Discovering Science and Maths through cooking Erasmus Project

Project Title

Discovering Science and Maths through cooking

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The project STEMcooking, an acronym for the English title “Discovering Science and Maths through cooking”, is an European project (Strategic Partnership for Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices, Action Key 2 (KA2) of the Erasmus + program) of 4 European schools:
– IES Gabriel and Galán. Plasencia, Cáceres, Spain (coordinating center)
– II.gimnazija, Zagreb, Croatia
– Lycée Chrestien de Troyes. Troyes, France
– Killorglin Community College, Killorglin, Ireland
The project carried out throughout the academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
The main purpose was to improve the learning competences of the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics which in our educational system correspond to the subjects of Science, Technology and Mathematics) through the methodology PBL (Learning Based on project). The STEMcooking project aimed at taking advantage of the similarities and common points of these subjects to develop an interdisciplinary approach to the teaching and learning process, incorporating contexts and situations in the kitchen, and using all the necessary technological tools.
The project emerged after making an analysis of needs in the teaching-learning processes of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) at the participating centers and the decrease observed in the number of students interested in continuing with higher education in these disciplines.
Science and Mathematics are often seen as boring by our students, mainly because of their problems to understand them. Consequently, they end up in low performance and lack of motivation, losing then interest in Science, Technology and Mathematics. This is why we asked ourselves if our students really enjoy what they do in these disciplines, which has led us to change our methodology into a more contextualized teaching and therefore, working in the context of a real world would be meaningful.
Based on this approach, we designed STEMcooking, a project contextualized in the kitchen, within the framework of a research project of the teaching-learning process in STEM materials, mainly using project-based learning, integrating cooking situations in the real world, so that students can learn to think scientifically about what surround them.
Goals: Report Form Convocatoria: 2017 KA2 ES 6 / 38
– To improve students’ knowledge and skills in STEM subjects by engaging them in practical activities and research through project-based learning (PBL), favouring the development of critical and creative thinking and the ability to become active agents in the construction of their learning. Each STEM project was focus on one of the five thematic axes in which we divided the project.
– To strengthen the professional profile of teachers and to improve the processes by which students acquire STEM competences through effective methodologies based on multidisciplinary and innovative approaches such as project-based learning.
– To optimize teachers’ knowledge and skills in the teaching of STEM disciplines through project-based learning strategies, case study, team learning, …
– To improve the ICT students and teachers’ skills and make them part of everyday life in the classroom.
– To encourage students and teachers to know and understand the diversity of European cultures and languages and the value of that diversity.
– To improve the linguistic communication skills of both students and teachers.
– To increase the quality and the European dimension of the training of the participating teachers. To include the European dimension in the life of the centre, internationalize it and enrich our sense of community through the knowledge of new realities and cultures.
– To encourage cooperation between the four schools by creating a network with the same objectives to work at transnational level, fomenting innovation, participating in joint educational activities and exchanging good practices.
– To celebrate the 1st International STEM week of (the) IES Gabriel and Galán de Plasencia (coordinating centre) whose motto was “Cooking with Science” in its first edition.
The project was aimed at students between 15 and 17 years old. Participants in the project were teachers of STEM disciplines and Language teachers. The project languages were Spanish, English and French.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 112735 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES Gabriel y Galán & Country: ES

Project Partners

• II. gimnazija
• LYCEE CHRESTIEN DE TROYES
• Killorglin Community College