MINT-Unterricht im europäischen Vergleich Erasmus Project

Project Title

MINT-Unterricht im europäischen Vergleich

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

STEM-subjects have a top priority in assuring students’ achievements in their professional careers. In a digital era, the sciences are crucial in understanding and mastering everyday life and in preparing our students for the workplace of the future. What is more, the sciences are more than ever an international field in which languages, intercultural understanding and mobility are essential prerequisites. Within this context, our three schools will both share and benefit from our project.
The project will include three visits to each school and its respective partners with a different STEM focus. At Colegio Hijas de Cristo Rey, the focus will be on digital technology in collaboration with the business partners of Trison and Inditex. At St.John’s, the focus will be Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline as our business partner. At Carlo-Schmid-Gymnasium, the the focus will be genetical engineering using the school’s specialised laboratory (a regional hub) and in collaboration with the biotechnological company Curevac as well as Max-Planck-Institute and ERBE Elektromedizin GmbH.
In the context of collaborating on STEM-related education and application, our overall key objectives will be as follows:
– Boost the knowledge, motivation, skills and employability of students in Germany, Spain and the UK
– Modernise and increase the relevance of how students are educated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
– Combine the best practices in the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics that will be witnessed in all three schools
– Build student confidence in their abilities and communication skills
– Develop more of a European dimension and international perspective in each school
– Develop teachers’ awareness of the job market and skills and aptitudes required in STEM-related areas
– Develop tangible resources for the benefit of other educational establishments in each country
In the project, both students and teachers will be involved. Additionally, our business and academic partners will take part as well as teachers and parents that will be invited to the participants’ final presentations.
Students will be the group involved in the activities such as auditing, experimenting; teachers will be involved in the staff meetings evaluating and preparing the student exchanges, as well as in teaching experiments. The age group of students will be 14 to 17 years, consisting of students in the natural science profiles of each school.
The methodology used will include active participation in school lessons, making of experiments, visiting businesses and institutions, documenting and filming experiences, experiments and results, and presenting results to an audience.
We will publish not only the students’ work but also a best practice guide for teaching and learning which staff and students have worked on during their time observing, preparing, planning and participating in lessons. This will be something produced in all three languages and give teachers resources for best practice in each school and community. It could be used in internal continual professional development sessions or in such sessions offered and delivered to local schools as part of our dissemination of our experience and findings.
We expect our project to have a lasting legacy on both the schools and generations of students to come. All students involved will get the opportunity to take control of their futures and the future of other students who come through the project or benefit from it. There will be tangible resources for future students and teachers to use. We anticipate that the links between our schools will be long lasting ones and we aim to make the links that we will develop with local companies sustainable for the future.
As a result of their participation in this project, we expect students to have a renewed enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their application in industry. Teachers in all organisations will also benefit from improved confidence levels and teaching ability, through having the opportunity to exchange best practices between each other and with the students.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 12000 Eur

Project Coordinator

Carlo-Schmid-Gymnasium & Country: DE

Project Partners

• St. John’s Secondary School and Sixth Form College, A Catholic Academy, Bishop Auckland
• Colegio Hijas de Cristo Rey