The Dutch Association for Science Education (NVON), known for among other things Binas, NVOX and conferences, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
De Nederlandse Vereniging voor het Onderwijs in de Natuurwetenschappen (NVON) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. For many biology teachers, the association is best known for its annual exam review sessions or for Binas, the reference work that has guided generations of pupils through their final examinations, and through the journal NVOX, which its more than four thousand members receive ten times a year. But behind those visible products lies a far broader role, emphasise biology section chair Jeroen Coenemans and national chair Jan Jaap Wietsma. The heart of the association, they say, is strengthening teachers as professionals who retain control over their own subject. ‘If you look at our history, then Binas is perhaps the finest example’, says Wietsma. ‘It didn’t come from a publisher’s idea, but from the needs of teachers themselves. It is a product of the profession. And that is the line we want to hold: teachers are not implementers of textbook methods, but co-owners of their material.’
‘Ideally, a biologist is a member of NIBI and a biology teacher is also a member of NVON’
Coenemans sees that idea of ownership reflected in the day-to-day work of the biology section. ‘The largest part of our time goes into the exam review sessions. That is an enormous undertaking every year, spread across all regions. Hundreds of teachers meet there, discuss how they approach the marking guidelines, and provide feedback to the College for Examinations. It is often the moment at which teachers feel that the association is there for them.’ The exam review sessions are therefore not merely a practical tool, but also a symbol of how the NVON brings teachers together. With that same idea in mind, a great deal of energy has been invested in recent years in the biology item bank: an open database containing more than 24,000 final and practice questions covering all themes and topics within the vmbo-t, havo and vwo. Coenemans: ‘Following a textbook method is convenient, but it can also be a straitjacket. With the item bank, you decide for yourself what you assess and how. That way you retain control over your subject.’ Wietsma adds: ‘We invest public money in education. It therefore makes sense that teachers retain control, rather than profits leaking away to publishers.’
Common ground
Wietsma also places the role of the NVON alongside that of the Netherlands Institute for Biology (NIBI), under which Bionieuws falls. ‘There are differences, but also common ground. The NIBI represents the broader field of biology and the connection with science, whilst the NVON focuses exclusively on education and the position of teachers. Ideally, a biologist is a member of NIBI and a biology teacher is also a member of NVON. Together we strengthen the profession.’
The association exists not only for teachers, but also for laboratory technicians – the technical teaching assistants (toa’s). ‘Without toa’s there are no biology practicals’, emphasises Coenemans. ‘Their work determines whether pupils can actually experience what biology is. The NVON offers that group a solid network, and teachers benefit from that directly.’
Yet Coenemans observes that teachers are often confined within their own school. ‘They live in a bubble, with workload pressures and regulations. Whereas contact with colleagues from outside is precisely what is so valuable. Face-to-face meetings still work better than online ones. You learn from each other and feel supported.’ The NVON tries to facilitate this through regional networks and didactic communities.
Pay and conditions
The association also has a voice in The Hague. The NVON is involved in the revision of core objectives and attainment targets, and through the Federation of Education Trade Unions also in collective bargaining negotiations. ‘That makes us broader than a knowledge network,’ explains Wietsma. ‘We also represent pay and conditions, and ensure that teachers have a voice in discussions about workload and safety. For individual members, that often means quite literally having support behind them when problems arise at school.’
Professional identity
In this anniversary year, the association looks back – but above all forward. A redesigned website is on the way to better connect members. On 3 and 4 October there will be an anniversary conference with workshops, lectures and networking opportunities. Such conferences are a cornerstone of the NVON: every year, events are organised where teachers and laboratory technicians meet, pursue continuing professional development and pick up new ideas. Coenemans: ‘A conference is wonderful, but what we are really after is the longer game. How do we keep teachers inspired, even after that study day? How do we ensure they remain proud of their subject and pass that on to their pupils?’ For Wietsma, the key lies in strengthening professional identity. ‘Teachers must be given the space to keep engaging with their subject: through field trips, through research, through conversation with colleagues. That is what makes the profession attractive and prevents people from dropping out. If we hold on to that, we have not only a rich tradition, but also a solid future.’ Wietsma sees in this the essence of fifty years of NVON.
‘The association is a platform where biology teachers find one another, and a voice through which they exert influence together. Not only over what an exam looks like, but over the very foundations of their profession. Teachers are not mere implementers. They are the professionals who shape the subject.’