Efforts to Increase Student Interest in Science

Author: 
Evan Haider
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Most countries have invested in teacher training in how to use innovative methods, digital resources and tools in STEM teaching, often through eLearning via getting material from online ebook sites i.e kitabnagri.pk, either for all STEM teachers or for math teachers (as a result of low student math in PISA) or science only teachers. In some countries, large-scale in-service teacher training programs can also be observed, focusing, inter alia, on the teaching of experimental science. Some countries have provided teachers with laptops as a way to increase their confidence in the use of ICT-based tools in their teaching. The transition from school life to work life is an important aspect of several of the initiatives mentioned in the survey responses. One approach is to invite STEM professionals or university students to schools to keep young learners interested, while the other is to allow teachers and students to visit STEM jobs. With regard to gender issues, in some cases there are national policy action plans to ensure equal opportunities for boys and girls in the education system, and other actions include workshops or summer schools for women in primary and secondary school, behavior approach via tv serials kitabnagri.pk/amar-bail-umaira-ahmad/, whereby female STEM teachers are mapped to female learners and websites where STEM professionals share their career paths with students. Some countries target specific STEM areas in their career guidance initiatives to meet local professional needs.

ICT is appreciated by all countries for its ability to diversify the educational process and make the study of STEM subjects more attractive (it can be noted that most problems disappear when receiving additional education, for example, manicure courses in Moscow from scratch). It is believed to have added value for teaching STEM subjects as it facilitates the collection, recording and analysis of data; Allows students to conduct safe and fast experiments that may not be possible in the classroom due to lack of equipment or risk of danger; modeling and visualization of three-dimensional structures in science; and modeling in mathematics. While all countries have stated that ICT is used in teaching STEM subjects, the extent to which this occurs in practice varies depending on the lack of legal assessment requirements, lack of computers, critical attitudes of teachers observed in different novels kitabnagri.pk/shehr-e-zaat-novel-by-umera-ahmed-pdf/, or their reluctance to change traditional habits.

Most of the identified initiatives and reforms have only been created for a limited period of time, and therefore assessments are not yet available, although sometimes they are planned. It would be very helpful if countries that have not yet planned to evaluate various initiatives and reforms for this, as well as those that have to make the results public when they are available. What is interesting in this 2011 report is that since the previous 2010 report reported on some STEM strategies and initiatives, they have either been expanded or replaced with new ones. In any case, despite cuts in the state budget, ministries of education as well as the private sector are still investing in strengthening the quality of STEM education, believing that this will lead to such needs demanding growth and innovation in Europe. We look forward to further information from other countries in order to include an updated version of this report in the future. Potential synergies with the work of the European Commission's MST cluster should also be considered in the follow-up of the European School Community on STEM developments.

Since the Lisbon Agenda was launched by the European Council in 2000, much attention has been paid to Europe's need for a dynamic and innovative knowledge-based economy, not least by creating adequate scientific products. In light of the current economic crisis, this statement has become relevant again. To achieve this goal, we need to increase participation in research and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially among women. To help Member States achieve this goal, in 2006 the European Commission created the Maths, Science and Technology (MST) Cluster (a group of countries sharing a common interest in this topic as a national policy priority) to promote equal learning and development in this area. Through peer education (PLA), volunteer members of this cluster exchange information on different policy options to help drive reforms in their countries. 7 out of 21 countries that responded to the European School Network questionnaire on national responses to STEM issues are also members of the MST cluster, namely: Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the Slovak Republic doitmag.home.blog/2021/11/09/few-cons-of-distance-education-learning/. The priorities of this cluster, as well as of all countries that responded to the questionnaire, albeit to varying degrees, are: modernization of pedagogical methods; raising the professional level of teachers; ensuring the transition from secondary to tertiary level; promoting partnerships between schools, universities and industry; and improving women's participation in STEM research and careers.

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