STEM Education 2020:Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
INSPECTORATE: EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING FOR ALLAN CHIGIREACHT: FEABHAS NA FOGHLAMA DO CHÁCH
STEM Education 2020: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
Inspectorate
Department of Education
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Contents1. Introduction 5
1.1 Purpose of this report 5
1.2 Background 6
1.3 STEMEducation:Theearlylearningandcare(ELC)context 7
1.4 STEMEducation:Theprimarycontext 7
1.5 STEMEducation:Thepost-primarycontext 8
2. The Evaluation Project 10
2.1. Focus 10
2.2. Methodology 11
3. How effectively are learners engaging with STEM education? 13
3.1Overallfindings 13
3.2SpotlightsoneffectiveSTEMlearningexperiences 14
3.3 OtherSTEMengagementindicators:UptakeandawarenessofSTEM 17
3.3.1 UptakeofLeavingCertificateSTEMsubjects 17
3.3.2 UptakeofSTEMsubjectsbyfemalestudents 18
3.3.3 AwarenessofSTEMEducationpolicy 19
4. How effectively are practitioners engaging with STEM education methods? 22
4.1 Overallfindings 22
4.2 SpotlightsoneffectiveSTEMpedagogies 22
4.3 PlanningforSTEManduseofdata 25
4.4 STEMLearningandSSE 26
5. How effectively are other national STEM goals being realised? 27
5.1 STEMEducation–Performance 27
5.2 STEMEducation–LinksandPartnerships 29
5.3 STEMEducation–UtilisingDigitalTechnologies 31
6. Key Findings and Recommendations 33
Glossary 38
Acknowledgements 39
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1.1 Purpose of this reportThisreportpresentsthefindingsofanInspectorateevaluationoftheimplementationofthefirstphaseoftheSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026inasampleofEarlyLearningandCare(ELC)settings,andprimaryandpost-primaryschoolsduringtheperiodJanuary2019toDecember2019.Theintendedaudienceforthisreportincludesteachersandpractitionersinschoolsandearlylearningandcaresettings,providersofinitialteachereducationandofcontinuingprofessionaldevelopment(CPD)acrossthevarioussectors,andpolicymakersintheDepartmentofEducationandotherrelevantDepartments.Theevaluationfocusesonthreekeyquestions:
1 Howeffectivelyarelearnersinearlylearningandcare,andprimaryandpost-primarysettingsengagingwithScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics(STEM)education?
2 HoweffectivelyareeducationpractitionersandteachersengagingwithSTEMeducationmethodologies?
3 HowwellarenationalSTEMeducationgoalsbeingrealisedatschool/settinglevel?
Inaddition,thereportdrawsonotherdatarelevanttoSTEMeducationinIrelandtodayincluding:
• StudentparticipationinSTEMareasoflearning
• UseofdigitaltechnologiestosupportSTEMeducation
• NationalandinternationalSTEMeducationperformancedata.
Morebroadly,thisreportisdesignedtoprovideabenchmarkfortheeducationsystemandpolicymakersinrelationtohowSTEMeducationpolicyisbeingimplementedatschoolandearlylearningandcaresettinglevelandtoinformactionsthatmayneedtobetakentoensurethatnationalSTEMeducationobjectivescanbeachieved.Inaddition,thereportisintendedtobearesourceforearlyyearseducationpractitionersandforprimaryandpost-primaryteachersthroughprovidingillustrationsofeffectiveSTEMeducationasobservedinthecourseoftheevaluationproject.
1 Introduction
Inspectorate – Department of Education
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1.2 BackgroundScience,Technology,EngineeringandMathematics(STEM)arekeyenablersfortheIrisheconomyandforthedevelopmentofimportantskillsandcompetenciesinouryoungpeople.STEMisanever-evolvingareaandtheskillsandlearningassociatedwithSTEMeducationwillhelptoprepareouryoungpeopleforthecrucialrolethattheyhavetoplayinthefuturesuccessofIrishindustryandresearchanddevelopment.
STEMeducationactivelypromotesanddevelopslearners’creativeandcriticalthinkingskills,skillsthatareessentialforthenextgeneration.NotonlydoesSTEMeducationpromotetheseskills,italsosupportsthedevelopmentoflifeskills,ingenuityandproblem-solvinganditpromotesempathyforissuesincludingsustainabilityandthenaturalenvironment.NowmorethaneveritisapparentthatSTEMeducationiscrucialtothehealthandwellbeingofourcitizens.Innovativeandcreativeapproachestoproblem-solvingduringtheCOVID-19pandemicdemonstratedhowSTEMeducationcanprepareoursocietytoaddresschallengesfacingusasasociety.Fromthe3-DprintingofmedicalfaceshieldsinIrishclassrooms,tothedesignandmanufactureofventilatorsoncarassemblylinesincorporatingadaptedwindscreenwipermotors,STEMapproacheshavebeenacrucialpartofatrulyglobalcause.
CareersbasedintheSTEMarenaarethereforeoftensomeofthemostinteresting,fulfillingandinnovativecareersavailable.Today’schildrenhavealreadywitnessedtechnologiesthatwereoncethoughtofonlyintherealmofsciencefiction.Thefuturedevelopmentofautonomousvehicles,theinternetofthings(IoT)andaugmentedreality(AR)areallareasthatprovideourchildrenwithanunrecognisablecareervista.Itisthoughtthatmorethan60%ofchildrenattendingschooltodaywillworkinacareerthatdoesnotcurrentlyexist.OurroleinSTEMeducationistoensurethatourchildrenareequippedtoadapttothenewpossibilitiesthataSTEMeducationwillbringthem.Toprepareforthisnewreality,theIrishGovernmentcommissionedtheSTEMEducationReviewGroup,chairedbyProfessorBrianMacCraith,tocompileaReport on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education whichwas publishedinNovember2016.Thatreportidentifiedanumberofkeyissuesandproposedactionsinareassuchasinitialteachereducation(ITE),continuingprofessionaldevelopmentforSTEMteachersandpractitioners,theintroductionof
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
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newteachingmethodologies,andtheuseofinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)inordertosupportSTEMeducationinschoolsandtopromoteSTEMcareers.CruciallyithighlightsthevisionthatSTEMlearningisforalllearnersandshouldgobeyondearlylearningandcaresettingsandtheprimaryandpost-primaryclassrooms,andcruciallybepartofthelife-longlearningexperienceforteachers.
AgainstthebackdropoftheReport on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education,theDepartmentofEducationandSkillsdevelopeditsSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026. ThatpolicystatementanditsassociatedSTEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019outlinehighlevelactionsandsub-actionsaimedatdevelopingandimprovingSTEMeducationinIreland.
ThisreportendeavourstoprovidemeaningfulbenchmarksforSTEMeducationinthecontextof the STEM Education Policy Statement and the STEM Education Implementation Plan. Itfocusesinparticularontheimpactthatthenationalpolicyandimplementationplanshavehadatschoolandpre-schoollevelduringtheEnhancingPhase(2017-2019)ofthenationalpolicy.
1.3 STEM Education: The Early Learning and Care (ELC) contextAt the core of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Frameworkistheenablingofchildrentolearnbyexploringandinvestigatingtheirenvironmentthroughplay.Greatvalueisplacedonenablingthepre-schoolchildtoexperimentusinghands-onmaterials.Children’sexploration,questioningandproblem-solvingthroughplayandinvestigationunderpintheirdevelopmentofbasicconceptsinScience,Technology,Engineering,ArtsandMathematics.Itisimportantthatallconceptsandskillsareframedinaplayfulwayandthatchildrenhavefreedomtochoosethetasksandactivitiesinwhichtheywishtoengage.Askilledearlylearningandcarepractitionercanenrichlearningbyaskingtherightquestionsandstimulatinginvestigationswherechildrenareidentifyingobjects,makingcomparisons,predictions,testinghypothesesandsharingdiscoveries;allwhileobservingtheirnaturalenvironment.Inaddition,childreninearlylearningandcaresettingsviewtheprocessasbeingmoreimportantthantheoutcome;thismakesthemprimecandidatestotakeontheroleofexplorer,scientistandinvestigator.Inshort,theirnaturalandinnatecuriosityaboutthelivingworldisastronginternalmotivatorastheysearchwithenthusiasmforanswerstotheirownquestions.
While,asoutlinedbelow,thereisarangeofsupportsforprimaryandpost-primaryschoolsindevelopingSTEMpedagogiesandfacilitatingSTEMlearningexperiences,supportsforearlylearningandcaresettingsare,understandably,atanearlierstageofdevelopment.ItisanticipatedthatwithanewawarenessofthevalueofthefoundationsforSTEMeducationintheELCsector,STEMlearningpracticecanbecomesystematicandembedded.
1.4 STEM Education: The primary contextAsignificantbackdroptoSTEMeducationatprimarylevelistheintegratednatureofthePrimarySchoolCurriculumwithitsfocusonthedevelopmentoflearners’skills,knowledgeanddispositionsinaholistic,cross-curricularway.Primaryschoolsofferawidevarietyofsubjectswhichareveryoftentaughtthematically.Inall,thereareelevenmandatorycurriculum
Inspectorate – Department of Education
subjectsatprimarylevel,includingMathematicsandScience.Thesciencecurriculum,whichencompassesthecontentstrandsofLiving Things,Energy and Forces,Materials,andEnvironmental Awareness and Care,specificallysupportsthedevelopmentofskillsrelatedtodesigningandmakingandworkingscientifically.Theseskillsincludetheskillsofquestioning,observing,predicting,investigatingandexperimenting,estimatingandmeasuring,analysing,recordingandcommunicating.Themathematicscurriculumrequiresthedevelopmentofsimilarandfurtherskillsincludingproblemsolving,integratingandconnecting,reasoningandimplementing.
InadditiontoMathematicsandScience,otherareasofthecurriculumsuchasGeographyandVisualArtshaveclearlyidentifiableSTEMcomponents.Indeedsomeschoolsystemshaveemphasisedcreativity,innovationandlearningintheArtsasessentialwithinaSTE(A)Mframework.Primaryschoolpupilsaretaughttypicallybyoneteacherthroughouttheschoolweekanditisconsideredgoodpracticefortheseteacherstoplanforlinkageandintegrationoftopicswithinandacrosssubjects/curriculumareas.ThisthematicapproachunderpinseffectiveSTEMlearninginprimaryschools.ThescientificskillsofWorking Scientifically and Designing and Makingaredevelopedaschildrenengageinscientificinvestigations,andastheyexplorematerialsandplan,designandmakemodelsthatprovidesolutionstopracticalproblems.ThishelpstodemonstratehowSTEMlearningcanbefosteredacrosstheprimarycurriculuminawaythatpromotescreativityandintegratedSTEMlearning.
TheprimarySTEMeducationcontexthasbeendevelopinggraduallyoverrecentyears.TheProfessionalDevelopmentServiceforTeachers(PDST1)isincreasinglyraisingtheawarenessofSTEM-relatedactivitiesbyprovidingongoingCPDinassociatedareasandthroughsocialmedia.PDSTsupportsteachersintheimplementationofprinciplesandpracticesofSTEMeducationintheclassroomthroughawiderangeofCPDmodelsincludinginterdepartmentalworkatschoollevelwhereteachersofdifferentSTEMdisciplinesplanandteachtogether.TherearemanypositiveinitiativessupportingSTEMinprimaryschoolscurrently.TheseinitiativesincludeDiscoverPrimaryScienceandMathsProgramme,thePrimaryScienceFair,ESBScienceBlast,MathsWeek,ScienceWeekandEngineers’Week.TheseinitiativestosupportSTEMprovisioninprimaryschoolsalsosupportnationalSTEMeducationpolicymorebroadly.TheenhancementofdigitaltechnologiesandinformationandcommunicationtechnologyinprimaryschoolshasalsocomplementedandsupportedSTEMprovisioninclassrooms.Inaddition,anumberofprimaryteachersthroughoutthecountryhavebeenpromotingaspectsofSTEMinnovativelyintheirschoolsthroughtheirownpersonalinterestsorqualificationsintheSTEMsubjects.ThenationalpolicyhasbroughtSTEMintofocusforallprimaryschools,althoughschoolsareatdifferentstagesofSTEMeducationprovisionanddevelopment.
1.5 STEM Education: The post-primary contextAnimportantfactorintheSTEMeducationpost-primarycontextishowsubjectsatpost-primarylevelareoffered,withsomesubjectsbeingmandatoryandothersoptional.STEMsubjectsaresituatedgenerallyinboththemandatoryandoptionalsubjectareas.MandatorysubjectsincludeMathematicsinallschools;anumberofschoolsalsorequireallstudentstostudyScienceatJuniorCycle.Generally,subjectssuchasEngineering,Technology,GraphicssubjectsandWoodandConstructionsubjectsareoptional.Otherscience-basedsubjectsincludingChemistry,BiologyandPhysicsmayalsobeoptional,dependingonaparticular
1 https://pdst.ie/schoolsupport 8
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school’scurriculumatseniorcycle.Whilststillachallengeforsomeschools,STEMsubjectsarebecomingmoreavailableforstudentsinvoluntarysecondaryschools,incommunity/comprehensiveschools,andinEducationandTrainingBoard(ETB)schools.Newpost-primaryschoolsareoftenprovidedwithspecialisttechnologyrooms,makingaccesstothesesubjectsmoreachievablethaneverbefore.
TeachersdeployedbyschoolstoteachSTEMsubjectsarebecomingmoreandmorespecialisedandqualifiedintheirsubjectareasparticularlysincetheestablishmentoftheTeachingCouncil.TheTeachingCouncil’soversightoftheaccreditationofinitialteachereducation(ITE)programmesforprimaryandpost-primaryteachingwhichareprovidedbyHigherEducationInstitutionshasbeenverysignificantinunderpinningthequalityofpreparationforbeginningteachers,especiallyinspecialisedareassuchasSTEM.TheTeachingCouncil’snationalframeworkforteachers’learning,(Cosán),seekstoensurethatallteachersareenabledtoengageinhigh-qualityprofessionallearninganddevelopmentthatmaintainstheirexpertiseandskilllevelsandsupportsstudentlearning.ContinuingprofessionaldevelopmentcoursesforteachershavebeeninstrumentalinupskillingteachersacrosstheSTEMsubjectswithsignificanttrainingprovidedinrecentyearsintheareasofProjectMaths,TechnologyatSeniorCycle,andDesignandCommunicationGraphics.ThePDSThasenabledteacherstoaccessongoingCPDinawidevarietyofSTEMsubjectareas.Atthesametime,JuniorCycleforTeachers(JCT),asupportserviceforpost-primaryschools,hasbeeninstrumentalinequippingpost-primaryteacherswiththeadditionalskillsandexpertiserequiredtoadaptandadoptthenewapproachestoSTEMenvisagedaspartofJuniorCycleReform.
Inspectorate – Department of Education
2.1 FocusTheInspectorateoftheDepartmentofEducationevaluatesandreportsonthequalityofeducationalprovisionforlearnersinearlylearningandcaresettings,schools,centresforeducationandothersettings.TheInspectoratealsoprovidesadviceandsupporttoearlylearningandcarepractitioners,teachersandthoseinvolvedintheleadership,managementandpatronageorownershipofthesesettingsinrelationtoactionsthatneedtobetakentoimproveeducationprovision.Throughdiscussion,reportingandpublication,theInspectoratedisseminatesthefindingsofitsevaluationsandpublishesadviceonhowtheworkofeducationprovidersandthelearningofchildrenandyoungpeoplecanbeimproved.ThisSTEMevaluationreportisdesignedto:
• EncourageandfacilitatediscoursearoundthecurrentqualityofSTEMeducationinschoolsandearlylearningandcaresettings
• ProvideillustrationsofgoodSTEMpracticesinallthreesectors-earlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primary
• ProvidebaselineinformationaboutSTEMeducationinordertoinformfurtherimplementationofnationalpolicyonSTEMeducationandagainstwhichfutureprogressinimplementingthepolicycanbeassessed.
Thisreportexploresthethreekeyquestionsbelowbydrawingonfindingsfromevaluationsinasampleofearlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primarysettingsandreferencingrelevantnationalandinternationalSTEM-basedresearch.
1 HoweffectivelyarelearnersengagingwithSTEMeducation?
2 HoweffectivelyareteachersandpractitionersengagingwithSTEMeducationmethodologies?
3 HowwellarenationalSTEMeducationgoalsbeingrealisedatschool/EarlyLearningandcare(ELC)settinglevels?
Inaddressingthesethreequestions,thereportalsodrawsonotherdatarelevanttoSTEMeducationinIrelandtodaysuchas:
• StudentparticipationinSTEMareasoflearning
• UseofdigitaltechnologiestosupportSTEMeducation
• NationalandinternationalSTEMeducationperformancedata.
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2 The Evaluation Project
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
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2.2 MethodologyASTEMeducationworkinggroupcomprisingearlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primaryinspectorswasconvenedinlate2018.Thisgroupsetaboutgatheringinformation,observingpracticeanddiscussingschools’andsettings’approachestoSTEMeducationinthecontextofthe STEM Education Policy Statement and Implementation Plan.Aspartofthiswork,inspectorsascertainedtheoverallqualityofSTEMeducationprovisioninthesampleofschoolsandELCsettingstheyvisited.Initially,theInspectoratedevelopedasmallnumberoffocusedSTEM-relatedevaluationcriteriatobeincorporatedintoinspectioninstruments.ThefirststepinthisprocesswastheidentificationofindicatorsofgoodpracticeinSTEMeducation.Thoseindicatorswereframedprimarilywithinthecontextsofclassroomexperiencesandwholesetting/schoollevelculture.TheSTEM-focusedevaluationcriteriawereutilisedtheninasampleofevaluationsinearlylearningandcaresettings,primaryschoolsandpost-primaryschools.
Figure 1outlinesthemodelsofinspectionthatwereincorporatedintothisprojectinthethreesectors(earlylearningandcaresettings,primaryandpost-primaryschools).
Atotalof101schoolsandsettingswerevisitedduringthecourseoftheproject.Figure 2 providesabreakdownofthe101settings/schoolsvisitedandofthe218sessions/lessonsobservedduringthosevisits.Inadditiontoobservingteachingandlearningintheschools/settingstheyvisited,inspectorsdiscussedSTEMeducationwiththesetting/schoolmanagementandwithteachers/practitioners.AsFigure1shows,abroadlysimilarnumberofvisitstookplaceacross the three sectors.
Figure 1: Inspection Models and Subject Areas Included in Project
• EarlyYearsEducationInspection(EYEI)
• Science/MathematicsCurriculumEvaluations
• Whole-SchoolEvaluations
• STEMSubjectInspections
• Whole-SchoolEvaluations
Inspection Models
Early Learning and Care
Primary
Post Primary
Inspectorate – Department of Education
Ineachofthethreesectors,anumberofsessions/lessonswereobservedtogatherSTEM-relatedinformation.Onesessionwasobservedforthispurposeduringeachoftheearlylearningandcaresettingsvisited.ApproximatelytwolessonsonaveragewereobservedthroughthelensofSTEMineachprimaryschoolvisited,andonaverage,threelessonswereobservedfromtheperspectiveofSTEMineachpost-primaryschool.
Figure 2: STEM Evaluation Project Scope
Sector Settings/Schools Sessions/Lessons
Early Learning and Care 29 29
Primary 40 94
Post-primary 32 95
Total 101 218
Carewastakentoensureconsistencyandinter-raterreliabilityamonginspectorsinrelationtotheapplicationoftheSTEM-focusedevaluationcriteria.Allofthecriteriawerereviewedbyinspectorsfromallthreesectors(earlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primary)andtheapproachtoapplyingthecriteriawasstandardisedandreportedonusingtheInspectorate’squalitycontinuum.
Figure 3: Inspectorate Quality Continuum
Rating Description
Very Good Very goodapplieswherethequalityoftheareasevaluatedisofaveryhighstandard.
Good Goodapplieswherethestrengthsintheareasevaluatedclearlyoutweightheareasinneedofimprovement.
Satisfactory Satisfactoryapplieswherethequalityofprovisionisadequate.
Fair Fairapplieswhere,althoughtherearesomestrengthsintheareasevaluated,deficienciesorshortcomingsthatoutweighthosestrengthsalsoexist.
Weak Weakapplieswherethereareseriousdeficienciesintheareasevaluated.
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3.1 Overall findingsOverall,inspectorsfoundthatlearnerswereprovidedwithmanyopportunitiestoengagewithSTEMactivitiesthatfosterandsupporteffectiveSTEMlearninganddevelopment.Inallsectors,learners’participationinSTEMeducationwasratedassatisfactoryorbetterinnotlessthan79%ofthesessions/lessonsobserved.Thisisasignificantfindingparticularlyinthecontextoftheearlylearningandcare(ELC)sector.Whiletheprimaryandpost-primarylessonobservationstookplacelargelyinthecontextofSTEMsubjects,thesessionobservationsinearlylearningandcaresettingsoccurredinmoregenericlearningcontextsthatwerenotfocusedprimarilyonSTEM.Theintegratedcurricularapproachprovidesmoreopportunityforaninter-disciplinaryandmultipleintelligenceapproachtoteachingandlearning,particularlywhendesiredoutcomesincludeSTEMcompetenciesandteachingforunderstanding.Itisalsonoteworthythatinapproximatelyoneineveryfivesessionsatearlylearningandcarelevel,andoneineveryfivelessonsatpost-primarylevel,learners’participationinSTEMeducationwasdeemedtobelessthansatisfactory.Thisfinding,particularlyatpost-primarylevel,isacauseforconcernasstudentsintheSTEMpost-primarylessonsobservedwereperfectlyplacedtoexperienceSTEMeducationinarealandmeaningfulwaythroughtheirengagementwiththeSTEMsubjectsobserved.
Figure 4: Learners’ Participation in STEM activities
3 How effectively are learners engaging with STEM education?
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Satisfactory or better Less than satisfactory
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Thequalityoflearningachievementsinlessons/ELCsessionswasalsoexamined.Atbothprimaryandpost-primarylevels,learners’achievementswereidentifiedassatisfactoryorbetterinover80%ofthelessonsobserved.Findingsinrelationtolearners’STEMachievementsduringtheearlylearningandcaresessionsobservedweresomewhatlesspositivewith28%ofthesessionsobserveddeemedlessthansatisfactory.
Figure 5: Quality of Learning Achievements
3.2 Spotlights on effective STEM learning experiencesInearlylearningandcaresessionswherechildren’sengagementandlearningachievementsinSTEMweresatisfactoryorbetter,childrenwereengagingtypicallyinavarietyofactivitiesthatfosteredcreativityandcriticalthinkingskills.Thechildrenwereenabledtobenaturaldiscoverers,inquirers,engineersandexplorers.Inleadingtheirownlearninginawell-preparedenvironment,childrencould,forexample,collectstones,comparethesizeandweightofobjectsandbuildfortsoutofrecycledmaterials.Thenaturalenthusiasmoftheseveryyoungchildrenwascapturedandchannelledthroughappropriateactivities.Theseactivitieswerefacilitatedbysupportive,engagedpractitionerswhowereskilledinidentifyingSTEM-teachingmoments.Practitionersidentifiedchildren’sinterestsandbuiltdeeperunderstandinginpartnershipwiththechildrenthroughtheuseofopen-endedquestionsandbyexpandingandsupportingthechildren’sacquisitionofnewlanguage.
ItisimportantthatearlySTEMeducationisageandstageappropriateandthattheinclusionofplayandthemanipulationofmaterialstodevelopSTEMthinkingareafoundationstoneinthedevelopmentoflearners’STEMeducationexperiences.YoungchildrenmusthavestrongSTEMexperiencestosparktheirinterestsandtohelpthembuildthefoundationalskillsnecessarytopropelthemintotheirSTEMfutures.AsresearchersatIndianaUniversity2haveshown,playingwithbuildingblockshelpschildrentodeveloptheirspatialreasoningskills.ThisisreinforcedbyresearchersinJohnsHopkinsCenterforTalentedYouthwheretheyshowthatsimplybyplayingwithandphysicallymanipulatingblocks,keySTEMskillslikeinquiry,experimentation
2 SharleneD.Newman,MitchellT.Hansen,AriannaGutierrez.AnfMRIStudyoftheImpactofBlockBuildingandBoardGamesonSpatialAbility.FrontiersinPsychology,2016
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Satisfactory or better Less than satisfactory
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STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
andtheorising—allkeycomponentsofthescientificmethod—areembedded.3ManyofthesepositivefeaturesofengagementandachievementinSTEMwereevidentinanumberoftheprimary classroomsvisited.
STEM Learning Spotlight 1
Inonelessoninaseniorinfantclassroom,children’screativityandimaginationsweresparkedwhenaskedtodesignanewraincoatfortheclassroomflamingo,‘Sprinkles’.Sprinkles,alargecuddlytoy,neededtocollectnewitemsfortheclassroomnaturetable,butastheweatherwasreallywetoutsidethechildrenneededtohelpSprinklestomakeanewcoatfromasuitablematerial.Awidevarietyofmaterialswassuppliedforthechildrenanda‘fairtest’wasdevisedtotestthematerials’capacitiestokeepSprinklesdry.Eachgroupcarriedoutthetestandinvestigatedthematerials’waterproofingproperties.EachgroupidentifieditspreferredmaterialandsetaboutmakingacoattoprotectSprinklesfromtheelements.Theconceptofprotectivebarrierswaslaterincorporatedintotheteachingandlearningassociatedwithautumnwherehorsechestnutsandhedgehogsprovidedreal-world,first-handexamplesoftheearlierlearning.
Atprimary schoollevel,engagementwithawidevarietyofSTEMexperiencesisessentialforongoingSTEMlearning,particularlyinformingpositivedispositionstowardsSTEMeducationandpromotinglife-longlearninginthearea.ResearchfromtheUniversityofLondon4identifiesavarietyoffactorsaffectingchildren’saspirationsinrelationtopursuingscience-basedcareers,andechoesresearchfromKing’sCollegeLondon5whichstatesthatbytheageoffourteen,childrenhavealreadyformedtheirindividualfeelingsaboutscienceandanypotentialcareeraspirationsinSTEM.
Overall,wherelearnerengagementandachievementinSTEMwerefoundtobemosteffectiveatprimarylevel,learnerswereenabledtoexplore,investigateandtocreateusingthematicorcross-curricularapproachesthatencompassedavarietyofsubjects,activitiesandapproaches.
3 https://youtu.be/XBS2JrXEmqM
4 2018,Sheldrake,R.Changes in Children’s Science-Related Career Aspirations from Age 11 to Age 14 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11165-018-9739-2.pdf
5 2012,Archer,L.DeWitt,J.Osborne,J.Dillon,J.Willis,B.Wong,B.Science Aspirations, Capital, and Family Habitus: How Families Shape Children’s Engagement and Identification With Science American Education Research Journal, Vol. 49, No. 5 (Oct. 2012), pp. 881-908.
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STEM Learning Spotlight 2
Anillustrationoftheeffectivenessofenablinglearnerstoexplore,investigateandcreateinthepromotionofSTEMwasnotedduringafifth-classlessonbasedonthehumandigestivesystem.Thislessonwasintroducedusinganaudio-visualclipthattheteacherandpupilsusedtostimulatethecreationofarapsongusingthelanguagelearneddirectlyrelatingtothedigestivesystem.Thistypeofperformingartselementprovidedpupilswithafunandcreativewaytointegratethenewlyacquiredtechnicalterminologyassociatedwiththetopicathandwhilstalsodemonstratingtheirartisticcreativity.Usingaworkstationapproach,pupilsthentookpartinadesign-and-makeactivitywheretheyexploredthedifferentpartsofthedigestivesystemusingplaydough.Theyusedtheirmathematicalskillstoinvestigatehowsalivahelpedwithswallowingandthebreakdownoffoodandtheyexperimentedwithwaystodemonstrateperistalsis.Thismulti-facetedapproachcreatedaninterestingandengaginglearningexperienceforthepupilsthroughscaffoldedexplorationandhands-oncreativity.
Atpost-primarylevel,high-qualityengagementbystudentsinSTEMandpositivelearningoutcomesweremostprominentinlessonswherestudentswereencouragedtoengageininterestingandthought-provokingdesign-basedtasks.
STEM Learning Spotlight 3
Inonepost-primaryschoolandaspartofaJuniorCycleSTEMshortcourse,groupsofstudentswererequiredtodesignandcreatearollercoasterfromsemi-tubularfoamusingalimitednumberofadditionalresourcesprovidedbytheirteacher.Eachstudentwasgivenaroleincludingtheengineer,designer,researcherandtheteamleader.Thecreationsmadeinresponsetothebriefwerebothingeniousandinnovative.Whenfinished,studentsusedmarblestotesttheirrollercoastersandrecordedthetestsontheirmobiledevices.Fromtheserecordings,studentsthencalculatedtheaveragespeed,velocityandaccelerationofthemarblesandgraphedtheirsolutions.Theincorporationofopen-endedsolutionfocusedtasks,hands-onenquirybasedlearning,meaningfulcollaboration,andtheintegrationofmathematicalandscientificcontentcreatedanexcellentlearningexperiencegroundedinSTEMeducation.
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STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
3.3 Other STEM engagement indicators: Uptake and awareness of STEM
WhenfocusingonlearnerengagementinSTEMeducation,anumberofotherindicatorsofsuccessarerelevant.TheSTEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019 identifiesanumberofkeygoalsinthisregard:improvedlevelsofuptakeofSTEMsubjects,uptakebyfemalestudentsofSTEMsubjects,andawarenessoftheimportanceofSTEM.ThefollowingsectionofthischapterconsidershowanumberofthesegoalsarebeingachievedduringtheEnhancingphaseof the Implementation Plan.
3.3.1 Uptake of Leaving Certificate STEM subjects
Indicator of Success
IncreaseduptakeofLeavingCertificateChemistry,Physics,TechnologyandEngineering by20%6
OnekeydeliverableoftheSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 is an increase in the uptakeofLeavingCertificateChemistry,Physics,TechnologyandEngineeringby20%overthelifetimeofthePolicyStatement.TheanalysisinFigure6showsthattherehasbeenaslightincreaseinstudentuptakeofthesefoursubjectsin2019whencomparedwith2016.Therealincreaseinuptakeacrossthefoursubjectsis1,098studentsor5%.Whilethisisawelcomeincrease,itislessthanthatrequiredinordertoreachthegoalofa20%increaseby2026.However,significantgrowthhasbeenachievedinTechnologywitha32%increaseinuptake,totalling456morestudentstakingLeavingCertificateTechnologyin2019whencomparedwith2016.
Figure 6: Uptake of Leaving Certificate Physics, Chemistry, Technology and Engineering 2016 and 2019
Subject 2016 2019 Real Increase % Change
Physics 7,753 7,942 189 2%
Chemistry 9,089 9,506 417 5%
Engineering 5,379 5,415 36 <1%
Technology 1,415 1,871 456 32%
Total 23,636 24,734 1098 5%
6 STEMEducationImplementationPlan2017-2019p.4
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3.3.2 Uptake of STEM subjects by female students
Indicator of Success
IncreaseduptakebyfemalesofSTEMsubjectsby40%7
AnotherkeydeliverableinthePolicyStatementisa40%increaseintheuptakeofSTEMsubjectsamongfemales.IntheJuniorCycle/CertificateSTEMsubjectareasofWoodTechnology,TechnicalGraphics,Metalwork,TechnologyandSciencethenumberoffemalessittingJuniorCertificate/Cycleexaminationshasincreasedfrom32,917in2016to36,971in2019.Thisoverallincreaseof4,054inthenumberoffemalessittingthesesubjectsrepresentsa12% increase since 2016.
Figure 7: Junior Cycle STEM Female Uptake
Eachofthesubjectareashasseenanincreaseinfemaleuptake(Figure 8).ThelargestnumericalincreasehasbeeninSciencewithanincreaseof1,939femalestudentstakingthesubjectwhencomparedto2016figures.TechnicalGraphics(TG)hasalsoseenasignificantproportionalincreaseinthenumberoffemaleschoosingthesubject.Atotalof854morefemalessattheJuniorCertificateexaminationinTGin2019thanin2016.Thisisa47%increasebaseduponthe2016figures.Whilstthesefiguresareencouraging,thereisstillworktodoinordertoachievethe40%increaseenvisionedoverthelifetimeofthePolicyStatementwithaneedtohavealargerincreaseintheSTEMsubjectsoutsideofthesciences.
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Figure 8: Increase in numbers of female students taking STEM subjects in Junior Cycle Examinations 2016 - 2019
Subject Area Real increase 2016-2019 % Increase 2016-2019
Wood Technology 786 30%
Technical Graphics 854 47%
Metalwork 188 25%
Technology 287 41%
Science 1,939 7%
Total 4,054 12%
3.3.3 Awareness of STEM policy
Indicator of Success
Allschools,earlylearningandcaresettings,learnersandparentstohaveincreasedawarenessandappreciationoftheimportance,valueandopportunityinSTEMwithparticularfocusonfemales8
Ingeneral,schoolswereveryawareoftheimportanceofSTEMeducationandtherewasoftenacleararticulationbyschoolsoftheimportance,valueandopportunitiesthatSTEMeducationholdsforstudents.Thiswasprevalentatpost-primarylevelparticularly,whereawarenessofSTEMeducationwasidentifiedassatisfactoryorbetterin94%ofschoolsvisited.Similarlyandpositively,atprimarylevel,88%ofschoolsvisitedweredeemedtobeveryawareofthenationalSTEMeducationagenda.
Inasignificantminorityoftheearlylearningandcaresettingsvisited,inspectorsfoundthattherewasalackofawarenessamongstpractitionersofthenationalSTEMeducationagendaandtheassociatedpolicystatementandimplementationplan.AlmostoneineverythreesettingsvisitedwasdeemedtohavealessthansatisfactoryawarenessoftheSTEMeducationagenda.
8 STEMEducationImplementationPlan2017-2019p4
2020
Inspectorate – Department of Education
Figure 9: School/Setting Awareness of STEM Education
InschoolswhereleadershipandteachersplacedaclearfocusonSTEMeducation,appropriatetrainingopportunitieswereidentifiedforteachersandanintegratedapproachtofosteringandenhancingthelearners’STEMexperiencesatclassroom/sessionlevelwasevident.Inaddition,anumberofpost-primaryschoolshadmadeaconcertedefforttoraisestudentawarenessofthevalueofSTEMeducationanditsrelevanceforlifeandforpotentialcareers.
STEM Learning Spotlight 4
Oneschool’sresponsetothenationalSTEMagendamirrorsthepositiveapproachestakenacrossthecountryinmanyschoolsandsettingstryingtoraiseawarenessofSTEMeducationamongtheirstudents.Thisparticularschooltookanumberofpro-activestepstoensurethatitsall-femalecohortisgivenameaningfulopportunitytoachieveintheSTEMarena.ThosestepsincludedtheintroductionofAgriculturalScienceinTransitionYear(TY)andatLeavingCertificatelevel.Toaddresspotentialgenderstereotyping,theschoolalsoinvitedfemalerolemodels,whoseeducationalandcareerspathshaveledthemtoSTEM-basedprofessions,tospeakwiththestudents.Thisstrategywasstrengthenedbytheschool’scommitmenttoprovidingitsstudentswithaccesstoSTEM-focusedco-curricularcompetitionsandtoregularvisitstolocalSTEM-basedindustries.Inaddition,work-experienceprogrammeswereidentifiedbytheschoolasareaswherestudentscouldattainrelevantandmeaningfulexperiencesinSTEMindustriesandassociated careers.
0%
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69%
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6%13%
31%
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Satisfactory or better Less than satisfactory
21
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
Raisingawarenessof,andparticipationin,therangeofSTEMsubjectsisessentialtoensurethatwearedevelopingyoungpeoplewhoarecreativeandcriticalthinkersandalsointermsofdevelopingtheSTEMcompetenciesthatourworkforcewillneed.Earlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primaryeducatorsallhaveanimportantroletoplayinenablinglearnerstodeveloptheskillsandcompetenciesnecessarytoentertheSTEMworkforce.DatareleasedbytheCentralStatisticsOffice(CSO)in2017paintsapositivepictureregardingourthird-levelgraduates.In2016,thenumberofSTEMgraduatesinIrelandwas28.9per1,000personsagedbetween20-29years.ThisratewasthesecondhighestintheEuropeanUnion(EU).
Critically,IrelandalsohadthesecondhighestgenderdifferentialintheEUat24.7,with41.3maleSTEMgraduatesper1,000personsaged20-29,comparedwith16.6forfemales.ThisgenderinequalityisidentifiedasanareawhereIrelandmustmakesignificantimprovements.
2222
Inspectorate – Department of Education
4.1 Overall findingsOverall,findingsinrelationtoteachers’andpractitioners’engagementwith,anduseofSTEMpedagogiesweregood.Inmorethanfouroutofeveryfivelessonsatbothprimaryandpost-primarylevels,STEMteachingwasdeemedtobesatisfactoryorbetter.FindingsintheearlylearningandcarecontextwerealsogenerallypositivewithSTEM-educationpedagogybeingdeemedtobesatisfactoryorbetterin72%ofthesessionsobserved.TheseoutcomesalsopointtowardsfurtherscopeforimprovementinteachingprocessesandapproachesandinscaffoldinglearningrelatedtoSTEM.
Figure 10: STEM Teaching
4.2 Spotlights on effective STEM pedagogiesInthemoreeffectiveSTEMlessonsobservedinprimaryschools,teachersmaximisedthepotentialforchildrentodeveloptheirsenseofwonderandnaturalcuriosity;children’sagencyintheirownlearningwasfacilitatedskilfullyandthechildrenwereenabledtousetheenvironmenttoexplore,observe,andexperimentwithnaturalandothermaterials.
4 How effectively are practitioners engaging with STEM education methods?
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23
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
STEM Learning Spotlight 5
Inoneprimaryschool,pupilswerefocusingontheschool’sresponsetopollutionandtheirresponsibilityfortheenvironmentasawhole.Ledbytheschool’sGreenSchoolteam,pupilscarriedoutananalysisoftheairpollutionaroundtheirschoolthroughouttheday.Theaimoftheprojectwastousethedataalreadyavailableinrelationtothequalityofairaroundschoolsatdifferenttimesoftheschooldayandapplyittotheirownsituation.Pupilsrecordeddatainrelationtocarsidlingoutsidetheirschoolatthebeginningandendoftheschoolday.Theyusedthisrichdatatoinformtheirparentsoftheincreaseinairpollutionwhiletheirvehicleswereidlinginthecarpark.Theteacher’sintegrationofvariousaspectsofthecurriculuminthiswayenabledthepupilstouse,inarealandmeaningfulway,mathematicalskillsinmeasuring,recordinganddisplayingresults,andscientificexplorationskillsinanalysingandcomparingresults.Theintegrationoftheseskillshadtheeffectofreducingexhaustemissionsintheschool’slocalenvironmentanddemonstratedhowthepupilscouldmakeameaningfulimpactintheirownlocality.
Wherehigh-qualitySTEMteachingatpost-primarylevelwasobserveditwasoftencharacterisedbyanopennesstomultiplesolutions,theincorporationofdigitaltoolstosupportteachingandlearning,theuseofenquiry-basedmethodsandengagementwithanengineeringdesign process.
STEM Learning Spotlight 6
OnenotableexampleofeffectiveSTEMteachingatpost-primarylevelwasobservedaspartofaJuniorCycleschool-developedshortcourse.StudentsenrolledinthismoduleexperiencedavarietyoflearningstrategiesacrosstheSTEM-baseddisciplines.Themodulewasdevelopedthroughalocalpartnershipwithawildlifepark.Teachersdevelopedadesign,buildandtestprojectthatrequiredstudentstoworkcollaborativelytocreateanenrichmenttoolforaspeciesofanimaloftheirchoice.Thesetoolshelptoencouragetheanimals’cognitiveandphysicalactivityandoftenincorporatefoodasarewardfortheirpersistence.Thisprojectinvolvedstudentsresearchingthewildlifeandtheirparticularneedsandrequirements.Theirteachersguidedtheirprogression,usinganengineeringdesignprocesstodesign,prototype,testandbuildoperationalenrichmenttoolsforanimalsasdiverseasring-tailedlemursandzebras.Flexibletimetablingenabledgroupworktooccuracrossavarietyofsubjectareassimultaneouslytherebyenablingstudentstoinvestigaterelevanttopicsandultimatelytotestpotentialsolutions.Theteachers’flexibleapproachenabledstudentstoengageinhighlyeffectivegroupworkwheretheyworkedcollaborativelytosolvedesign-basedproblems.Theintegratednatureofthisshortcoursemaximisedtheskillsthatstudentscoulddrawupontocreativelysolveaproblem.
2424
Inspectorate – Department of Education
Inpost-primarylessonswhereSTEMteachingpracticeswerelessdeveloped,one-dimensionalapproachestoteachingandlearningweremostcommon.Teacherswerelesslikelytopromoteexplorationandcreativityandmorelikelytofocusonteacher-guidedsolutionsandteachingstrategiesthatresultedinsingle-answersolutions.Thisbinaryapproachprovideslearnerswithlimitedflexibilityandcanhavedetrimentaleffectsonlearners’innatecuriosityparticularlyiftheydonotgetthe“rightanswer”.
STEMeducation,whilstmadeupofavarietyofdistinctdisciplines,isatitsheart,multi-disciplinaryandinter-disciplinary.Inasignificantnumberofpost-primarySTEMsubjectlessons,anintegratedapproachtoSTEMteachingwasabsent.ThisgreatlyincreasedtheriskofSTEMsubjectlearningdevelopinginisolation,withoutcontextandwithoutopportunitiesforintegrationwithotherSTEMsubjectsbeingstudied.
Itisalsocriticalforlearnersatalllevels—earlylearningandcare,primaryandpost-primary—tohaveopportunitiestomaketangiblelinkswithreal-lifeproblemsinordertoadvancetheirSTEMlearninginameaningfulway.Opportunitiesforlearnerstofocusonhands-onbuildingandproblem-solvingactivitiesarecriticalforpositivelearningoutcomes.ResearchcarriedoutaspartoftheOECD’sFostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking What it Means in School9 studyhighlightsproblem-solvingandtheinclusionofdesign-basedlearningascrucialinaninter-disciplinaryapproachtoteachingandlearning.Thisapproachencouragescreativityandtheidentificationofinnovativesolutionstocomplexreal-worldproblemsthroughaprocessofDesignThinking10.
Figure 11setsoutanumberofquestionsdesignedtosupporteducationpractitionersinreviewingorself-evaluatingtheirSTEMpedagogies.
Figure 11: STEM Methodology Questions
Do activities focus on real-world issues
and problems?
Are lessons supportive of
“Design Thinking” approaches?
Is hands-on inquiry and open-ended exploration
encouraged?
Are students given the opportunity to work together as a
team?
Is mathematical and scientific content
integrated into learning?
Are multiple approaches
and solutions encouraged?
Are subject links and partnerships
utilised in lessons?
Is Art incorporated into the
appearance, design and usability of a
project?
Is digital learning used to support
STEM based activities?
Is artistic and creative planning
for solutions used to overcome
an engineering problem?
Are links with local STEM
industries and research facilities
embedded?
Are work experience
opportunities for students in STEM based industries /
services tilised?
9 https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/fostering-students-creativity-and-critical-thinking_62212c37-en#page105
10 Designthinkinginstructioniscomprisedofthreecorefeatures:1)aflexiblelearningspace;2)teamwork3)asystematicapproachonproblemsolving.
25
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
4.3 Planning for STEM Education and the use of dataWhenfocusisplacedontheSTEMpedagogiesusedbypractitioners,twoindicatorsofsuccessset out in the STEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019areparticularlyrelevant.
Indicator of Success
UseofevidencebyschoolstosupportSTEMeducation11
AllschoolstoincorporateSTEMwithintheirwhole-schoolplanningactivities12
Atprimarylevel,70%ofschoolsvisitedwerefoundtohaveawhole-schoolplanningorschoolself-evaluation(SSE)processthatwasimpactingpositivelyonSTEMprovisionintheschool.In50%ofpost-primaryschoolsvisited,theimpactofwhole-schoolplanningorSSEonprovisionforSTEMwasfoundtobesatisfactoryorbetter.Thesefindingsindicatethatatbothlevelsthereisscopeinasignificantnumberofschoolstostrengthenwhole-schoolapproachestoSTEMthroughimprovedplanningorSSEprocesses.
Figure 12: Impact of Whole School Planning / SSE on STEM education
11 STEMEducationImplementationPlan2017-2019p.4
12 STEMEducationImplementationPlan2017-2019p.4
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2626
Inspectorate – Department of Education
4.4 STEM and SSEFormallyintroducedintotheIrishschoolsystemin2012asacollaborative,reflectiveprocessofinternalschoolreview,SSEisprimarilyaboutschoolstakingownershipoftheirowndevelopmentandimprovement.STEMeducationisanareathatschoolscould,iftheydecideto,focusonandincorporatewithintheirSSEprocess.Untilnow,schoolshavebeenusingSSEtosupporttheirliteracyandnumeracydevelopmentinadditiontoanumberofself-selectedareasoffocusinteachingandlearning.SSEhasalsobeenusedbyschoolstoembedothernationalinitiativessuchasthePrimaryLanguageCurriculumatprimarylevelortheembeddingoftheFrameworkforJuniorCycleatpost-primarylevel.
InusingtheSSEprocesstolookatandimproveSTEMprovision,aschoolcouldposequestionsforitselfsuchas:
Figure 13: STEM and School Self Evaluation – possible questions
Do we enable learners
to become immersed
in hands-on inquiry and open-ended exploration?
Do we give students the opportunity
to work together as a
team?
Do we integrate
mathematical and scientific content into
learning?
Do we facilitate multiple
approaches and solutions
in our classrooms?
Do we utilise digital
learning to support
STEM-based activities?
Do we maximise student
engagement in critical thinking?
Thesequestionsandtheadditionalquestionslistedabove(Figure 11)wouldhelptheschooltofocusondifferentaspectsofSTEMeducationthatcouldbedevelopedatclassroomlevelandimplementedacrossaschool’scurriculum.
AchallengeforschoolsinapplyingtheSSEprocesstoSTEMistoidentifyacommonthreadwhichhasrelevanceacrossallcurricularareasandcanbeimplementedaccordingly,onaschool-widebasis.Onesuchthreadcouldinvolvethecross-curriculardevelopmentofcriticalthinkingskills.Inabroadsense,criticalthinkingrequiresstudentstousetheirabilitytoreason.Itisaboutbeinganactivelearnerratherthanapassiverecipientofinformation.Criticalthinkersrigorouslyquestionideasandassumptionsratherthanacceptingthematfacevalue;theseskillsareessentialtolearners’capacitiestocreate,innovateandsolveSTEM-basedproblems.
Identify Focus
Gather Evidence
Analyseand make
judgements
Write andshare report
and improvement plan
Put improvement
plan into action
Monitor actions and
evaluate impact
27
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
Inspectorswhowereinvolvedintheprojectinallthreesectorscapturedsetting/school-leveldataandsession/lessonleveldata.Theareasofenquiryuponwhicheachinspectorfocusedduringtheirinspectionvisitswerealignedwithanumberoftheindicatorsofsuccessoutlinedin the STEM Education Implementation Plan.ThissectionofthereportfocusesonthreekeyindicatorsofsuccessoutlinedintheSTEM Education Implementation Plan:
• STEMeducation-Performance
• STEMeducation-LinksandPartnerships
• STEMeducation–UtilisingDigitalTechnologies
5.1 STEM education – Performance
Indicator of Success
AlllearnerswillhaveimprovedperformanceinSTEMeducation13
OutcomesoftheTrends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) providedsomebenchmarksagainstwhichtogaugeourSTEMeducationoutcomes.TheTIMSS2015studystatedthatatfourthclassinprimarylevel,Irishstudentsranked2ndinMathematicsoutofthe22participatingEuropeanUnion(EU)memberstates/territoriesand9thoutofall49countriesparticipating.Irishstudentsranked10thinScienceoutofthe22EUparticipatingmemberstates/territoriesand19thoutofall47countries.
Atpost-primarylevel,second-yearstudentsranked1stinMathematicsoutofthe8EUparticipatingmemberstates/territoriesand9thoutofall39participatingcountries.InScience,Irishstudentsranked3rdoutofthe8EUparticipatingmemberstates/territoriesand10th out of all39participatingcountries.
ResultsofTIMSS2019aredueinDecember2020.TheseresultswillprovideinterestingsupplementaryinformationinrelationtoourachievementlevelscomparedwithstudentsinotherjurisdictionsandwillprovideanotherkeybenchmarkinrelationtoouroverallSTEMeducationprogress.
13 STEMEducationImplementationPlan2017-2019p4
5 How effectively are other national STEM goals being realised?
2828
Inspectorate – Department of Education
PISA2015indicatedthatinScience,Irishpost-primarystudentswereranked6thamongEUmemberstates/territoriesand19thoutofallcountriesparticipatinginPISA.InMathematics,Irishpost-primarystudentswereranked9thamongEUmemberstates/territoriesand18th out of allcountriesparticipatinginPISA.
PISA 2018
ResultsreleasedonDecember3December2019continuetoprovidestrongindicationsthatIrishpost-primarystudentsarewellplacedamongtheircounterpartsinotherOECDcountriesandinrelationtostudentsinallcountriesparticipatinginthePISAassessments.
InMathematicstheoverallmeanscoreofstudentsinIrelandin2018was499.6.ThiswassignificantlyhigherthantheOECDaveragescoreof489.3.Ireland’srankingis16thoutof37OECDcountriesand21stoutofthetotalof78participatingcountries/economies.
PISA2018resultsinIrelandwereclosetoourhistoricaverageinmathematics.WhiletheoveralltrajectoryofmathematicsperformanceinthePISAassessmentscanbedescribedasU-shaped,thisisentirelytheresultofthePISA2009results,whichweresignificantlybelowthehistoricaverage.MeanperformanceinallotheryearswasclosetothatobservedinPISA2018.
InScience,Irishstudentsachievedameanscoreof496.1inscienceliteracy,whichissignificantlyabovetheOECDaverage(488.7)andthemeanscoreoftheirpeersintheEU(484.0).Irelandalsoranked17thoutofthe37OECDcountriesand22ndofall78participatingcountries/economies.However,theoveralltrendwasnegative;inparticular,themorerecenttrend(since2012)andthetrendamongstthehighestperformingstudentswasmarkedlynegative.Between2006and2018,theproportionofstudentswhoscoredatLevel5or6onthePISAscale(top-performingstudents)decreasedby3.6percentagepoints,andthe90thpercentileoftheperformancedistributionmoveddownonthePISAscalebyabout5scorepointsper3-yearperiod.
ThedeclineinSciencemaybepartlyexplainedbythechangesinthePISAtestin2015and2018.Computer-basedtestingwasintroducedforthefirsttimein2015andthisallowedtheuseoftestitemsinwhichstudentshadtodemonstratetheabilitytoapplyscientificinvestigativeskills(involvinganumberofvariables)inexperimentswhichwerecompletedvirtually.In2018,theproportionofsuchitemswasincreasedinthePISASciencetest,reflectingagrowingemphasisonmeasuringstudents’abilitytoapplyscientificskills,ratherthanontheirknowledgeofscientificfacts.TheabilitytoapplysuchskillsisemphasisedtoamuchgreaterextentintherevisedJuniorCyclespecification,butonly2%ofthestudentstakingthePISA2018testexperiencedtherevisedJuniorCyclespecifications.ThenextroundofPISA,duetotakeplacein2022,willprovideabetterestimationoftheextenttowhichtheJuniorCyclechangesinSciencearebeingeffective.
The STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 and Implementation Plan 2017-2019commitstoidentifyingkeychallenges,andopportunitiestopromotetheuptakeofSTEMsubjectsatpost-primarylevel.TheinitialfocusisonhowtoincreasetheparticipationoffemalesinSTEMEducationatearlyyears,primaryandpost-primaryschools.TheSTEMCPDSupportFramework14aimstosupportthecross-sectoraldesignanddeliveryofCPDinSTEM.
14 https://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/STEM-Education-Policy/stem-cpd-support-framework.pdf
29
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
5.2 STEM Education - Links and Partnerships
Indicator of Success
Robustandsustainablepartnershipsinplacebetweenschools,businessandindustry,publicsectorbodies,researchorganisations,furtherandhigher-levelinstitutions,andthewiderSTEMcommunity14
TheimpactofSTEMinitiativesand/orpartnershipsonschoolcultureintheprimaryandpost-primaryschoolcontextwasparticularlypositivewithanumberofschoolsexhibitingstronglinkswithlocalindustriesandeducationalinstitutions.SuchlinkshelpedtocreateacultureofSTEMeducationatschoollevel.Intheprimarycontext,therewasevidencethatsuchlinksimpactedpositivelyonteachingandlearningexperiencesforpupils.Inearlylearningandcaresettings,satisfactoryorbetterSTEMinitiatives/partnershipswerelessevident.Tosupportthecreationandidentificationoflinksandpartnerships,theDepartmentofEducationhasdevelopedguidelinesandanaccompanyingonlinetoolkittoprovidethebasisforbothprimaryandpost-primaryschoolsandbusiness/industrytoformquality,inclusiveandrelevanteducationallinkswhichareaimedatimprovingtheSTEM/Digitallearningexperienceandsecuringenhancedoutcomesforalllearner.16
Figure 14: School/Setting-wide Links and Partnerships
Thereseemedtobeacontradictionofsortswhentheimpactoflinksandpartnershipswasexploredduringlessonobservations.Atpost-primarylevel,justunder60%oflessonsobservedweredeemedtohavebeenimpactedpositivelythroughlocalornationalSTEMpartnerships.Incomparison,75%ofthesameschoolsweredeemedtohavebenefittedinasatisfactoryor
15 STEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019 p. 4
16 https://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/STEM-Education-Policy/guidelines-for-stem-school-business_industry-partnerships.pdf
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70% 69%75% 75%
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Satisfactory or better Less than satisfactory
3030
Inspectorate – Department of Education
betterwayatawhole-schoollevelfromlocalornationalSTEMpartnerships.ThissuggeststhattheremaywellbefurtherworktobedoneinordertoencourageteacherstoensurethatSTEMeducationbecomesaneverydayexperiencefortheirstudents.Theremayalsobeaneedtoensurethatsuchlinksareconsistentwiththecurricularrequirementsofteachersandstudentsinordertomaximisestudents’exposuretomeaningfulandworthwhileSTEMlearningexperiences.
Figure 15: PP Impact of Links and Partnerships / Whole School and Lesson Comparison
Ofthetwenty-nineearlylearningandcaresettingsvisited,nonewereawareoftheSTEM Education Implementation Plan.HoweverintheearlylearningandcarecontextitshouldbeacknowledgedthatthecommunicationofSTEMeducationinitiativestotheearlylearningandcaresectorhasbeenrelativelyinconsistent.AnonlinesearchofavailableearlylearningandcarecoursesledtotheidentificationofjustoneCPDcoursedirectlyrelatedtotheSTEM Education Implementation Plan,providedbytheNationalCollegeofIreland(NCI).ThegoalofthisinnovativecoursewastobringearlylearningandcareandprimaryeducatorstogethertoexperienceanddiscussSTEMactivitiesandtolearnhowtoauthenticallyincorporateSTEMapproachesintotheirpractice.Attheearlylearningandcarelevel,initiativeslikethisarerequiredtobolstereffectiveearlylearningandcareSTEMpedagogy.
Spotlight7identifieshowschoolsandpre-schoolscanco-operateandcollaboratetoimprovetheSTEMeducationexperiencesoflearners.Thisexemplarshowshowresourcesandknow-howcanbepooledinordertomaximiseteachingandlearningcapacitiesinthearea.
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Impact on Teaching and Learning Whole School Impact
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STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
31
STEM Learning Spotlight 7
Oneprimaryschoolextendeditslinksandpartnershipsacrosstheschool’scommunitytoincludetwootherlocalprimaryschools,thefeederpre-schoolforallthreeprimaryschoolsandonelocalpost-primaryschool.Indoingso,theydevelopedanumberofSTEMthemescollaborativelyincludingSpace,Water,BuildingsandTransport.STEMandtheArtswereactivelypromotedintheschoolsandpre-school.Therewasacross-curricularapproachtoteachingtopicswithaparticularfocusonSTEMsubjects.Thisinvolvedstaffandpractitionersfromalloftheschoolsandsettingsplanningstrategically.Theplanningsessionswerelocatedineachoftheschoolsonarotationalbasis.Continuingprofessionaldevelopmentwasaccessed,ifpossible,asacluster,tosupporthigh-qualityteachingandenhancecollectivepractice.PractitionersatallthreelevelssharedSTEMresourcesandcommunicatedregularly.Thelearnersandpractitionersvisitedoneanother’sschoolsandsettingsandsharedtheirlearning.MembersofthegroupwhohadparticularexpertiseorusefullinksinSTEMintheworldoutsidesharedtheirknowledgetoenhanceSTEMlearningandteaching.Therewasanincreasedsharingofprofessionalideas,approachesandresources.Inaddition,regularlinkswiththelocalEducationCentreandthesupportservicesweremaintained.Theboardsofmanagementoftheprimaryandpost-primaryschoolsprovidedaverybroadrangeofco-curricularandextra-curricularSTEMlearningopportunities.
Thegroup’svisionwastoguidetheirlearnersalongnewpathwaysofdiscoverythroughplayandexperimentation,discussionandquestioning,gatheringandsourcinginformation,trialanderror,evaluationandassessment.Theseapproacheshelpedtocreateanenvironmentconducivetohigh-qualitySTEMeducation.
5.3 STEM education – Utilising Digital Technologies Atsystemlevel,significantworkinSTEMeducationisunderwayinareassuchascurriculumandassessmentreform,teacherprofessionaldevelopmentandtheembeddingofdigitaltechnologiesinallclassroomactivities.
The STEM Education Policy Statementcommitstoensuringthat“Teachers and early learning and care practitioners will have engaged with professional learning opportunities and will embed STEM into their teaching practice to include the use of digital technologies”. AsparttheInspectorate’sreviewoftheimplementationoftheDepartment’sDigitalLearningFramework,anadditionalthirty-sixSTEMlessonswereobservedinninefurtherpost-primaryschools.Injustoverhalf(53%)ofthoselessons,digitaltechnologieswereincorporatedintothelessontoenhancestudents’learningexperiences.Inthelessonswheredigitaltechnologieswerenotincorporatedintostudents’experiences,inspectorsfoundthattheuseofdigitaltechnologieswouldhave
Inspectorate – Department of Education
32
enhancedlearners’experiencesoverallin63%ofthoselessons.ThissmallsampleindicatesthatthereisstillscopefordevelopmentwithregardtothegreaterincorporationofdigitaltechnologiesintoSTEMteachingandlearning.
WhereeffectiveuseofICTinSTEMlessonswasobserved,therewasgenerallygoodintegrationofSTEMsubjectssupportedbyeffectiveplanning.
STEM Learning Spotlight 8
AprimaryschoolusedtheDigitalStrategypurposefullytosupportSTEMlearningopportunitiesforpupilsinavarietyofways.Thisschool-wideapproachincludedthepupilsusingICTtocreateaudio-visualrecordingsandtoedittheserecordingsusingsoftwareinordertosharetheirlearningwiththeirpeers.SomepupilsusedtheseskillstodemonstratetheirSTEMprojectwork,particularlyintheirengagementwiththeReel Life Scienceproject.Anotherexampleoftheschool’sinitiativesthathavebenefittedpupils’accesstoSTEMeducationisthecreationofaScience,Technology,Engineering,ArtandMathematics(STEAM)room.ThisfacilityenabledpupilstopursuetheirSTEMinterestswithinabroadercontextthatincorporatedtheirlearningintheVisualArts,creativedesignandproblemsolving.Thisenvironmentsupportedthelearnerstocompletetheirprojecttasks,someofwhichincorporatedtheuseofroboticsandcomputerprogramming.Thestaffinthisschoolalsodemonstratedhighlevelsofconfidenceandcompetenceinusingdigitalresourcestosupporttheirteaching.
32
STEM Education: Reporting on Practice in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Post-Primary Contexts
33
ThefindingsofthisreportsuggestthatwhilebothearlylearningandcaresettingsandschoolsarenowprimedforgreaterengagementwithSTEMeducationgenerally,thereareanumberofkeyareaswheretheSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 and the STEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019haveyettomakethedesiredimpactinschoolsandsettings.Itisalsoclearthatmanyprimaryandpost-primaryschoolshavetakeninitialsteps,withsomemakingverygoodprogressandforgingnewpathwaysthatmaximisetheirlearners’STEMeducationexperiencesandoutcomes.ThespotlightsthroughoutthisreportalsoindicatethatthereisgoodevidenceofeffectiveSTEMlearningandoftheeffortsthatsomeschoolshavemadetoachievethenationalgoalsassetoutintheSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026.
Need to further embed the national STEM education agenda in our schools and settings
Whilethemanypositivefindingsprovideamostwelcomebackdroptothisreport,oneoftheareasthatrequiresongoingmonitoringistheareaofraisingawarenessofthenationalSTEMeducationagenda.WhilstitisrecognisedthatmanyoftheschoolsthatengagedinthisreviewwereveryawareoftheimportanceofSTEMeducationingeneral,therestillremainsscopefordevelopmentinlinkingthegoalsoftheSTEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 and the STEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019withacoherentandpossiblynationallyaccreditedschool-basedprogramme.Thedevelopmentofsuchaprogramme,withclearindicatorslinkedbacktothepolicystatementandimplementationplan,wouldsupportschoolsinplanningtheirengagementwithSTEMeducationandalsohelptoensuretheiralignmentwithnationalSTEMeducationpriorities.Anationalprogrammewouldnotonlyprovidestructureandgoalsforschoolsandsettings,butalsoproviderecognitionoftheirachievementsintheareaofSTEMeducation.
SimilarlyintheELCsector,furtherembeddingpolicyandreinforcingthesupportsavailabletothesectorwouldalsosignificantlysupportandfacilitateELCsettings’engagementinthenationalSTEMeducationagenda.ThiswouldhelptoensurethatouryoungestlearnersaregiventhebestpossiblestartontheirSTEMeducationjourney.Withthisinmind,itisimportanttostatethatprogressattheearlylearningandcarelevelislessdevelopedthanthatoftheprimaryandpost-primarysectorsandfurtherpolicyinitiatives,supportsandactionsarenecessarytoensurethatpractitionersandearlylearningandcaresettingsarefullysupportedtoengagewiththenationalSTEMagenda.ThisengagementshouldalsobefullyalignedwithandfocussedontherealisationofnationalSTEMeducationgoals.
6 Key Findings and Recommendations
Inspectorate – Department of Education
34
Further work is required to ensure gender equity in STEM education
AnotherareathatrequiresattentionisgenderinequalityinSTEMeducation.Whileitisrecognisedthatgoodprogresshasbeenmadeinsomeareas,thereisstillsignificantscopeforimprovement.Genderparityisunfortunatelystillillusive,particularlyinthecontextofuptakeoftechnology-basedSTEMsubjectsatpost-primarylevel.Thisissueismulti-facetedand,toaddressit,acreativeandwide-rangingsolutionisnecessary.Issuesaroundgenderstereotyping,curriculumaccessibilityandresourcingareallcontributoryfactorstoIreland’shighgenderdifferentialbetweenmaleandfemaleSTEMgraduates.
There is scope to further integrate STEM education curriculums in the primary and post-primary sectors
ThefindingthattherewasahighlevelofparticipationratesinSTEMactivitiesandSTEMsubjectsingeneral,ismostwelcome.ThehighlevelofparticipationratesinSTEMactivitiesintheELCisparticularlynotableasthesessionobservationsinELCsettingsoccurredingenericlearningcontextsthatwerenotfocusedprimarilyonSTEM.ItishearteningthatmanyofouryoungestlearnersareexposedtoSTEMeducationnotonlyinwhattheylearn,butmoreimportantlyhowtheylearn.ThisapproachtoSTEMeducationmethodologyiscertainlyanareathatcouldbefurtherembeddedatprimaryandpost-primarylevelswherethecompartmentalisationofsubjectsismoreprevalent.ExamplesofgoodpracticeliketheoneoutlinedinSTEM Learning Spotlight 6provideuswithtangibleindicationsofhowprimaryandpost-primaryschoolscanorganiseandscheduleclassesandteacherstomaximiselearners’integratedexperiencesofSTEMeducation.Thispresentsachallengeforschoolleadersinrelationtofindingcreativesolutionstoschedulingclassesanddevelopingthematicandcross-curricularapproachestocurriculumdelivery.
The development of creative environments that facilitate the incorporation of STEM education methodologies is essential
TheintegrationofdesignandmakeskillsintoSTEMeducationexperiencesactivelypromotesthefosteringanddevelopmentofcreativecriticalthinkingskills.Tothisend,inspectorsnotedmanypositiveexamplesofpracticeinclassroomsandlearningsettingswhereSTEMeducationwasembeddedandformedpartofthelearners’everydayexperiences.Wherepracticewasverygood,STEMlearningopportunitiesandexperienceswereintegratedseamlesslyacrossarangeofcurriculumareas.Insuchcases,learnersengagedinmeaningfulactivitiesthatdevelopedtheirsenseofcuriosity,theirproblem-solvingskills,theirteamworkandabilitytoadoptmultipleapproachestoachievenon-prescribedsolutions.SchoolsandsettingswishingtostrengthentheircurrentSTEMeducationprogrammesshouldcertainlyfocusonhowtheycanenhanceteachingandlearningmethodologiespotentiallybyaskingthemselvesquestionslike:
• Arelessonssupportiveof“DesignThinking”approaches?
• Aremultipleapproachesandsolutionsencouraged?
• IsdigitallearningusedtosupportSTEM-basedactivities?
• ArelinkswithlocalSTEMindustriesandresearchfacilitiesembedded?
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Inordertodeveloppracticefurther,thecreationofteachingandlearningenvironmentsthatwillfacilitatetheincorporationofSTEMeducationmethodologiesisessential.Itwasnotedthatinexamplesofgoodpracticeobserved,manyteachersandpractitionerscreatedatmospheresthatwereconducivetomultipleandalternativesolutionsandenquiry-basedmethodsthatenabledengagementwithanengineeringdesignprocessofsometype.Itisimperativethattheseapproachesbecomemorewidespreadandthattheyareincorporatedintolearners’experiencestocomplementandsupportexistingandmoretraditionalapproaches.TopromotegreaterapplicationofSTEM-basedtransferrableskills,thefosteringofrelevantlinksandpartnershipsshouldalsobeforgedwherepossible.
As schools engage with school self-evaluation, opportunities to foster the potential of STEM education should be considered and incorporated where practicable into their teaching and learning areas of focus
TohelpschoolsthatwouldliketofocusonaspectsofteachingandlearningthatlendthemselvestoSTEMeducation,additionalsupportwouldbebeneficial,particularlythroughtheprovisionofresourcesandadvicethatcouldbeusedatschoolleveltoaidreflectionandreviewwithintheDepartment’sexistingSSEstructures.ThepotentialbenefitsofSTEMeducationshouldbeconsideredandincorporatedwherepracticableintoday-to-dayteachingandlearning.Thisprocessshouldbestructuredwithintheschoolself-evaluationprocesswherepossible.Byposingquestions,challengingtheirapproachesandbyself-evaluatingtheirSTEMeducationpractices,schoolsandsettingswillbewellplacedtorecognisetheirstrengthsandproactivelyaddressanyidentifiedareasfordevelopment.TheSTEM Education Implementation Plan 2017-2019outlineskeyindicatorsofsuccessthatcouldinformthisprocessatschoolandsettinglevel.
Innovative approaches to supporting and incentivising schools and settings in terms of STEM should be identified. In particular, there is a need to ensure that schools have appropriate STEM learning spaces and access to necessary STEM resources
Paralleltothedevelopmentofpedagogy,thereisalsoaneedtosupportschoolsandsettingsinthereimaginingofcreativespaceswhereSTEMeducationmethodologiesandSTEM-basedlearningcanflourish.Itisincumbentonthoseresponsibleforplanningassociatedinfrastructuraldevelopmentstoprogressthesechangesinlinewiththenecessaryevolutionofpedagogy.Creativespacesshouldbeidentifiedinallschoolsandsettingsand,wherenecessary,resourcedaccordingly.Whilstitisrecognisedthatresourcingneedswillunderstandablyvaryandwillimpactlearnersindifferentwaysdependingupontheirageandstageofdevelopment,akeyconsiderationshouldbethatlearners’creativityshouldbefosteredwherepossibleandnotbenegativelyimpacteduponduetotheavailabilityorotherwiseofSTEM-learningresourcesandfacilities.
Schools and early learning and care settings should continue to work to make STEM education an integrated feature of teaching, learning and assessment
ItisalsoincumbentonschoolsandearlylearningandcaresettingstocontinuetoworktowardsensuringthatSTEMeducationisanintegratedfeatureoflearners’experiencesofteaching,learningandassessment.LeadersinthesectorshouldpromotetheintegrationofmeaningfulSTEMeducationapproachesasinherentcomponentsofeverydaypractice.Thismightpresent
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challengesformanypost-primaryschoolsand,toalesserextent,primaryschoolswherethepropensitytoteachSTEMsubjectsinisolationmayexist.ThispropensityshouldbechallengedwherepossibleinordertocreateamoreintegratedapproachtolearningthatencompassestheassociatedskillsetsoftheSTEMdisciplines.
CPD providers and ITE courses, and early learning and care practitioner courses should ensure that effective STEM education methodologies are incorporated into teacher/practitioner training courses and CPD
Tohelpachievethesegoalsitisalsoessentialthatteachersandpractitionersareprovidedwiththenecessaryadvice,trainingandCPD.ITEcoursesandprovidersofeducationandtrainingforELCpractitionersshouldreviewtheirprogrammestoensurethattheyreflectandincorporatetheassociatedpedagogiesthatareapplicabletotheSTEMeducationexperience.Withoutthefurtherdevelopmentandreinforcementoftheimportanceoftheseareas,askillsdeficitmaywellmaterialise.ThisisparticularlyrelevantforpractitionersworkingintheELCsector.Atprimaryandpost-primarylevels,significantresourceshavebeendevelopedtoprovideadviceandsupportsforteachersofSTEMandtheseresourcesarebearingfruit,resultinginthedevelopmentofhighlydevelopedresourcesandsupportsforteachers.FutureiterationsofCosán,theFrameworkforTeachers’LearningcouldalsoreflectSTEMasakeylearningareatherebyfurthersupportingteachers’professionaldevelopmentjourneysandembeddingSTEMCPDacrossthesectors.Teachers’lifelonglearningintheareaofSTEMeducationwouldcertainlybenefitfromthemulti-dimensionalapproachespousedinCosánwhereteachers’learningmaybeformalorinformal,personalorprofessional,collaborativeorindividual,andschool-basedorexternal,andoftenacombinationofthesedimensions.
There is a need to create activities that support effective STEM education and positive STEM experiences for learners
ButhowcanweensurethatlearnersacrossthethreesectorsareprovidedwithasmanyopportunitiestoengageinSTEMeducationaspossible?ToachievethisitisimperativethatcreativeactivitiesthatfosterandsupporteffectiveSTEMeducationareidentified.TheSTEMLearningSpotlightsthroughoutthisreportdemonstratethatfromearlyyearslearningtoseniorcyclepost-primaryeducation,planning,creativityandanadherencetothekeyprinciplesthatunderpinSTEMeducationareessentialcomponentsofsuccessfulSTEMeducationexperiences.Wheretheseactivitieswerebestdeveloped,learnerswereenabledtoengageintasksthatimbueddiscovery,inquiryandexploration,allapproachesthatdevelopaSTEMmind-set.Thechallengeforeducatorsistoensurethatthesetendencies,allofwhicharenaturallyoccurringandabundantinchildrenandyoungpeople,aregiventheopportunitytodevelopandtogrow.Toachievethis,wewillneedtobecognisantofotherfactorsthatmaynegativelyimpactlearners’experiencesofSTEMeducationmethodologies.Wewillalsoneedtoresistthetemptationtofocusoncontentattheexpenseofskilldevelopment,particularlyinrelationtothemodelsofassessmentthatwechooseforourchildrenandyoungpeople.EmbeddingAistear,thePrimarySchoolCurriculum(1999),theFrameworkforJuniorCycle(2015)andfuturereviewsatseniorcyclepost-primarywillsupportthisandfacilitateacoherentapproachacrosssectorsthatimproveslearners’experiencesandoutcomesoverall.
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Additional policy guidance in the area of effective STEM education approaches in the early learning and care sectors should be developed
ThechallengefortheELCsectoristoensurethatitcanengagewithSTEMeducationeventhoughtodate,thelevelofsupportsavailabletothesectordoesnotcorrespondwiththatoftheprimaryandpost-primarysectors.PolicyguidanceandengagementwithrelevantpartnersandstakeholdersintheareaofeffectiveSTEMeducationapproachesintheELCsectorisnecessaryinordertoputthestrategiesinplacetorealisethegoalssetoutintheSTEM Education Policy Statement.
Conclusion
TheimportanceandrelevanceofSTEMeducationwasabundantlyclearduringthecourseoftheCOVID-19pandemicwhentheinitialshortageofpersonalprotectiveequipment(PPE)andspecificallyfaceshieldsresonatedwithmanylearnersinIrishschools.SomelearnersutilisedtheskillsandtoolsavailabletothemtorapidlyprototypeandproducetherequiredPPEintheirschoolstosupplementthenationalshortfallinsupply.Thisdesignandmakeapproachandreal-worldapplicationofcriticalthinkingskills,enabledouryounglearnerstocontributeinameaningfulwaytothefightagainstthevirus.Thisexampledemonstrateshowanintegratedapproachtoscience,technology,engineeringandmathematicscanhaveapositiveimpactonourlivesandalsohowthesedisciplinescanco-existandinteracteffectivelytorealiseadesignsolutionforthegoodofsocietyoverall.
Aswecontinuetoevolveandtodevelopitiscertainthatmanymorechallengeswillfaceus,andifwecanequipouryounglearnerswiththeSTEMtoolsthatwillenablethemtotacklethesechallengesinasolution-focusedmannerthenourfuturechallengesmaywellbeovercomethroughtheapplicationofinnovationandcreativitygroundedinSTEMeducation.
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GlossaryGlossary Term Definition
AR AugmentedReality
CPD ContinuingProfessionalDevelopment
CSO CentralStatisticsOffice
DCG DesignandCommunicationGraphics
EU EuropeanUnion
EY EarlyYears
EYEI EarlyYearsEducationInspection
ICT InformationandCommunicationTechnology
IoT InternetofThings
ITE InitialTeacherEducation
JCT JuniorCycleforTeachers
NCI NationalCollegeofIreland
OECD OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment
PDST ProfessionalDevelopmentServiceforTeachers
PISA ProgrammeforInternationalStudentAssessment
SSE SchoolSelf-Evaluation
STEAM Science,Technology,Engineering,Art&Mathematics
STEM Science,Technology,Engineering&Mathematics
TG TechnicalGraphics
TIMSS TrendsinInternationalMathematicsandScienceStudy
TY TransitionYear
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AcknowledgementsThefollowingschools’STEMpracticesareexemplifiedintheSpotlightsoutlinedthroughoutthisreport.Wewouldliketothanktheseschools,theirteachersandtheirstudentsfortheirengagementandsupportinprovidingexamplesofgoodpractice.
Spotlight 1 VicarstownNS,Vicarstown,CountyCork
Spotlight 2 ScoilÍosagáin,St.Mary’sRoad,Buncrana,Co.Donegal
Spotlight 3 ColáisteBhaileChláir,Lakeview,BaileChláir,ConaGaillimhe
Spotlight 4 HolyFamilySecondarySchool,Newbridge,CountyKildare
Spotlight 5 ScoilNaomhFionán,Whitecastle,QuigleysPoint,CountyDonegal
Spotlight 6 CarrigtwohillCommunityCollege,Unit2AFotaBusinessPark,Carrigtwohill,CountyCork
Spotlight 7 St.Mary’sNS,Ballinagare,Castlerea,Co.Roscommon
Spotlight 8 St.Hugh’sNS,Dowra,viaCarrick-on-Shannon,CountyLeitrim
An Roinn OideachaisDepartment of Education
This report presents the findings of an Inspectorate evaluation of the implementation of the first phase of the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 in a sample of primary and post-primary schools and early learning and care settings during the period January 2019 to December 2019.
The report is also designed to provide a benchmark for the education system and policy makers more broadly in relation to how STEM education policy is being implemented at school and early learning and care setting level and to inform actions that may need to be taken to ensure that national STEM education objectives can be achieved.
The report is also intended to be a resource for education practitioners at early learning and care, primary and post-primary levels through providing illustrations of effective STEM education as observed in the course of the evaluation project.