Innovative Model of learning STEM in secondary schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative Model of learning STEM in secondary schools

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

Our European society needs innovative and better school education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as key sectors for our future life, work and society. Therefore, the European Alliance Learn STEM was established to focus their interrelation and integration in cross-disciplinary and reflective STEM education and pedagogical methodologies. Main goal of Learn STEM is to improve the quality and efficiency of STEM learning in secondary schools.

Consequently, Learn STEM is increasing the pupils’ interest in STEM and building STEM competences. Therefore, Learn STEM designs and provides pedagogical methods and tools for secondary schools to explore and solve real life questions. Learn STEM supports and contributes to the key objective of the European Education and Training 2020 Strategy (ET 2020) that fewer than 15% of 15-year-olds should be under-skilled in reading, mathematics and science. Moreover, the Learn STEM project also addresses the need to enhance knowledge of and about science as a precondition to prepare Europe’s population to be actively engaged, responsible citizens as well as conversant with the complex challenges facing society.

Thus, Learn STEM is strengthening secondary schools’ capacity to develop skills in subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics through innovative and interactive pedagogical methods and approaches. Therefore, Learn STEM designs and provides practical instruments and online tools for secondary schools and their teachers and pupils to explore and solve real life questions.

Under the leadership of the coordinator Dr. Christian M. Stracke from the Open University of the Netherlands, Learn STEM brings together nine Partners from six European countries. They are collaborating for innovative STEM education and have developed the Learn STEM Pedagogical Model, the Inquiry learning package, a teacher training programme and an online course. These instruments are tested, evaluated and continuously improved in close cooperation with hundreds of STEM experts and school teachers In Europe and beyond.

The research and development activities of Learn STEM started with mixed methods research combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It combined as fundamental basis a literature review, an online survey and interviews. 217 teachers, 24 headmasters and 345 pupils took part in the online survey providing valuable insights about the needs for future STEM learning and education.

Based on the analysis of the research results, the Learn STEM Pedagogical Model was developed and improved in iterative cycles in close collaboration and discussions with hundreds of school teachers and headmasters. That was leading to 35 interim versions before the final version of the Learn STEM Pedagogical Model was published online and presented to all school teachers in Europe with overwhelming and encouraging feedback.

The teacher training programme and the online course are the other two main results of Learn STEM: They received extremely positive responses and more than 600 teachers and interested stakeholder registered and participated in the online course on “Pedagogical innovations for STEM education”.

The number of participants in the national workshops and the final conference of Learn STEM as well as the number of persons benefitting from Learn STEM were exceeding the expectations by far: Learn STEM could welcome more than 1,000 participants in the national workshops and final conference (expected: 145) and more than 10,000 stakeholders (expected: 1,800) were and are still benefitting from the Learn STEM activities and results. Learn STEM was selected and invited to many regional, national, European and international conferences and events including teacher training workshops by school authorities. Furthermore, Learn STEM could spread the Learn STEM activities and results in open and peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as in leading European educational newsletters (with more than 30,000 subscribers). Finally, Learn STEM collaborates in the online course, online conference and in dissemination with the leading European STEM initiatives including Scientifix of the European SchoolNet and Go-Lab as well as leading educational associations including the oldest and largest International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE): Together with all collaboration partners, Learn STEM promotes and supports the pedagogical innovation and improvement of STEM education in Europe and beyond.

Thus, it can be summarised that Learn STEM has already achieved huge impact in the short term. And it is expected that Learn STEM will also gain sustainable long-term impact due to the recognition and appreciation of the Learn STEM results and instruments by the school teachers and headmasters as well as by the local, regional and national school authorities.

All Learn STEM results are openly and freely available online: http://www.Learn-STEM.org

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 345994 Eur

Project Coordinator

OPEN UNIVERSITEIT NEDERLAND & Country: NL

Project Partners

• TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE WILDAU
• Eekhout Academy (Eekhoutcentrum)
• Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Navarro
• Stichting Onderwijs Midden Limburg
• Finance & Banking, Associazione per lo Sviluppo Organizzativo e delle Risorse Umane
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA KAUNO MOKSLO IR TECHNOLOGIJU PARKAS
• ASSOCIACAO PARQUE DE CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA DE ALMADA/SETUBAL-MADAN PARQUE