New Perspectives in Science Education

There is a general tendency in the development of the European Higher Education Area to push toward making a qualitative leap in the educational models at universities throughout the EU which would become the basis for a new economy that is globally competitive and based on knowledge. Lifelong learning is an extremely important object of the educational programs of the various countries within the Union and is being acknowledged as such by most governments. Apart from the theoretical knowledge there is already a number of different requirements, such as: the ability to work in a team, good communicational skills, good time- and budget-management skills etc., that are essential for the successful professional development. The idea of the individual-targeting educational process that takes into account the person’s previous experience in teaching or learning is well developed in the contemporary pedagogical theory. The way in which the students perceive and understand the learning context and therefore their own studying, is a major interventional factor which influences the relationship between the teaching and the results of the student’s education. The change in the Education Area which includes the methodology of teaching, the educational technologies, the pedagogical dialogue, and the interaction between professors/teachers and students has its philosophical foundations in constructivism and humanistic education. This paper outlines some findings about the indirect relationship between the way the professors/teachers plan their courses and then execute their plans, and the quality of the results that the students achieve. In particular, the article looks into the role of the PBL in STEM as an educational method that successfully supports the concept of contemporary teaching strategies and stimulates the students to strive toward self-actualization and lifelong learning.

Keywords: Project-Based Learning, Self-regulated Learning, self-learning, learning skills;