In the appendix of the Council Decision on the EU 2020 Education and Training, it is aimed to reduce the failure rate of the students under 15 in science and mathematics to 15% and to develop digital competencies in the EU 2020 Strategic Document. Together with our partner schools; By integrating STEAM into our lessons we aim to reduce the failure rates in science and mathematics by 15% and to create a core curriculum and English terminology that can be used in EU schools that include STEAM. The purpose of our project; is to raise individual who have 21st century skills that can be effective in teamwork, able to take initiative, solve problems, be self-reliant, open to cooperation, communicate effectively, learn lifelong through awareness of sustainable development, can educate individuals who have skills and speak the modern world, enterprise, inquire, make effective decisions, good at mathematical and technological , improve themselves on digital skills and can integrate these skills into their lessons. Our project is a strategic partnership project for which Internationella Engelska Skolan School, Yenişehir Anatolian Imam Hatip Middle School, St.Damian's NS School, Istıtuto Comprensio Prıvıtera Polizzi Partinico School, Smiltenes Vidusskola School, Gheorghe Magheru School study collaboratively to change the good applications. Among our schools, there are well-established and well-known schools in their countries. These schools have experienced branch teachers who are involved in national, international project experience and advanced technology infrastructure, working in the fields of science, mathematics, art, technology and design in their own countries. There are also schools with volunteer subject teachers who have not previously been involved in strategic partnership projects but are eager to participate in the project. This structure has an important influence on our ability to prepare a strategic partnership project to change good practices. Within the scope of the project 6 international learning, teaching and training mobility that includes STEAM where the main framework of our project is identified will be organized, and we will have a virtual mobility with etwinning before every project. Virtual mobility meetings to be held with e-twinning will focus on issues of cooperation, coordination and implementation according to the project plan, in general. Seminars, workshops, scientific discussions, brain storms will be organized related to the subject of the project during the education, teaching and learning mobilities, after our students have enough implementation about the subject, a STEAM fair will be organized in Swedish Internationella Engelska Skolan; the coordinator school, and a meeting will be held in this school to talk about the problems encountered during the project. Moreover, an e-book including the STEAM activities will be prepared and written and the topics about dissemination will be argues. After the movements, the Europass Mobility Document, which will be used both nationally and internationally, will be given to each participant. The main methodology of our project is; project-based learning, life-learning by doing will be realized by training workshop, theoretical or practical training. The methods of our dissemination activities include; seminars, workshops, meetings, information, science festivals, STEAM fairs. Capacity increasing methods are; output-focused, products, innovative products to be transferred. In terms of project output; we aim to increase the number of students having in science, mathematics and technology literacy in our schools an to increase their motivations of via seminars and workshops. It is aimed that thanks to the STEAM core curriculum and activity book, which can be used in schools in all European countries, iscience, technology, design, art and mathematics lessons will be taught in a more creative, educational and entertaining way. This will increase the interest and attitudes of students towards science and mathematics courses. Our school will be modeled on other educational institutions by developing sustainable, effective, professional projects throughout Europe.
Context of the project - Our Erasmus plus KA 229 project promotes STEAM education. We are creating STEAM embassies in the European partner network. We encouraged STEAM subjects among teachers and students, improved their competencies, and changed their outlook. This was an educational approach that aimed to transform theoretical knowledge into practice, product and innovative inventions, and incorporate it into partner country's curriculum. STEAM is to develop the skills of creativity, scientific thinking, algorithmic thinking, critical thinking and problem solving, flexible thinking, aesthetic skills, design skills and risk taking that form the basis of innovative research. The Schools from 6 countries involved in our project. The children and teachers participated in mobilities and then shared project activities in our respective schools and on the etwinning forum. The children involved were between 10 and 16. The individual projects involved hands-on, problem solving activities for learning which are completed by students in all partner countries. Objectives were achieved through a range of methods including workshops and training, lessons with teaching and learning activities, cultural visits, school activities which involved members of our whole school communities. The need for an innovative, interactive and engaging teaching approach in 21st-century schools emerged, thereby ensuring that students achieved higher success. Failure rates decreased as the Swedish school reported less failure in science and technology as it reduced from 4.8% in 2019 to 1.4% in 2019. In maths the failure rates decreased from 1.36% in 2019 to nil in 2020.This is based on internal assessments conducted in school as due to Corono the national tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. In Romania the failure in final exam Maths: 24% in 2018, 23% in 2019 to 15% in 2020 and failure in final exam English language is as follows 20% in 2018, 15% in 2019 to 2% in 2020. In Turkey the failure in national test exams Mathematics is 22% in 2018, 17% in 2019, 13% in 2020 and Failure in Turkey school in the- national test exams Science: 18% in 2018, 12% in 2019 and 9% in 2020. In Latvia, failure in national test exams Mathematics: 21% in 2018, 18% in 2019, 12% in 2020 and Failure in Latvia in national test exams English: 18% in 2018, 11% in 2019 and 7% in 2020. The Irish Context is assessed differently at a national level in a primary school setting. There are no specific state exams for any subjects although standardised testing of attainment is used for maths and English. Results are not available for 2019 due to school closures related to Covid 19. Standardised testing has shown an increase in attainment since 2018 in 2021 in terms of an increase of 12% of pupils attaining at the highest level. At all other levels of attainment have remain reasonably constant although their was an increase in the lower average range of attainment from the higher average scores. School closures due to the pandemic are also attributed to the changes observed in attainment in the average range of results in our school. This pattern had emerged throughout the Irish school system. In Italy students in 2/5/8/10/13 class are subjected to Invalsi National Tests of Italian Mathematics and English, the students of our Istituto Comprensivo Privitera Polizzi reach medium-high level in the standardized tests of Mathematics(2018-19 level 1 20,9% level 2. 25,5% level 3.33,6% level 4. 8,2% level 5.11,8% )The activities conducted in our project are all described in our twinspace on the etwinning portal. Some important ones include - Logo work, EUCode week, dissemination activities after the mobilities, Erasmus days, etc. Long term benefit of the project - With STEAM embassies in the European partner network, we encouraged STEAM subjects among teachers and students, improved their competencies, and changed their outlook to make teaching learning more exciting. We saw the variety of educational systems in different countries working with the same goal. It was amazing to see how all countries spoke the same scientific language and communicated in English . This project helped us all to grow interest in learners in the STEAM fields. We improved existing knowledge and skills as well as acquired new ones. The most successful result is that our schools can now be considered a STEAM oriented school.