Tackling STEM Challenges in Europe

1. Tackling STEM Challenges in Europe 02/05/2012 Alexa Joyce

2. What is European Schoolnet (EUN)? Network of 31 Ministries of Education in Europe Dedicated to Support schools in bringing about the best use of technology in learning Promote the European dimension in schools and education Improve and raise the quality of education in Europe

3. Three mains Strands of activities Three strands of activity Policy and Practice: Innovation andexchange EUN Activities Interoperability andcontent exchange – Resource platform School networkingand services – Validation and support

4. Focus on STEM Education • 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

5. European students: low interest in science Horizontal axis: Human Development IndexVertical axis: Scores on questions designed to measure positive attitudes towards studying science Svein Sjoberg, University of Oslo: Project ROSE

6. Schoolnet’sApproach • In-service training and support • Access to new resources and contents Motivated and recognised teachers Innovative pedagogy and creative curriculum • Embed actions in the curriculum. • Identify and promote transferable good • practice. • 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 Industry engagement

7. 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

8. inGenious objectives 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

9. inGenious in a nutshell Education–Industry cooperation addressing Attractiveness In STEM Supporting and federating national initiatives Offering European Exchange platform Multistakeholder initiative

10. inGenious in a nutshell

11. inGenious in a nutshell Supporting and federating national initiatives

12. 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

13. Who’s involved in InGenious?

14. 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

15. 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%.

16. White Paper on STEM Education • Proposes a systemic approach based on partnership to address multiple and complex factors at stake

17. Need for partnership

18. White Paperconclusions... • 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

19. …and recommendations • 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

20. Further information http://www.eun.org http://www.ingenious-science.eu Contact: alexa.joyce@eun.org Thank you.