The key objectives of the project consisted of the definition and pilot implementation of a strategy to support teachers and family members to: ● Equally promote STEM studies and careers to girls’ and boys’ students ● Deconstruct the notion of STEM as a ‘masculine club’ ● Exploit the STEAM framework igniting critical thinking, problem solving and the creative process in STEM teaching, rather than within conventional, isolated knowledge compartments. The TARGET GROUPS OF THE PROJECT are: ● Secondary level school teachers (STEM and humanities) ● Supporting teaching staff (supporting learning environment and parents’ involvement) ● School principals/leaders (as teacher and school program evaluators/monitoring actors) Secondary target groups are parents including parent-teacher-students associations, institutional bodies, and governing structures for secondary education at regional and national levels (also including VET), HEI-secondary education collaborating bodies.
Origins were based on the fact that Gender aspects play an important role in science education, conditioning choices, and beliefs as grounded on self-estimation of one’s own capacities. Research has shown that women remain still underrepresented in STEM, and this underrepresentation is evident beyond students across education levels, within the fields of teachers, researchers, academicians, and the labour market. Eventually, this gendered pattern extends into tertiary education and career choices (TIMSS 2015; TIMSS Advanced 2015; UNESCO, 2017). In tracing the factors, sources, and determinants of girls’ (and boys’) relationship with STEM, it seems that students’ achievement in STEM up to and during secondary education level don’t imply significant, gender-based differentiations in science performance (OECD 2018 and PISA 2015). However, it is during secondary level when substantial gender disparities kick-in regarding interest towards STEM, demonstrating that girls gradually start losing interest in STEM at the age of 12-15 and beyond. Research indicates that girls' involvement in STEM are influenced by societal, family, cultural, and school/peer factors at lower and upper secondary levels, with each factor impacting the others.