Learning STEM in situ: Pre-service science teachers working as mentors in a school-university partnership

Year: 2017

Author: Berry, Amanda, McLaughlin, Tricia, Cooper, Grant

Type of paper: Abstract refereed

Abstract:
The importance of a well-qualified and diverse STEM workforce is widely acknowledged as crucial to Australia's long-term economic future (Office of Chief Scientist, 2016; OECD, 2014). Hence STEM education is a national priority that will contribute to future workforce needs as well as more generally, shaping the growth of scientifically and technologically literate citizens who can critically examine, understand and improve the world around them. Teachers in schools have an important role to successfully teach foundational STEM knowledge and skills in an integrated and inspirational manner that leads to more students choosing to take up future work and learning opportunities in the STEM fields, (particularly girls). Yet few teachers know what STEM education actually entails or have sufficient instructional resources or approaches that enable them to support STEM education in schools (Breiner et al,2012; Chiu et al, 2015). The research reported in this presentation investigates the development of pre-service science teachers' knowledge and understanding of contemporary STEM contexts and pedagogies for engaging school students' learning in STEM through working as mentors in a project linking RMIT University STEM researchers with school-girls from primary and secondary schools in metropolitan Melbourne. The project, STEM in-situ, funded through the Women in Science and Entrepreneurship program (National Science and Innovation Agenda), aims to provide girls with STEM-related experiences to enhance their understanding of STEM and explore the creative possibilities of STEM disciplines.

In this project, primary and secondary pre-service teachers (PSTs) volunteered to work as mentors, collaborating in the design of learning experiences suitable for school aged girls, together with teacher educators and researchers in STEM research centres at RMIT University. Data is being collected via two main sources: (1) Interviews with individual mentors prior to and immediately following the conclusion of the project activities and, (2) Journals kept by mentors throughout the project, to maintain a record of their experiences, insights and questions related to their personal understandings of STEM and pedagogies for enhancing school-aged girls' interest, engagement, and understandings of STEM. Data will be analysed thematically drawing on main themes of: changing understandings of STEM, developing a pedagogy around STEM, changing understandings of school girls' interest, engagement, self-identity and learning in STEM, views of their mentor role, and the value of the project for teachers in preparation. Data collection is currently in progress (2017- 2018) hence preliminary results will be reported at the conference

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