Tackling STEM Challenges in Europe

www.europeanschoolnet.org - www.eun.org

Tackling STEM Challenges in Europe

Alexa Joyce

02/05/2012

www.europeanschoolnet.org - www.eun.org2

Dedicated to

Support schools in bringing about the best use

of technology in learning

Promote the Europeandimension in schools

and education

Improve and raise the quality of education

in Europe

Network of 31 Ministriesof Education in Europe

What is European Schoolnet (EUN)?


Three strands of activity

EUN Activities

Policy and Practice: Innovation and

exchange

School networkingand services – Validation and

support

Interoperability andcontent exchange – Resource platform

Three mains Strands of activities


• Europe is training too few scientists, technology experts and engineers– Asian countries train twice as many scientists

compared to European member states, and three times as many engineers.

• Europe’s highest scientific achievers – Finnish students – outperformed by Chinese students in Shanghai and Hong Kong

• Downward trend in choice of scientific higher education and career paths: Need for structural change

Focus on STEM Education


European students: low interest in scienceHorizontal axis: Human Development IndexVertical axis: Scores on questions designed to measure positive attitudes towards studying science

Svein Sjoberg, University of Oslo: Project ROSE


Motivated and recognised teachers

Innovative pedagogyand creative curriculum

• In-service training and support• Access to new resources and contents

•Embed actions in the curriculum.•Identify and promote transferable good

practice.

Schoolnet’s Approach

Industry engagement

Assess how industry can help:•Better understanding of science studies

and jobs (role models, visits, ..)

•Motivation: link to real life/societal issues

•Decision making on career choices


From good practices to structural changes

European Coordinating Body for Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths Education

(inGenious)•8.3 M Euro investment – 50% from EC, 50% from industry•Federate key players at national and international level •16 multi-national companies via European Round Table of Industrialists + 10 Ministries/national science education platforms/universities/federations & associations•New partners can join any time


Bring teachers and industry together to excite students about STEM, by

•Demonstrating how science and technology skills can help young people get jobs

•Enhancing the perception of school science and showing how cutting edge science and technology contributes to students’ lives

•Giving a more realistic view of scientific jobs, to fight stereotypes and encourage women and minorities to consider scientific careers

inGenious objectives


Education–Industry cooperation addressing

AttractivenessIn STEM

Supporting and federating

national initiatives

OfferingEuropeanExchange platform

Multistakeholder initiative

inGenious in a nutshell




Supporting and federating

national initiatives



Immediate actions

Policy and Practices observatory

Core network of pilot schools for validation

Dissemination and engagement of extended network

Experts and teachers scientific committee/ Strategic group

Associate Partners


Who’s involved in InGenious?


Future participation in STEM studies and careers

“Finally student motivation and interest remains relatively low because they struggle to link school STEM experiences to their lives.”

Intel White Paper - Science, technology, engineering and mathematics education: Overcoming challenges in Europe

EUN (2012), in collaboration with Intel


White Paper on STEM Education

• Outlines state of STEM education in the EMEA region and reasons why the region’s future competitiveness in innovation is in peril

• STEM skills gap in European EMEA countries compared to other regions across the globe is widening: in Asian countries STEM students can account for up to 20% of the student population, whereas in Europe, this percentage is only around 2%.


• Proposes a systemic approach based on partnership to address multiple and complex factors at stake

White Paper on STEM Education


Need for partnership


• Suggests steps locally and across participating countries in order to benchmark

• Highlights the role of science fairs and events in stimulating interest in STEM topics and careers , and the importance of equipping teachers in the context of a fast changing STEM industry and research scenario

• Outlines key priorities and successful models for scaling up STEM activities within the informal field as well as the formal education system

• Formulates a set of 5 recommendations to mainstream islands of innovation and deploy a systemic approach

White Paper conclusions...


• Recommendation 1: Establish and enhance sustainable multi-stakeholder partnerships to combine forces to tackle the challenges of STEM education

• Recommendation 2: Enhance and reform STEM curricula, pedagogy and assessment

• Recommendation 3: Embed science fairs and festivals in the mainstream of school activity

• Recommendation 4: Offer more support to STEM teachers

• Recommendation 5: Learn from and build on excellent approaches

…and recommendations


http://www.eun.orghttp://www.ingenious-science.eu

Contact: [email protected]

Thank you.

Further information

Documents

Tackling STEM Challenges in Europe