Deliverable 6.1

Policy Brief 1 (PDF)

Policy briefs 1 – Summary

Findings:

1. STEM is understood and defined as four separate disciplines in almost all partner countries.
2. The majority of partner countries do not have a formal STEM curriculum.
3. Partner countries have serious STEM action plans, but none of them have a dedicated STEM education policy.
4. None of the countries has STEM teachers, all countries have teachers of different STEM disciplines.
5. Policies regarding the training of the in-service teachers vary across the
   partner countries.
6. Most of the partner countries prepare STEM teachers primarily as content experts and then as experts in pedagogy.
7. Most of the countries face challenges with teacher shortages on STEM subjects.
8. None of the countries offer training in a structural way to teachers for teaching STEM in an interdisciplinary way.
9. In most countries, there is no systematic training for in-service teachers considering STEM education.

Needs

1. Set up STEM policies on national and EU level.
2. Support development of interdisciplinary STEM education to promote
   competences and entrepreneurial skills.
3. Prepare curricula that is breaking the boundaries between the disciplines and is competence oriented and linked to everyday problems.
4. Teacher professional development in line with new societal changes (i.e.
   emphasis on inclusion, sustainable development).
5. Bottom-up approach to identify teachers need in professional development and longer professional development courses.
6. Develop exemplar STEM teaching materials.
7. Prepare teachers to discuss ethical issues and uncertainties in STEM.
8. Promote mobility of STEM teachers and exchange of training in STEM.