New Perspectives in Science Education

This paper describes the costs and benefits derived from the implementation of the European Commission Research Programme - Horizon 2020 Project, STIMEY (Science Technology Innovation Mathematics Engineering for the Young), for primary and secondary schools throughout Europe. STEM education provides invaluable benefits to the society when it makes students better problem solvers, innovators, inventors, self-reliant, logical thinkers, technologically literate, increasing their interest and motivation at school (Bragow, Gragow & Smith, 1995; Gutherie, Wigfield & VonSecker, 2000; Morrison, 2006). Some experiences have evidenced that STEM education has to be linked with creative accessible affordable educational materials, available to elementary and secondary schools in a continuous fashion. For example, in the specific case of experiences using robotics, some of the problems come from the lack of teacher’s time and training, organization, easy of access to age-suitable academic materials, the lack of ready-to-use tools for lesson and material preparation and the lack of affordable robotic platforms. Moreover, in spite of the slowly growing numbers of robotic platforms and kits on the market, the lack of a range of affordable robotic platforms persists. If we want to reach the whole pre-university students and schools, such materials must truly be inexpensive, as they must be acquired in significant numbers and be replaced regularly due to natural wear-and-tear of hands-on education materials (Mataric, Koenig & Feil-Seifer, 2007). To motivate the implementation of STEM Education in schools, thus resolving the above disadvantages is exactly what STIMEY will do while bring science and society together in Europe, and consequently increase the continent’s international competitiveness. Its socially motivational platform for emotional and educational engagement will combine: social media components and entrepreneurial tools (the present), robotic artefacts (the future) and radio (the past) based on its well-researched pedagogical framework. STIMEY will not only engage and increase the youth’s interest in STEM education and careers, but provides the gateway to a viable business investment that shapes the future generation. With all of these possible benefits of STEM education, it is important to ascertain how school headmaster / teachers can effectively include STEM programs in their teaching.

Keywords: STEM, Schools, Robots, K-12 education;