Teaching standard STEM topics with a key competence approach

Welcome to STEMkey

STEMkey has been launched to provide solutions to support the EU’s key competence initiative in the scope of STEM education.

STEM education at school traditionally delivers isolated subject knowledge like functions, human anatomy and chemical reactions. Learners’ skills to apply gained knowledge and attitudes to set it in context with their life and societal decision-making processes have not been sufficiently nurtured likewise.

However, research has shown that, only in combination with skills and attitudes, can knowledge be used to its full potential, and can children become responsible citizens and decision-makers.

STEMkey focus on key competences: knowledge, skills and attitudes

The EU-funded project STEMkey (‘Teaching standard STEM topics with a key competence approach’, 2020-2023) will enable future STEM teachers to refrain from teaching with the sole purpose of knowledge-transfer of a single STEM subject. This simply does not measure up to todays and tomorrows challenges anymore. Instead, STEM teachers will learn how to nurture their students’ key competences when delivering standard STEM content, which means to deliver subject knowledge and allow the development of skills and attitudes to use this knowledge in various societal and real-life contexts in equal measure.

A major part hereby is to use an integrated STEM education approach, which means, STEM education across disciplines. Interdisciplinary STEM education! FIND OUT MORE!

Project Aims

One part of the solution is to train future teachers in “being STEM key competent”. They need to understand the relation between knowledge, skills and attitudes, how they affect each other and how they have an effect on their students’ learning experience and personal life.

In this context, interdisciplinary STEM teaching and learning is the way to go, as it demonstrates the linkages between each STEM subject, each STEM topic…and, in the bigger picture, each solution in the context of maths, science, engineering and technology.

Hardly any decision in real life can be made within a box. We must think outside the box and develop an understanding how everything is connected, how systems evolve…and how we can improve systems, how we can improve life…when learning and working across disciplines.

To achieve this objective, we develop teaching modules to be used in Higher Education programmes and training for future STEM teachers, covering all STEM disciplines and exemplarily dealing with topics from each discipline (e.g. light representing physics education, algorithms representing informatics or the periodic system representing chemistry). Each module applies various tested and proven innovative educational approaches, such as inquiry-based learning, digital learning or real-life contextualisation.

A Strategic Partnership

As STEMkey places a strong focus on establishing and nourishing a strong strategic partnership, network options play an important role.

Although responsibility for Higher Education rests within the EU Member States, cooperation in this field is imperative. Fundamental STEM topics across Europe are alike: chemical reactions, functions, anatomy, etc. are taught in each country. Jointly rethinking traditional teaching contents is a challenging process, as decades of teaching tradition have to be examined with impartiality and new creativity but without losing sight of experience. Transnational cooperation adds value to the actual reshaping process as we can view the various STEM topics from many angles and consequently enrich each teaching module.

Naturally, cross-border collaboration during the output production process and evaluation results, stemming from a multi-country perspective, help us to design each module as universally applicable as possible (across different contexts, cultures and political systems).

Find out more about our team!

Target Groups

We address the following main target user groups:

Future STEM teachers (students in initial teacher education (ITE) programmes)
Higher education teaching staff involved in STEM ITE
Decision-makers and lead positions, e.g. rectors, deans, heads of STEM education departments at partner institutions
Staff responsible for curriculum design and course programs of partner institutions.

Interdisciplinary STEM Education

STEMkey develops 13 learning modules for Higher Education STEM programmes. Each module covers another standard STEM topic exemplarily to support the EU’s Key Competence Framework across STEM education. In particular, the development of out-of-the-box Critical Thinking in relation to the covered STEM topics is used to practice interdisciplinary STEM teaching and learning.

Each module starts from another discipline: maths, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and (digital) technology, and thus sets a subject focus to chose from. The modules will be linked to each other, tackling exemplary problems from different STEM discipline perspectives and offers paths to use them in a bigger interdisciplinary picture. What has maths to offer to solve a physics problem? How do chemistry and biology relate when trying to understand our world? How does each system, our society, our world function in and across disciplines?

The educational approaches which are mainly used in the STEMkey models and have the potential to adress the requirements as set by the Key-Competence Framework are:

Real-life contexts
Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), Experiential Learning and Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Gender-balanced activities
Diversity-embracing activities
Digitally-supported learning

Multiplier Events

Innovative Chemistry Teaching: Insights from the Multiplier Event in the Czech Republic (October 1-2, 2021)

The “Conference of Chemistry Teachers’ Innovative Teaching Ideas,” a pivotal event in the STEMkey project, was held with resounding success on October 1 and 2, 2021. This gathering, a collaboration between CUNI’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Education, the Czech Chemical Society, and Voleman Travel Agency, served as a dynamic forum for educators and experts in the STEM field.

The conference, attended by 36 dedicated professionals including secondary education teachers, future educators, and STEM enthusiasts, focused on the dissemination and discussion of innovative teaching methodologies. The event centered around key project outputs such as Chemical Reactions, the Periodic System, Measurement techniques, and the intriguing realm of Electricity.

Participants engaged in a rich tapestry of activities designed to foster interaction and collaborative learning. Highlights included thought-provoking presentations, interactive poster discussions, and hands-on working group sessions. These activities not only facilitated a deep dive into the project’s outputs but also spurred discussions on strategies for broadening the reach and impact of these innovative teaching methodologies.

A particularly engaging aspect of the conference was an excursion to the social enterprise Camellus, providing participants with tangible insights into the application of STEM teaching in real-world contexts.

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, with participants appreciating the opportunity to integrate and apply innovative pedagogies in chemistry teaching. The event’s success has set the stage for future engagements, with plans to organize another national Multiplier Event in the Czech Republic, aiming to broaden the reach and deepen the impact of these innovative educational strategies.

STEMkey Multiplier Workshop: Bridging Education and Innovation at PBE Conference 2022, Czech Republic

The STEMkey Multiplier Workshop at the PBE Conference 2022 in the Czech Republic stood out as a beacon of innovative educational strategies in STEM. Hosted by the Faculty of Education at Charles University, this hybrid event welcomed 50 participants from the Czech Republic and beyond, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and practices in science education.

Designed to overcome the limitations of COVID-19 restrictions, the workshop successfully blended physical and virtual elements, ensuring a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. Participants delved into a range of innovative methodologies, including project-based, inquiry-based, and competence-based teaching, facilitated by a collaboration of international partners and experts.

The workshop’s program, enriched by a comprehensive showcase of Intellectual Outputs (IOs) and insightful poster presentations, emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the STEMkey project. Engaging discussions, interactive presentations, and constructive evaluations highlighted the event, with a particular focus on the application of key competence-oriented delivery, interdisciplinary approaches, and critical thinking in STEM education.

Participants left the workshop not only with a deeper understanding of the latest educational strategies but also with a clear pathway to the STEMkey project’s resources and upcoming materials. This event marked a significant step forward in fostering a future where science education is deeply intertwined with key competencies and real-life applications.

Global Outreach: STEMkey Multiplier Event at Istanbul's 3rd International STEM Education Conference (July 2-3, 2022)

The 3rd International STEM Education Conference in Istanbul magnified the reach of the STEMkey Multiplier Event, drawing an eclectic mix of 232 participants from 13 countries. HU’s adept organization of the event transcended expectations in participant engagement and budgetary scope, establishing an ideal platform for expansive dissemination within the STEM education sector.

Themed “Promoting Key Competences in STEM Education,” the conference offered a vibrant array of presentations, workshops, and expos. It shone a spotlight on the EU’s key competence approach, specifically tailored for STEM education, and presented practical interdisciplinary strategies. The event’s rich program not only shared the Intellectual Outputs (IOs) but also facilitated direct interaction and feedback, ensuring the methodologies’ practical applicability in various educational settings.

Extensive promotion across networks and media channels, including coverage by the Turkish press, amplified the event’s reach. The conference’s success was marked by its ability to inspire participants to initiate and engage in long-term educational activities, emphasizing the integration of key competences in STEM education. Additionally, it served as a nexus for connecting a multitude of national and European educational projects, fostering a collaborative and influential educational ecosystem.

Fostering Digital Competence: National Multiplier Event at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus

The University of Nicosia hosted a pivotal national Multiplier Event titled “Digital Competences in STEM Education,” shining a spotlight on integrating digital skills into STEM topics. This one-day event emphasized the dissemination of outputs O9 – Light, O8 – Electricity, and O1 – Introduction, while also focusing on supporting key competences in STEM, particularly digital competencies.

Geared towards a diverse audience of pre and in-service STEM teachers, professional development providers, and representatives from nationally recognized institutions, the event fostered an inclusive approach to STEM education. Special attention was given to encouraging participation from girls and students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Collaboratively organized with the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the Ministry of Education, the event provided a platform for comprehensive learning and engagement. The day was structured around plenary talks introducing key competences, digital competences, and the STEMkey project, followed by interactive parallel workshops focused on outputs O1, O8, and O9. These workshops explored innovative educational tools like programming, augmented reality, virtual reality, and AI, offering participants hands-on experience in enhancing STEM education through digital means.

Transdisciplinary STEM Workshop: Bridging Disciplines at Zagreb University, Croatia

Zagreb University’s Faculty of Science hosted a dynamic one-day STEM Key Competence Workshop, transcending traditional subject boundaries to embrace a transdisciplinary approach. Initially focusing on mathematics, physics, and digitalization, the event broadened its scope, integrating a diverse array of Intellectual Outputs (IOs) and welcoming student groups from Germany, Poland, and Croatia. This diverse mix fostered an enriching intercultural exchange and a deeper exploration of integrated STEM education.

The workshop featured interactive sessions on topics such as the carbon cycle, the human body, and mathematical functions, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Special emphasis was placed on cross-disciplinary cooperation, exemplified by the participation of UNIZG’s Mirela Sertić from the Biology department, enhancing the workshop’s educational breadth. Participants, ranging from high school to university level, engaged in discussions about the EU Key Competence Framework and delved into subjects like critical thinking, creativity, and various STEM fields.

The workshop’s innovative approach highlighted the significance of recognizing and accommodating diverse student attitudes, tailoring teaching methods to foster a comprehensive understanding of STEM subjects.

This event not only showcased Zagreb University’s commitment to fostering key competences in STEM education but also set a benchmark for future educational initiatives, promoting a culture of collaborative, interdisciplinary learning.

Empowering Digital Excellence in STEM: Multiplier Event at the University of Cyprus

The University of Cyprus hosted the insightful one-day event “Digital Competences in STEM Education,” spotlighting the integration of digital competencies into STEM teaching. The event, primarily focused on disseminating outputs O9 – Light and O8 – Electricity, also delved into broader themes such as supporting key competences, particularly emphasizing the inclusion of girls and students from disadvantaged backgrounds in STEM education.

Attended by a diverse group of pre and in-service STEM teachers, professional development providers, and representatives from the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, the event fostered a comprehensive understanding of how new technologies and digital skills can be seamlessly woven into STEM education.

The sessions, interactive and informative, provided in-depth insights into the topics of electricity and light, stimulating discussions on the role of digital competences in these areas. The event, a collaboration between the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the Ministry of Education, ensured broad accessibility to teachers across Cyprus, reinforcing the commitment to inclusive and forward-looking STEM education.

Held on April 5th, this second iteration of the multiplier event catered to 30 pre-service teachers and university trainers, addressing the need for a follow-up due to the high interest and previous cancellations caused by a COVID outbreak. The University of Cyprus’s invitation to present the STEM approach to its students underscored the relevance and growing recognition of integrating digital competences in STEM education, marking a significant step forward in nurturing future-ready educators.

Advancing STEM Education: Highlights from the II National STEM Education Conference

The II National STEM Education Conference, held on June 3, 2023, marked a significant milestone in STEM education, drawing an impressive attendance of 231 participants. Hosted by IE-ULisboa, the conference aimed to extensively disseminate the project’s results and Intellectual Outputs (IOs), reaching a wide audience through promotions on the institute’s website, newsletter, and social media platforms.

The one-day event catered to a diverse audience including pre-service and in-service teachers, researchers, policymakers, and PhD students, all united by a common interest in STEM education. The conference’s inclusive approach went beyond the initial plan, disseminating all IOs to showcase the project’s integrated approach, thus enriching the learning experience across multiple disciplines.

The conference’s structure facilitated deep engagement with the key competence concept in STEM education, featuring a plenary lecture followed by working group sessions focusing on the IOs. These sessions were designed to foster interactive discussions, allowing participants to delve into the materials, share experiences, and explore the potential integration of STEM subjects into national curricula.

Active participation from invited policymakers ensured that the discussions were not only theoretical but also practical, paving the way for the incorporation of innovative pedagogical approaches and STEM education materials into national education frameworks.

The outcomes of this enriching conference were not confined to the event itself. Recommendations on supporting the development of key competences through innovative teaching methods and the implementation of STEM education in initial teacher training are set to be shared widely, with publications in educational journals and on the international project website, ensuring a lasting impact on the field of STEM education.

Summer School in Lisbon

The University of Lisbon hosted the transformative STEMkey Summer School from June 26th to July 1st, 2023, marking a significant leap in promoting integrated and participatory STEM education. This one-week event brought together students and teaching staff from across Europe, immersing them in a diverse range of activities centered on the project’s Intellectual Outputs (IOs).

The summer school’s program was meticulously crafted to foster collaborative and participatory learning, featuring lectures, workshops, and world café sessions. These activities were not only based on the IOs of the STEMkey project but also offered a platform for future teachers to engage in profound discussions, debates, and group work. School excursions provided a unique glimpse into school life in another country, enriching the learning experience.

One of the most impactful aspects of the summer school was the opportunity it provided for students to immerse themselves in Europe’s diverse cultures and perspectives. This exposure was crucial in shaping their attitudes towards key competence development and understanding the significance of cultural and traditional influences in STEM education. Workshop sessions were specially designed to enhance the skills aspect of key competence development, encouraging students to co-design classroom tasks and engage in cross-disciplinary teaching sessions.

The summer school also served as a concentrated learning hub, allowing students to delve deeply into the concept of key competences and their application in STEM education. The collaboration between teaching staff from hosting and partner institutions was instrumental in refining the project’s materials and approaches, fostering a cross-disciplinary and multinational educational environment.

The STEMkey Summer School at the University of Lisbon stands as a testament to the power of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and culturally enriched education, setting new standards for the future of STEM teaching and learning.

Supporting Materials

12 Higher Education Institutions from as many countries worked together on the STEMkey project to provide you with practice-ready material (activities, background information and guidelines) involving latest STEM education research: competence-based, real-life embedded and interdisciplinary.

Choose and enjoy!

Videos

STEMkey: Assesment of Students' Key Competences

STEMkey: Interdisciplinary Approach

STEMkey: Key Competence Approach

Modules

STEMkey Module 1 – Introduction on Developing Key Competences with an interdisciplinary approach in STEM education

Elevating STEM Education through Key Competences and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Welcome to Module IO1, a cornerstone of our Erasmus+ project that synergizes key competences with interdisciplinary STEM education. This module acts as a gateway to the EU’s Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, showcasing the transformative power of interdisciplinary STEM methods in educational settings.

What IO1 Delivers:

A thorough understanding of the EU’s Key Competences Framework and its pivotal role in shaping Europe’s educational future.
Innovative strategies to weave learners’ key competences into a cohesive series of 13 interrelated modules.
A focus on interdisciplinary perspectives, emphasizing the significance of Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Problem-Solving in solving real-life problems.
An exploration of educational methods such as inquiry-based learning (IBL), project-based learning (PBL), and engineering design processes (EDP) that nurture key competences.
Integration of digital tools and inclusive learning environments, catering to the diverse needs of students, particularly girls in STEM.

Needs Analysis:

The EU’s Key Competence Framework, although crucial, remains underrepresented in STEM education, which tends to favor conventional subject-specific teaching. Our exploration in IO1 highlighted the need for a paradigm shift to effectively integrate these competences into educational practices. We’ve reimagined the delivery of standard STEM subjects to embrace interdisciplinarity and bolster skills like Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Problem-Solving.

Target Groups:

Designed primarily for Higher Education staff in future STEM teacher programs, IO1-13 also offer valuable perspectives for in-service STEM teachers aiming to refine their teaching methodologies. Each subject module (IO2-12) is crafted to be flexible and applicable in STEM classrooms.

Innovativeness:

At the heart of IO1 is a groundbreaking approach that strengthens learners’ key competences (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) in STEM subjects. It draws from diverse STEM disciplines and prioritizes the cultivation of Critical Thinking as a key skill across all STEM and digital competences.

Expected Impact:

IO1 has been a catalyst for increased awareness and understanding of the EU’s key competence framework, promoting a holistic approach to STEM education. It equips educators with the tools to deliver STEM topics integratively, ensuring balanced development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. By introducing Critical Thinking and Creativity as core elements, IO1 prepares educators to effectively foster these skills in their STEM classes.

With our finalized educational concept we enable learners to develop Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Problem-Solving through the activities in IO2-12. This “triple concept” forms the backbone of our STEMkey framework, representing a forward-thinking solution that enriches our understanding and implementation of the EU’s Key Competence Framework in STEM education.

Download the materials for module 01 here, available in English and German.

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STEMkey Module 2 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Mathematics: Functions

STEMkey Module 2 focuses on the mathematical standard topic “functions”. The concept of functions is fundamental in mathematics and all other STEM subjects. Even though most people do not realize it, but they use functions in many all-daily situations, be it to calculate a taxi fare with fixed start price and per kilometre travelled (linear function), the trajectory of a ball (quadratic function) or the spreading of a virus (exponential function).

In the first phase of the project, University of Zagreb has set an outline for the module and has discussed it with all project partners to work on the interdisciplinary connections to the other modules. The outline is based on the development of three specific competences:

Observing dependencies and modelling with functions in the real world;
Developing and using the concept of a function in different representations;
Recognizing and using (properties of various) elementary functions.

Each of these competences will be explained in more detail on the level of knowledge, skills and attitudes according to the key competence framework and followed by activities based on interdisciplinary examples. Each IO Module contains an OULTINE, WORKSHEET & PRESENTATION.

Poster Download: STEMkey Module 2 on Functions

Download the materials for module 2 here, available in English, Netherlands & German. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

STEMkey Module 3 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Mathematics: Measurement

Measurement is an important topic in mathematics education with many connections to other science disciplines and connections to alldaily life.

Words like weight, volume and liters are related, but also have different meanings or use, depending on the context and the language used in academic, school or daily life situations.

“Authentic contexts can be used to provide opportunities for students to learn (basic) measuring skills and to develop transversal skills like critical thinking” (Doorman, 2019; Wijers & Jonker, 2017).

Thus, Module 3 works with a variety of authentic contexts to pursue an innovative key competence approach to the standard topic measurement which supports knowledge on measurement, skills to measure and apply measuring issues in alldaily life, and a mindset which is able to critically reflect on scales.

The project team from the University of Utrecht finalized addresses measurement in Higher Education programmes for future STEM teachers with an interdisciplinary eye on qualitative and quantitative measures, involves the use of mobile phones and a critical reflection on their scales, and makes a step beyond a traditional central position of staircase models. The educational activities use approaches like inquiry-based and technology-enhanced learning and offer illustrative examples for all genders and learners from all backgrounds.

Download the STEMkey Measurement Poster.

Download the materials for module 3 here, available in English, German, Netherlands & Turkish. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

Doorman, L. M. (2019). Contexts to Make Mathematics Accessible and Relevant for Students—Jan de Lange’s Contributions to Realistic Mathematics Education. In W. Blum, M. Artigue, M. A. Mariotti, R. Sträßer, & M. Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen (Eds.), European Traditions in Didactics of Mathematics (pp. 73–78).

Wijers, M., & Jonker, V. (2017). Authentic contexts in mathematics textbooks in secondary pre-vocational education (VMBO). In B. Grevholm (Ed.), Mathematics textbooks, their content, use and influences. Research in Nordic and Baltic countries (pp. 245-268). Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

STEMkey Module 4 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Biology: Human anatomy and physiology

To better contextualize and deepen student’s knowledge about human anatomy and physiology and the subject’s interconnectedness with other STEM fields, the team from University of Maribor worked out experiments which showcase the inner workings of human anatomy in a new way. In-built phone sensors measure the results of these experiments to allow the usage by more or less anyone, as people are able to perform them in their home as opposed to in laboratories. In this way, the subject is taught more interactively and intuitively thus increasing the student’s grasp of the knowledge as well as giving the students better sense of the interconectedness of the knowledge with other STEM fields.

Download the materials for module 4 here, available in English. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

STEMkey Module 5 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Biology: Material cycles

Knowledge about Material Cycles is vital for understanding ecosystems and ecosystem services on the local, regional and global levels. When it comes to the current debate about climate change and possible strategies to cope with it, it is, for example, decisive that young citizens can understand how the carbon cycle (illustrative example worked on in this module) works on our planet.

For this purpose, the experts from the University of Innsbruck have developed teaching material on the carbon cycle, which consists of different modules, can be flexibly used, and expanded. The acquisition of competencies on the carbon cycle also leads to reflective handling of socio-scientific issues, such as climate change. Intellectual Output 5 bridges the gap between the importance of acquiring knowledge and the boring way it is taught by connecting material cycles across disciplines and connecting them to a real-life context. The food production industry is one of the largest CO2 producers on our planet. Young people need to acquire knowledge and skills to make thoughtful decisions when it comes to choosing food and become more sensitive to food waste and food transport (develop attitudes). Therefore, we developed teaching material, which can be directly linked to school or private gardens and raise awareness for the topic of food production.

Get an Overview on our Module (available here anytime soon)

STEMkey Poster_Material_Cycles

Download the materials for module 5 here, available in English. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 6 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Chemistry: Chemical Reactions

Chemical reactions bear outstanding potential to be connected to many profound processes of life on Earth: e.g. reproduction, digestion, growth, birth of stars, the universe and development of matter…however the topic is presented very formally: often approached by showing examples as a first step and then, consequently, calculating various chemical equations. This mostly happens theoretically without integrating experimental activities and connections to everyday life. Therefore, for many students at school, these calculations and equations are little more than numbers and letters without any relevant meaning, hard to understand at that.

The aim of Module 6, provided by the Charles University in Prague, is to present a conceptual and pedagogical guidance for the topic Chemical Reactions within the EU’s Key Competence Framework. Offering examples for teachers’ and learner’s activities, starting off from an analysis of textbooks and other instructional materials, IO6 provides background information, guidance, and worksheets for pre-service Chemistry/Science/STEM teachers education.

You can download here:

STEMkey Poster 6_Chemical_Reactions

Download the materials for module 6 here, available in English. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 7 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Chemistry: The Periodic System

Why should students care about the periodic system or chemical elements? In NTNU‘s teaching module an interdisciplinary, curiosity-driven and student active approach to teaching the periodic table is exercised for all STEM teachers to take it up. Instead of presenting the periodic table as factual knowledge to be learnt by heart, we invite students to reflect on why and how researchers systematize knowledge and matter, and how such processes can render different categorisations, like the various representations of the periodic system. Students get to feel the weight of same volumes of titanium, iron, copper, and aluminium to reflect on how mass is an important principle for the categorisation of the periodic system. Research implies that students are more motivated to learn if the scientific topics are placed in a context. Therefore, the activities introduce elements that have some personal, professional or societal relevance; students are invovled in discussions of socio-scientific issues related to theseelements. 3D models of the periodic system are used to help students visualize trends instead of memorizing them. By making such a student-active module for pre-service-teachers, NTNU hopes to encourage a motivating and student active approach to teach the periodic table to students all over Europe.

Download the STEMkey Periodic Table Poster

Download the materials for module 7 here, available in English, Slovenian, German & Norwegian. The materials include an outline, worksheets, a presentation, paper model instructions & 3D Lego instructions.

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STEMkey Module 8 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Physics: Electricity

The Electricity STEMkey Module 8 consists of three activities. Each activity starts with a day-to-day context and follows an inquiry-based learning approach. In the first activity, a fictitious example was selected, focusing on the real-world problem “Reverse Engineering”. The second activity has a context associated with lightning rods and the third activity is related to the human body.

Students are engaged in a number of science and engineering practices: asking questions and defining problems, developing models, constructing explanations and designing solutions, using different sources of information and software (e.g., Arduino), collecting and processing information/data, obtaining and communicating information.

In the module, different topics are provided to respond to gender-neutral learning, and suggestions for interdiscplinary pathways are given.

Download the STEMkey_Poster_IO8 Electricity.

Download the materials for module 8 here, available in English & Slovak. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 9 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Physics: Light

STEMkey Module 9 focuses on the standard topic of light and aims to prepare pre-service teachers to understand the topic of light, to provide pedagogical guidelines on how to address students’ difficulties on the specific topic, and engage them with innovative strategies, including the use of technology, to realize the EU Key Competence Framework in physics education.

Module 9 has its focus on the following competence-based aspects:

Knowledge: to understand reflection and diffusion of light
Skills: to use evidence to support their reasoning, develop argumentation skills and develop technological skills related to the use of virtual labs and shared designing spaces (i.e. https://chemix.org)
Attitudes: to develop a critical appreciation and curiosity of science in general, and in particular of light and its relevance for each of our lives.

Download the materials for module 9 here, available in English, German, Slovenian, Netherlands & Turkish. The materials include an outline and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 10 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Engineering: Household Appliances

Most Higher Education programs lack courses on Engineering Education. Many (future) STEM teachers have difficulties to transfer engineering practices to a teaching level in their classrooms.

Household Appliances are a standard topic of engineering, offering a vast field of practical application examples. Experiences begin in early childhood and at home, with blenders, vacuum-cleaners or hair-driers. Module 10 uses these reach contexts to students’ lifes to teach important features of engineering, enhancing its impact through a hands-on approach.

Module 10 explores ways of incorporating engineering concepts and practices into STEM education with “Household Appliances” as exemplary topic.The engineering process evolves along a Design Thinking Process, the teaching applies innovative methods such as inquiry-based learning and gender-neutral ways of working.

Future teachers have to define and solve a task by developing and/or improving a technology. For instance, they will be asked to design and build their own vacuum cleaner, blender, hair dryer or any other type of electric home appliance.

To solve their tasks, future teachers are expected to work like engineers and generate creative solutions. The tasks explore the relationships among STEM practices and concepts and how they can be transfered to teaching and learning levels. Through practical real-world connections and interdiscplinary considerations, future teachers will have an opportunity to see how STEM is part of their everyday world and how different disciplines work together – in real life and in teaching.

Module 10 supports the development of engineering content knowledge, and skills and attitudes in and for engineering on a pedagogical level. You can use all materials in your STEM courses and classrooms:

STEMkey Poster on Engineering – Household Appliances in the Key Competence Framework

Download the materials for module 10 here, available in English, Slovenian, Norwegian & Slovak . The materials include an outline and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 11 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Technology: Technical Materials

What do young people know about WATER as a material? How can water management and technical water systems in houses be dealt with in STEM classes? Is it possible to use rain water in the house? Which STEM knowledge and technical skills are important for managing water supply in a house? Which kind of societal aspects are adressed by this topic, which attitudes exist in this context (such as water saving, water pollution or water desalination)?

The main idea of Module11 – developed by our partner CPU from Slovakia – “Providing Water for a House” is that students become aware of the complexity of the topic “water” (technical materials – discipline: technology) and to be able to understand the importance of dealing with a topic that is more or less taken for granted in real life in the EU: to have drinking water available, always.

Module 11 covers water not only as “materials and its properties” but considers ecological and societal contexts. the micro:bit Smart home Kit supports the involved experimental set-ups as it enables to merge several skills: technical parameters of materials, digital technologies and programing and practice technical skills in constructing the special model for water pumping and purification system.Framing discussions are supposed to allow students to develop attitudes with regards to water, e.g. when it comes to water pollution, water saving or desalination, also with regards to different situations across Europe, when it comes to drinking water availability.

The activities will support STEM learners to interdisciplinarily find solutions to tasks dealing with the importance of water management (technical aspects, environmental aspects, social aspects). The initial situation is formed as a challenge to be solved by STEM learners: How to manage the water system in a remote house with an own well for drinking and technical water?

The module has an emphasis on student-centred teaching methods, with various activities based on inquiry-based learning, and applying digital technologies and programming, as well as setting up a water system with practical skills.

Download the materials for module 11 here, available in English, Turkish & Slovenian . The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 12 – Teaching knowledge, skills and attitudes in Digital Technology: Algorithms and Data

Algorithms and data support creative programming solutions, and help to develop our own computational and algorithmic thinking. Algorithmic thinking automates the problem-solving process by creating a series of systematic logical steps that process a defined set of inputs and produce a defined set of outputs based on these. Algorithms and data are important standard topics of Information Technology and when solving any random problem in STEM. If we can transfer a problem into algorithms and defined strategies, the problem can be solved by robots. Data is a powerful source for understanding the real world around us.

The aim of this module is to present a conceptual and pedagogical foundation to cover digital technologies in higher education programmes, which lead to an increased digital key competences of future STEM teachers. The module will provide guidelines for future teachers on how to transform teaching and learning while using ICT and delivering fundamental digital topics, which nurture the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes likewise.

Download the STEMkey Poster on “Algorithms and Data”

Download the materials for module 12 here, available in English. The materials include an outline, worksheets and a presentation.

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STEMkey Module 13 – Support Toolkit for interdisciplinary key competence-based STEM teaching

Empowering Higher Education STEM Teaching with a Comprehensive Toolkit

Welcome to IO13, the cornerstone module of our project, crafted to significantly bolster the implementation and efficacy of modules IO2-IO12. Designed specifically for Higher Education (HE) teaching staff, IO13 is a versatile toolkit equipped with a suite of resources that streamline the creation and dissemination of STEM modules.

Toolkit Highlights:

A curated list of standard topics, spurring the development of innovative STEM modules.
Uniform templates for educational materials, ensuring coherence across project outputs.
Tailored evaluation questionnaires for assessing the effectiveness of piloted activities.
An insightful online tutorial that underscores the importance of interdisciplinary STEM education.
The STEMkey Partnership Platform, a vibrant hub for promoting the project and sharing results with a wider audience.

The Rationale Behind IO13:

IO13 was conceived to address the challenges faced by HE teaching staff, particularly the need for consistency in results, ease of use of individual outputs, and the transferability of activities. By providing templates, guidelines, and questionnaires, IO13 simplifies the process of creating engaging and effective STEM learning environments, which is often time-consuming for educators.

Our Target Audience:

The module is aimed at nurturing the next generation of STEM educators and enhancing the skills of current HE teaching staff. IO13 stands out by integrating key competence development with standard STEM content through critical thinking, introducing a novel approach to teaching that has yet to be widely adopted in partner HEIs.

Expected Impact:

IO13 is anticipated to have a profound impact by encouraging the creation of new modules, improving understanding of target group analysis, enhancing impact evaluation, and raising awareness about the connection between key competences and standard STEM topics.

Transferability and Sustainability:

All IOs, including IO13, are designed with sustainability and adaptability in mind, ensuring they can be transferred to different educational contexts, countries, and school levels. IO13 plays a pivotal role in facilitating the extension and customization of other project modules, enhancing their longevity and applicability beyond the partnership and project timeline.

Download the materials for module 13 here, available in English.

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STEMkey Team

Our STEMkey consortium gathers Higher Education Institutions from 12 European countries, covering all STEM disciplines and featuring strong expertise in competence-based and student-centred STEM education research and practice.

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The creation of these resources has been co-funded by the ERASMUS+ grant program of the European Union under grant no. 2O2O I-DEO1.KA2O3.OO5671. Neither the European Commission nor the project’s national funding agency DAAD are responsible for the content or liable for any losses or damage resulting of the use of these resources.

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