Recent reviews about the state of education in STEM fields has determined that the majority of the students finds the courses dull and unwelcoming; consequently, many students end the school journey showing very low interest in STEM disciplines, ill-prepared in problem-solving. The National Science Foundation recommends that a student’s educational experience should “build inquiry, sense of wonder, and excitement of discovery”. Current trends in education emphasize the need for a progressive switch toward student-centered approaches that differentiate from conventional teaching models. Accordingly, recent research assumes that the students should participate actively in the learning processes. Today, students need to be goal-oriented, creative, and able to solve problems and come up with innovations, in order to be future responsible European citizens and workers. In this context, the BioS4You project aims to bridge the gap between the STEM national curricula (which mostly include basic contents of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the needs of Z-generation students, apathetic/uninterested to basic themes, but enthusiastic in concerns related to environmental, social and health issues. The main goal of the BioS4You project is to engage European young learners in STEM subjects, starting from current issues of interest for them, as the social and environmental impact of new technologies (Bio-Sciences, Bio-Engineering, Bio-Architecture, Bio-Technology, Bio-Photonics, etc.) with the purpose of opening their minds, and achieving higher competencies. These topics will pique the interest of young people, and young girls, in particular, making them more aware of concepts very relevant for their future as sustainability, accessibility, responsibility, biodiversity, self-regulation, social behavior, and development. Furthermore, the knowledge of these contents will make the students feel an active part of the technological innovation (and not just passive users) and will help them to build a better future, bringing them closer to the STEM world and enabling them to make more informed choices for their future careers. However, in order to obtain successful results with young learners by nourishing their positive attitudes towards STEM subjects and strengthening their basic skills and key competencies, we need very motivated and trained teachers. For this reason, another relevant objective of the BioS4You project is to support upper secondary STEM school teachers and implement teacher collaboration in promoting intensive dissemination of new teaching strategies and innovative ideas in the field Bio-inspired Sciences education. In order to help students to improve critical thinking skills, and demonstrate alternative approaches in STEM education, teachers are expected to create learning modules. The project will focus not only on how teachers could learn to build Bios4You-based educational modules but also on how they could develop effective STEM activities in formal, non-formal and informal environments. Forty national (10 in each national language) and 5 transnational teaching/learning modules will be created. At least 250 teachers will be trained during eight national multiplier workshops. About forty teachers will participate in the two Teacher Summer Schools also contributing to the implementation of the learning units in the school classroom. About 200 students from the four countries will be involved in the pilot phase and 20 of them will be involved in mobility. In the project, teachers will benefit from exploring modern approaches in STEM education and teaching facilities in the field of Bio-Science. Specific bio-inspired STEM educational scenarios, OERs, teaching/learning tools and best practices provided by European school educators over the BioS4You e-learning platform will impact on teaching process and inspire pedagogical innovation and modernization. Finally, the project will strengthen the profile of the teaching professions. The specific results and impact for students are: • to allow students to connect their learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math together with concerns related to environmental, social and health issues, creating a direct connection between what students are learning and how it is applied in the real world; • to enhance project-based learning experiences that expose students to the critical thinking skills necessary for success in the 21st century; • to create wonder, critique, inquiry, and innovation in students’ learning, improving student interest and satisfaction. BioS4You will expand the methodology and resources for enhancing teacher proficiency and student competence required by modern society. The results will affect the educational and economic transformation of the partner countries (Italy, Germany, Lithuania, and Turkey) in particular, and of Europe, in general.
The main objective of this project is to engross young European learners in STEM subjects with their exciting issues in this field, including the social and environmental impact of new technologies like Bio-science, Bio-Engineering, Bio-Architecture, Bio-Technology, Bio-Photonics. Therefore, it helps them in broaden their horizon and achieve higher competencies. Furthermore, these topics help them to improve their interest and knowledge and make them more aware of the relevant subjects useful in their future, like sustainability, accessibility, responsibility, biodiversity, self-regulation, social behavior, and development. Very motivated and trained teachers are needed to successfully motivate young learners toward STEM subjects and strengthen their basic skills and critical competencies. Because of that, another relevant objective of the Bios4You project is to support upper secondary STEM school teachers and put their collaboration into applying new teaching strategies and innovative ideas in the field of Bio-inspired education.
Recent studies about the prior status of education in STEM fields indicate that many students are not motivated and interested in STEM disciplines and find the courses tiresome. This trend in education points out the need for a progressive switch toward student-centered approaches that are set apart from conventional teaching. We need the students to be goal-oriented, creative, and able to solve problems and innovate to be future responsible European citizens and workers. Generally, a trained workforce and employees in the STEM field need companies that want to compete in the global economy based on data and information, digital technologies, and innovation. Bios4You is playing an essential role in bridging the gap between the STEM national curricula, including critical content in science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and the Z-generation students' requirements to be enthusiastic concerning social, environmental, and health issues. This project also proposes a new and innovative way to help schools to transform their curriculum, emphasizing academic excellence.