Abstract:

Despite the fact that in the field of Education science communication initiatives are not very common, there is an educational research community that has been developing diverse science communication initiatives, with the purpose to contribute to the community engagement with the educational research field.

Therefore, science communication initiatives have a crucial role in the promotion of public understanding of Education as scientifique field. In fact, science communication initiatives contribute greatly to shaping the science-society relation over time and Universities and their scientists have a main role in the appropriate development of that relationship .

In order to foster science communication in Education, an educational Research Centre has, since mid-2018, a biweekly column called (H)À Educação (There's Education). The column is published in a regional newspaper and simultaneously in the University's official online newspaper, as well on the social media of the Research Centre and of the University. This column has been under the responsibility of researchers covering a wide range of educational topics.

This presentation focuses, on the one hand, on the detailed presentation of this innovative initiative and on the other hand on the scientists’ perspectives stated on an online survey that was applied to collect their perspective on the potentialities, barriers and suggestions regarding the column. Results show that after some initial resistance, this column seems to be now an identity mark of the Reserach Center. Findings also indicate that researchers are starting to be more aware of the importance of science communication in Education.

By sharing this initiative it is hoped that other Educational researchers became more aware of their important role in science communication in Education and in promoting community engagement with Education, as well as considered to reproduce the initiative all over the place.

Keywords:

Education, Science Communication, Community engagement, Media, Column newspaper.