STEM4MATH Erasmus Project

Project Title

STEM4MATH

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 2016

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

Since there is a shortage in higher educated individuals in STEM all over Europe, and society requires STEM-literacy, more attention should be paid to this issue from early school years on. Consequently, in many EU-countries STEM is prioritized at the educational agenda. Some projects have already focussed on specific aspects of STEM, e.g. inquiry-based science education, but the integrated aspect and its possibilities remain mainly neglected. Furthermore, the potential for STEM-integration in advancing math learning is still less apparent than for science, technology or engineering. As a result, in this project, we put forward an approach of integrated STEM-education and its value for math learning. Additionally, an important argument for this focus is that our educational systems emphasize the use of language, whereby we often do not see the strengths of children for math learning, when they are less talented for language. Furthermore, one of the biggest problems in STEM-education is that children often do not see the link between abstract STEM-insights and their impact on solving real-world problems. That can be the reason why few young people, especially girls, consider STEM-professions. (Sjøberg & Svein, 2008) In this project we pointed out the idea that an integrated STEM-approach can offer an answer to these issues: based on key elements of effective STEM-education, such as learning by action (doing) within meaningful contexts, it becomes possible to capture the potential of all children, whereby they can learn ‘difficult’ abstract concepts e.g. regarding math learning. Because the different STEM-disciplines are offered in an integrated way to solve problems, which connect to relevant contexts, and wherefore solutions are sought through an iterative process of design and inquiry, a strong connection is made between abstract insights and concrete experiences of the children. Consequently, the meaning and relevance of STEM-disciplines becomes more clear, which can stimulate the attitude of children to STEM. Within this project we used an ‘educational design research’ methodology (Mc Kenney & Reeves, 2012) to search for solutions and knowledge regarding these issues. Firstly, we designed and shared a didactical model for integrated STEM-education with a clear incorporation of mathematics (IO1). Therefore, a literature study was conducted. In the model there is a strong emphasis on key elements of effective STEM-education (see www.stem4math.eu). This model was the guideline for partners to collect, select, exchange and develop STEM-activities for the age group 6-12 y. old. The developed activities were tested by pilot teachers in the different partner countries. Thus, in the project an iterative evaluation of the interventions (here: implementation of the STEM-activities) made it possible to gather information about what worked (or not) and about the constraints. Results of this testing was exchanged during joint staff training events (C1, C2) and was used to optimize the activities so that they became good practices for teachers all over Europe regarding math learning based on an integrated STEM-approach (IO2). A difference was made between 2 age groups, as children in the last years of primary school are in particular vulnerable to a drop of their attitude to STEM (De Meyere, 2013). Therefore, in the project 10 STEM-good practices were developed for 9-12 years old, and subsequently, 10 for the age group of 6-8 years. The peculiarities of each age group were taken into consideration based on the exchange of expertise and experience of the pilot teachers involved in the testing of the STEM-activities (at least 2 in each country for each age group).The didactical model and the STEM-good practices are published on a project website (STEM4MATH.eu) and on Scientix (IO3). The STEM4MATH website was used during national training courses (E1-E5) by each partner, and of course the learning environment is open to all teachers who will be able to use it independently as a source of excellent information for an integrated STEM-approach regarding Math learning. At the end of the project a practice-oriented research article (IO4) was written about the research findings of the STEM4MATH-project. This article is also published on Scientix. Overall, we believe that this project contributed to a shared focus among teachers over the different countries and communities, resulting in the spread of a well-balanced integrated education in STEM, in which difficult math concepts are profoundly enclosed, and consequently, become easier to learn by children in elementary schools across Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 226484,72 Eur

Project Coordinator

KATHOLIEKE HOGESCHOOL VIVES ZUID & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Vendelsömalmsskolan
• Associação de Professores de Matemática
• Kummun koulu Outokummun kaupunki
• UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID