In the guiding spirit of "innovating and developing in practice and making contributions to talent cultivation", the Youth Science and Technology Center takes it as its responsibility to enhance the scientific literacy of young people, cultivate reserve talents for scientific and technological innovation in the new era and socialist builders and successors, and earnestly conducts research on the laws of talent growth. It has successively collaborated with first-class domestic and international scientific and technological education research institutions such as the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, Beijing Normal University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Science and Technology Evaluation Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Beihang University, and East China Normal University, and carried out more than ten research projects. It has formed research achievements in areas such as the cultivation of top-notch reserve talents, international science and technology education policies, and working mechanisms, which are in line with international science and technology education and based on practice. We will successively release the main research results to the public through our official account.

This project takes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Russia, Israel, Japan, South Korea and Singapore as references for their outstanding performance in science education in informal Settings. Through research and theoretical review of the policies, concepts, standards, resources, forms, environments and evaluation models of science and technology education for teenagers in the informal Settings of the above nine countries, it summarizes experiences. Based on the current situation of youth science and technology education in China, policy suggestions for youth science and technology education that are in line with China's national conditions have been put forward.

The current situation of youth science and technology education policies in various countries

The youth science and technology education policies of nine countries reflect their social, historical and cultural backgrounds. For instance, South Korea's youth science and technology education policy emphasizes the return to traditional culture due to its history of being colonized and Westernized. The emphasis on students' innovative abilities and multi-path development in Singapore's youth science and technology education is due to the excessive focus on scores and examinations during the "Four Asian Tigers" period in the 20th century. After the changes in the political and economic system, science and technology education for teenagers in Russia has taken on the responsibility of uniting groups in remote areas of the country and encouraging teenagers from poor families to learn science and technology.

Regarding the experience of implementing foreign policies on science and technology education for teenagers, there are lessons that we need to pay attention to and avoid, as well as aspects worth learning from and drawing upon. For instance, due to the alternating governance of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party, the science education policy in the UK has shown an alternating change in policy orientation in the short term, causing difficulties in schools and conflicts of consciousness. Since the 1980s, France's policies on science education and technology dissemination have been continuously explored and deepened on the basis of previous policies. Not only have they generally shaped the awareness of popular science among scientists, but they have also established dedicated popular science departments in universities and other institutions, further ensuring the implementation and deepening of popular science work from a systemic perspective. It has promoted close ties between scientists and the general public as well as between them and primary and secondary schools. The United States and Canada have a large number of immigrant populations. Research on science education for immigrant populations shows that the objects of science education are not only teenagers but also their families, because the communities where the families are located and the cultures represented by the communities have significant influences on science education. There is close cooperation among Singapore's universities (National Institute of Education, NIE), school teachers and the government's education department. When the government formulates policies, it takes into account the opinions of universities and school teachers. When policies are implemented, timely feedback from school teachers can be obtained. Universities also make corresponding adjustments when training teachers.

The main problems of science and technology education policies for teenagers in our country

The policies on science and technology education for teenagers in our country, especially those related to science and technology education in informal Settings, tend to overly imitate those of foreign countries and do not pay sufficient attention to the historical and cultural background, social development process and demographic characteristics of our country. In terms of the responsibility for policy formulation and implementation, the division of labor is not clear enough, and there is a lack of long-term and cumulative measures and effect assessment for policy promotion. The connection among multiple parties such as the science and technology education decision-making departments (the Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Academy of Sciences), universities, primary and secondary schools, etc. is not close enough, and there is a lack of guidance and support for science and technology education in the families and communities of teenagers.

Some Suggestions on the Science and Technology Education Policies for Teenagers in Our Country

In light of the current international situation of youth science and technology education and the problems existing in our country, the following suggestions are hereby put forward: The formulation of youth science and technology education policies should fully take into account the historical and cultural background of national and social development, attach importance to the long-term promotion of the implementation of youth science and technology education policies in a cumulative manner, and connect and strengthen the cooperation among education departments, universities, venues, primary and secondary schools and families.

The formulation of policies for youth science and technology education should fully take into account the historical and cultural background of national and social development

The formulation of policies for youth science and technology education in our country should be based on the history and development reality of our society since the reform and opening up. From the early days of reform and opening up when the focus was on "science and technology as the primary productive force" and the emphasis was placed on cultivating scientific and technological labor force, to the current efforts to enhance the scientific literacy of the entire population, China's science and technology education has gradually undergone a transformation from elite education to mass education, from a single educational ideology to diverse educational concepts, and from catching up and imitating developed countries to self-awareness awakening.

Based on such a historical and cultural background, it is suggested that the policies for science and technology education for teenagers in our country, especially those related to science and technology education in informal Settings, should enhance the public's closeness to science, making them willing to understand science and technology, discuss science and technology, trust science and technology, and participate in and engage in science and technology-related work. Promote the development of elite science and technology education through rich mass science and technology education and the extensive improvement of the scientific literacy of the entire population. By building a rich scientific culture, top-notch talents in science and technology can be nurtured. Science and technology education in an informal environment can greatly enrich the ways students come into contact with science and technology. Through the high-quality intervention of joint venues, media and non-governmental organizations, the informal environment can become a "third space" connecting students' personal experiences with the orthodox scientific knowledge in the classroom. Give full play to the unique advantages of science and technology education in an informal environment in cultivating students' abilities of independent exploration and thinking, as well as scientific spirits such as seeking truth from facts and critical questioning.

2. Attach importance to the long-term and cumulative nature of the implementation of science and technology education policies

The formulation of policies for youth science and technology education should focus on coherence as well as the persistence and accumulation of implementation and promotion. Given the current level of scientific literacy among Chinese teenagers and the need to build a strong country in science and technology, when formulating policies for youth science and technology education, China should aim for long-term and sustainable development, pay attention to the timely summary of experience (including scientific effect assessment) and the continuous accumulation of achievements, reduce significant policy fluctuations, and avoid the superficial reform of science and technology education brought about by this. Efforts should be made to continuously consolidate and deepen the achievements of science and technology education for teenagers, and truly enhance their quality and efficiency.

At present, the work of integrating museums and schools in our country has attracted international attention. We suggest that youth science and technology education should continuously deepen this achievement on this basis. On the one hand, the connotation of "museum" in the integration of museums and schools should be expanded, no longer limited to traditional Spaces such as science and technology museums, museums, and zoos. Excellent popular science public accounts on social media, universities, research institutes, etc., can all become new learning Spaces. On the other hand, in addition to encouraging students to step out of the school gate and into the venues, it is also necessary to encourage "venues" to enter the school or transform the school and the nearby communities into venues. For instance, encourage young scientists, popular science influencers and postgraduate students to enter schools to carry out popular science work; Establish small farms in schools, allowing students to go into communities and markets to conduct authentic observations and research on topics such as "food and nutrition", and vigorously develop such convenient and feasible "location-based learning". On this basis, further establish and form a science popularization system and culture within the "school" and the "museum", so that the implementation achievements of the youth science and technology education policy can be effectively accumulated.

3. Connect and enhance cooperation among the education department, universities, venues, primary and secondary schools, and families

Through the close cooperation among the education department, venues, universities, schools and families, families and communities can be transformed into participants in science and technology education for teenagers. Technology education in an informal setting serves as an effective bridge connecting schools, families and communities. In China, family and community education has not received sufficient attention, and the responsible entities are not clear, which has led to the slow progress of some important educational reforms. We believe that the Youth Science and Technology Center of the China Association for Science and Technology should become the main body connecting universities, primary and secondary schools, families and communities. It should incorporate "science and technology education for parents and families" and "bringing youth science and technology education into communities" into the overall planning of its work, and make use of the diverse methods and flexible opportunities of youth science and technology education in an informal environment. Break down the barriers between the education department, venues, universities, schools and families, closely connect various units, individuals, families and communities, and form a scientific culture in society that believes in science, participates in science and loves science, so as to jointly serve the development of science and technology education for teenagers in our country.

(Source: Youth Science and Technology Center of China Association for Science and Technology. This article is the outcome of the research project "Research on Policies, Concepts and Development Trends of International Youth Science and Technology Education" of the Youth Science and Technology Center of China Association for Science and Technology. The project was undertaken by East China Normal University.)"