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Do you agree with the challenges identified? Is there any important challenge you face in STEM education in your sector that is missing?

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Do you agree with the challenges identified? Is there any important challenge you face in STEM education in your sector that is missing?

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Having in mind the challenges identified, where do you think the EU can have most strategic value? What actions do you think should be taken at EU level? 

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Having in mind the challenges identified, where do you think the EU can have most strategic value? What actions do you think should be taken at EU level? 

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In your respective experience, what works and what does not work when tackling the challenges in STEM education?

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In your respective experience, what works and what does not work when tackling the challenges in STEM education?

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Teachers' upskilling. The technologies especially digital are changing so fast, it is difficult for teachers to stay up to date. Also not easy to motivate teachers to upskill with the remuneration available.

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-	Career Guidance is needed for students and parents from early ages.

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-	Career Guidance is needed for students and parents from early ages.

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- Need to encourage migrants and minority groups to engage in STEM education and careers – untapped talent.

- Need to focus on developing student’s digital and practical skills e.g. spatial reasoning, from early childhood, primary and secondary level

- Need to foster productive dispositions in Mathematics- as this causes a barrier for many students to participate in some STEM subjects, e.g. Physics, Engineering, Computer science

- Need to foster and focus on building Identity and sense of belonging in STEM, from early childhood, primary and secondary level.

- Need to ensure initial teacher education programmes provide opportunities for teachers to complete a STEM specialism, this needs to happen for teachers’ of early childhood, primary and secondary level

- Address and enable diversity of pathways to STEM teacher education – career change.

- Establish curricula for interdisciplinary and integrated STEM education linked to real world contexts, industry and careers.

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Introducing EU level policies and recommendations to be trickled down to the countries.

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Promote teacher professionalism – create EU Chartered Teacher status.

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Promote teacher professionalism – create EU Chartered Teacher status.

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Enable opportunities for teacher exchange and collaboration, e.g. Erasmus+, Science on Stage

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Scale up EU level STEM educational programmes like Girls Go Circular where we address gender gap and offer hands-on practical STEM education with real life examples and tasks

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Conduct research to evaluate and share best practice in engaging primary and secondary students in STEM education – what jurisdictions have been successful?

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Conduct research to evaluate and share best practice in engaging primary and secondary students in STEM education – what jurisdictions have been successful?

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Foster collaboration between industry and schools, most effective at regional level and requires cooperation between all stakeholders – focussed on building student identity and belonging and STEM from an early age.

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Foster collaboration between industry and schools, most effective at regional level and requires cooperation between all stakeholders – focussed on building student identity and belonging and STEM from an early age.

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1) run programmes allowing university participation in the STEM training at primary and secondary levels (possibly under the Erasmus+ umbrella)

2) involve industry partners in designing and delivering education at all levels (from primary to PhD training), programmes alike MSCA DN but for primary, secondary and tertiary education involving regional enterprises and industry partners

3) create more general curricula (based on critical thinking, reasoning) instead of narrowing focus to specific specializations

4) why are fundamental competences decreasing despite using more supporting tools (like digital tools)?

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It would be important that STEM programmes are able to access in different ways and people can come in and out of education and training. Training outside formal education institutions need to be also considered to contribute to STEM

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Mutual learning and the exchange of practices at EU level on initiatives that aim to promote STEM skills. This includes learning how to change occupations, qualifications and education and training curricula in an effective manner in response to labour market needs.

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Access to an appropriately skilled workforce remains a key factor of a company’s competitiveness and needs to be strengthened. Increasing participation in STEM-related programmes is particularly important.

This includes arousing pupils’ and students’ interest for STEM subjects early on and increasing female participation in tertiary-level STEM subjects and their following job/career choice.

Earlier adoption of STEM skills: STEM skills are often thought of as being acquired at upper secondary and tertiary levels of education. However, these skills can be acquired at all levels of education and training, including at primary and secondary school, and through general or vocational education;

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Professional learning (upskilling) programmes for out-of field STEM teaching – examples of successful programmes in Maths and Physics in Ireland.

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Professional learning (upskilling) programmes for out-of field STEM teaching – examples of successful programmes in Maths and Physics in Ireland.

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Hands-on experiences where youth can solve real-world challenges

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Hands-on experiences where youth can solve real-world challenges

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Such methodologies help students see how STEM skills can be applied in real life, have opportunity to show their creative but also practice transversal skills: creativity, problem solving, working in a team.

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Create “easy” and financially viable” pathways for individuals who would like to move from working in STEM industry to becoming a STEM teacher

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Create “easy” and financially viable” pathways for individuals who would like to move from working in STEM industry to becoming a STEM teacher

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Declining youth population - Fewer young people pose a challenge to the sustainability of the future STEM workforce.

Equity & inclusion - Addressing gender and socio-economic gaps to ensure equal opportunities in STEM.

STEM teacher shortage - A shortage of qualified educators limits student engagement and quality of learning.

Industry Alignment - Bridging the gap between education and evolving industry needs.

Digital Divide - Unequal access to technology and resources across regions.

Engagement & Retention - Making STEM more appealing through hands-on, real-world applications.

Rapid technological change - keeping curricula up to date with AI, robotics and emerging fields.

Lack of practical experience - Insufficient internship and mentoring opportunities for students.

Stereotypes in STEM - Breaking outdated perceptions to attract diverse talent.

Make it Stick - STEM initiatives are often limited to a project and are abandoned when the project ends.

Assessment - Are we assessing the right skills? Or are we still assessing last century skills for the future workforce?

Soft skills gap - Strengthening communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills

Public perception - overcoming the belief that STEM is too difficult or lacks creativity.

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1) increase the attractiveness of the teachers/academics profession in terms of appreciation, social awareness of the importance of teachers, alongside financial support

2) improve the learning ability of alpha-generation (STEM education, science & engineering cannot be delivered and implemented in 10-min slots, it requires long-term focus and engagement different from a 'fast-food' approach)

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Addressing gender stereotypes in STEM

The German Employers’ Confederation (BDA), which is a partner of the Girls’ Day in Germany. Every year technical enterprises, enterprises with technical departments and technical training facilities, universities, and research centres are invited to organise an open day for girls – Girls' Day. Under this initiative a large campaign was launched in which a wide range of professions and activities are presented to girls from the age of 10 and upwards. For companies, Girls' Day has evolved as an important instrument of their recruitment policy, including for traineeships, dual study programmes and in encouraging future job applications.

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Teen-Turn, an organisation that works with girls from DEIS schools and disadvantaged communities, to identify girls with academic promise, placing them in ‘Teen-Turnships’ so they can picture themselves in Tech careers. Teen-Turn aims to influence course decision-making processes, inform participants on education and career options and combat stereotypes by strategically changing how girls identify with technology career environments through work placements and after school activities. As learning in the presence of female role models has been shown to impact girl’s self-image and confidence, encouraging girls to see themselves in new ways and stimulate new interests, female company representatives mentor Teen-Turn participants, perpetuating interest and enthusiasm. More girls exploring and gaining an interest in technology will lead to more women earning technology qualifications, thus meeting a demand for skills that is currently outpacing supply.

https://teen-turn.com/

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Teen-Turn aims to provide teen girls, particularly those from underserved areas, the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience so that they can visualize themselves in those kinds of careers and therefore make third level course choices accordingly.

Through after school activities, work placements, mentoring, and alumnae networking and career development programming, we now support 1500+ girls from "Junior Cert to Job".

Winner EU Digital Impact Organisation of the Year™ and Nature Research Awards Finalist
SEE CURRENT PROGRAMS
Find out more about Teen-Turn.

Get to know who takes part.

Join to encourage more women in STEM.

"I then had a meeting with Chloe and one of the development team here. I really enjoyed this meeting because it made me think about what I would like to do in the future."

"I finally feel like I'm being seen, just spending time with all these amazing people who really get me."

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Teen-Turn aims to provide teen girls, particularly those from underserved areas, the opportunity to gain hands-on STEM experience so that they can visualize themselves in those kinds of careers and therefore make third level course choices accordingly. Through after school activities, work placements, mentoring, and alumnae networking and career development programming, we now support 1500+ girls from "Junior Cert to Job".

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I was just wondering if the fast pace of change on technology and specially the increase use of Ai can suppose an extra challenge for STEM education or is it an opportunity?

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The vision of STEM Passport for Inclusion is to ensure every student, irrespective of class or condition, leaves school with a quality STEM experience.
To achieve this, we have developed -

A university qualification in partnership with the Microsoft Dream Space team through Maynooth University, Munster Technological University and Atlantic Technological University which sits on the national framework as a level 6, 5-credit module entitled Introduction to 21st Century STEM skills.

A ‘mentoring for equality’ programme through the National Forum for Teaching and Learning, with women and men working in the STEM industry completing the module through mentoring the students and acting as role models. By educating the students and the employees who work in STEM, we are ensuring that we are using a system thinking approach to change, by removing the focus from the students themselves, and ensuring the workplace is ready to support diverse women to become the leaders of the future.

STEM Resources which provides students, teachers, and employees access to all the STEM opportunities that are relevant to them.

By partnering across Industry, Education (Higher and Post-Secondary), the Department of Education and SFI, we are creating a cohesive eco-system which allows young, working-class women to see their place in STEM, access pathways to STEM courses and careers, and attain STEM qualifications and mentorship.

Impact of the STEM Passport
Since 2021 1250 girls from 38 schools have participated in the programme. They completed research pre and post participation.

Changes in STEM Intentions and Confidence Pre and Post Participation
To establish the impact of the STEM Passport for Inclusion, paired sample t-tests were employed to examine changes in self-reported ratings of intention to study STEM and work in STEM, and confidence to study STEM and confidence to work in STEM. Results show that the STEM Passport is positively impacting students’ STEM Aspirations and STEM Confidence; there was significant increases from time one (pre STEMP) to time two (post STEMP) on all four rating scales (P<.05). There was also a significant increase in students’ self-reported knowledge of what STEM is (45%-95%), their plans to study STEM (40%-80%), and knowing a woman who worked in STEM (28%-92%).

1. 76% of students said they are now considering a career in STEM due to participating in the STEM Passport for Inclusion

2. 95% of students said that the mentors had changed their view of STEM

3. 79% of students said they were now considering studying a STEM subject

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The STEM Teacher Internship Programme, a Dublin City University initiative to inspire innovative learning, was established in 2016. The globally unique STInt Programme, STInt provides student and early career STEM teachers (primary and secondary) an immersive learning experience of a paid STEM internship in industry.

https://stemteacherinternships.ie/

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Home - STEM Teacher Internship Programme

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STEM Teacher internship Programme offers pre-service primary and post-primary teachers paid summer internships in the STEM industry.

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Student centered learning/teaching approaches, Hands-on Learning – and Interdisciplinary Approaches as Real-World Applications to make learning meaningful to students

Mentorship & Role Models – Connecting students with industry professionals which whom they can connect to to inspire career aspirations.

Early Exposure – Introducing STEM concepts at a young age helps build long-term interest and confidence.

Collaboration between all stakeholders – Policy, Industry, Teacher training, Head of Schools, Teachers to identify sustainable approaches for the national context.

Inclusive Programs – Targeted initiatives for underrepresented groups help close gender and socioeconomic gaps.

Continuous Teacher Training – Regular upskilling and access to modern teaching methods improve STEM instruction. In-service tutoring & job shadowing.

Systemic Approach, we need to overcome the aspect that STEM-Projects are often have limited time and when they ended, it's back to the old normal

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Supporting existing, established and successfully working STEM initiatives like the teaching network and NGO Science on Stage Europe (www.science-on-stage.eu).

Launch a campaign about being a STEM teachers- show the relevance, value their work in Europe.

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What works:

Providing teachers with easy-to-implement teaching materials for primary and secondary school, developed and tested by teachers for teachers in international cooperations (www.science-on-stage.eu/teachingmaterials)

Connecting STEM to socially relevant interdisciplinary topics such as sustainability to attract learners with different interests and demonstrate the importance of STEM subjects. Examples teaching materials: www.science-on-stage.eu/act-now-sdg; interview with students: https://youtu.be/vSB8IxmNN3w) and new technologies (teaching material: www.science-on-stage.eu/ai-stem-education, insight into one of the teaching units: https://youtu.be/vSB8IxmNN3w).

Introduce students to different careers in the STEM field connected to the topic of their lessons to encourage more young people to consider a STEM career (https://www.science-on-stage.eu/material/ai-career-orientation). Link STEM with SDG topics.

Giving teachers the opportunity for international, in-person exchange such as the international Science on Stage festival (www.science-on-stage.eu/science-stage-festivals). -> this will also motivate STEM teachers to stay in the profession.

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Don't reinvent the wheel, the EU should use what has been developed in the past. We already have many good STEM networks, good practices