Context: The Education and Training 2020 Strategy sets as objective regarding the need to improve the quality and efficiency of education and training, in particular for achieving the benchmark: fewer than 15% of 15-year-olds should be under-skilled in reading, mathematics and science. Moreover, the project will also address the need to enhance knowledge of and about science as a precondition to prepare Europe’s population to be actively engaged and responsible citizens, creative and innovative, able to work collaboratively and fully aware of and conversant with the complex challenges facing society (Science Education for Responsible Citizenship, EC, 2015). On the other hand, the Agenda for improving and modernising education (2016) underlines the fact that ‘the quality of teaching and school leadership is crucial’ and that enabling teachers to cope with these challenging tasks, requires strategic investment in effective school leadership and a teaching profession that is based on excellent initial education, teamwork, and career-long professional development. Problems addressed: Based on PISA 2015 findings (https://www.compareyourcountry.org/pisa?lg=en), the level of performance in STEM subjects is rather heterogeneous in the Partner countries (in Italy and Lithuania, the performance is below the average, while in Portugal, Germany and Netherlands is generally above the average). However, among the Partner countries, only NL register good performance in numeracy respect to the average level (OECD Education GPS, 2015). Moreover, most students who sat the PISA 2015 test expressed a broad interest in science topics and recognised the important role that science plays in their world; but only a minority of students reported that they participate in science activities. Gender-related differences in science engagement and career expectations appear more related to disparities in what boys and girls think they are good at and is good for them, than to differences in what they actually can do. Parents and teachers can challenge gender stereotypes about science-related activities and occupations to allow girls and boys to achieve their potential. In addition, one of the EC findings presented in the Report Strengthening teaching in Europe (2015) is that although Members States are taking measures to raise the quality of teaching by enhancing Initial Teacher Education programmes, teachers still declare they need more professional development linked to tailoring, diversifying, and innovating teaching practices. Project aim and objectives: The project aims at strengthening secondary schools capacity to develop skills in subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics through innovative and interactive pedagogical methods and approaches. The project will provide schools with a pedagogical Model and educational tools to support pupils to connect with the ‘real-life’ applications of STEM, in particular related to Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics, which represent two very popular sectors in the technological field. Partnership: LEARN STEM brings together 9 Partners from 6 European countries (IT, DE, PT, LT, BE, NL), forming a transnational cooperation partnership with a balanced geographical representation of the Erasmus+ area and, in particular, in The Netherlands. Methodological approach and key outputs: Since the very beginning of the project partners will define the concrete methodological strategies and approaches for identifying the most important skills teachers need for effectively teach STEM subjects in secondary schools, also through innovative technologies and pedagogies. The Consortium will design and launch the project official website. Then, Partners will develop the LEARN STEM Pedagogical Model and the Inquiry learning package. All these contents, together with the learning programme, will be integrated in the online learning environment. Impact and long term benefits: a. give secondary school teachers concrete instruments and tools for enhancing their educational activities to actively engage students to learn effectively and acquire appropriate knowledge and skills in STEM subjects, mainly related to Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics; b. support lower and upper secondary schools and teachers to integrate innovative educational approaches in teaching STEM subjects schools, also in collaboration with external stakeholders; c. assist national authorities in implementing policies regarding the quality and relevance of teaching STEM in secondary school; d. provide national authorities quality instruments for analysing the activity of secondary schools in the field of teaching STEM, in particular; e. promote awareness of the different methodologies and approaches to the effective teaching and assessment of STEM subjects; f. facilitate the assessment and document stakeholder interests, influence and importance concerning the project topics.
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