Role of teachers and other stakeholders in STEM education
STEM education is about learning by doing! It is an innovative way of making learning a practical process that connects to real life through application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by students with guidance from teachers.
Classrooms need to offer teaching and learning processes that provide the search for understanding and real impact of these disciplines in daily life and specifically in Africa. Implementation of STEM education will transform the way learners understand the world environment; giving them a more sensible outlook of everything and a practical approach to real-life experiences as well as problems and solutions.
This approach of teaching STEM subjects is realizable if teachers are trained and supported to achieve behavior changes. Curriculum reform needs to go hand-in-hand with continuous teacher professional development. These kind of curriculum reforms require support by all stakeholders including the parents.
STEM education is not confined in classrooms or laboratories; it is more effective and efficient when nurtured all the way from home, where learners together with their parents are able to identify activities within the environment that will encourage the children to think more deeply about daily activities. For example, they are able to explain rust on roofing iron-sheets, or growing of mold on unwashed and dirty dishes..
In Kenya, the ministry of Education launched in 2016 the creation of STEM model secondary schools in every county. The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is the lead agency in STEM education and is carrying out continuous capacity development on STEM activities through various programs, strategies and partnerships.
CEMASTEA introduced the STEM education model schools program to create a culture that inspires learners to excel and pursue careers related to science and mathematics and to enhance their creativity and innovativeness. To systematically roll-out the program, 102 schools have been identified in Kenya.
Sensitization workshops and related training has been successfully implemented for Board of Management (BOM) members, school managers and teachers. In 2016, 329 teachers from the 102 schools were trained in 8 regions. The training focused on interdisciplinary approach, education for sustainability, creativity, makerspace and introduction to robotics science. In August, about 350 teachers from the model schools gathered to delve further into robotics science.
Successful implementation of STEM greatly depends on various education and economic policies adopted by single country. That is why it key policies and investment are necessary to unlock Africa’s potential!
Comments
Today's students are tomorrow's pioneers. Occupations in STEM-related professions are probably the quickest developing and best paid of the 21st century, and they frequently have the best potential for work development. The most ideal approach to guarantee future achievement and life span is to ensure that the students are well versed in these subjects. Building a strong STEM Foundation through a balanced educational plan is the most ideal approach to guarantee that understudies are presented to math, science, and innovation all through their instructive profession. "If we want a society and culture that work for everyone, we need innovation in our relationships along with innovation in the STEM fields and STEM education". The craze for STEM Learning has now significantly increased in young students. The universities are coming up with various <a href="https://www.liysf.org.uk/liysf/liysf-2021">STEM Learning Programs</a> in collaboration with other institutions & researchers.
The STEM Learning Ecosystems have a vast potential to teach the young students in masses. Every year students are applying for these programs in a big number because of the real-time practice and to represent their talents. As an educator my worry is to build caring (educational or not) relationships with my students in order to improve their curiosity and research skills. There are ideas, concepts, and practices in the maker movement that help me to improve the participation of my students in the creation of shared knowledge. I mean the idea of remix, share designs, open tools, the constructionism, the community, the philosophy of DWO, etc. But there are several attitudes that are not helping me at all, for example, the need for the latest super powerful technology gadget as the main concern, the vision of technology like exclusively functional(not poetic) and the focus on the product forgetting that in learning the thing that really matters is the process.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is a great online course I have studied. It's amazing to learn more about the use of STEM, the proper way of delivering ones speech or article. This course encourages learners to deeply understand the importance of science which is focused on renewable resources. I learned greatly about nanotechnology and how scientists are involved in testing new materials to increase the renewable energy system, development, and insight. Thank you.