School, extended warm welcomes to all experts and teachers, adding that bringing scientific thoughts and methods into classroom is an important way to cultivate the thinking and innovation abilities of students, expecting achievements of the studio to be first practiced in Beijing 101 Middle School, with the generous support of the school.  

The studio host Zhang Yufeng introduced the studio’s plans and tasks, saying that numerous students lack a deep understanding of science, the interest in research and innovation ability at present. The purpose of the studio is to develop teachers training courses highlighting scientific thoughts and methods and develop courses for thinking development of students. Through personalized elective courses, teaching guidance of model classes and development of diagnosis and evaluation tools, the studio will work to transform the way of teaching, change the practice of excessive indoctrination and increasing exam scores by doing exercises, change the ecosystem of physics education and transform teachers’ teaching concepts through research; identify and cultivate a group of promising science and technology innovators and lay a good talent foundation for the national science and technology innovation efforts.

Also conducted at the meeting were presentations and comments on model classes of scientific thoughts and methods (physics). After the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony, the studio members and seed teachers held a work conference online at the evening, discussing about pedagogical analysis of disciplinary thinking, development of model classes of scientific thoughts and methods for subject of physics in 2021, improving measures for classroom teaching of disciplinary thinking and development of learning diagnosis tools, etc.