STEM education study

[stemeducation]

I'm interested in speaking to parents about science, technology, engineering and math education, especially for girls 9-12. I'm an MBA student doing research on this field and would find any input on challenges or any insights into teacher approaches or student attitudes extremely helpful.

[BackforGood]

What do you want to know ?

[StourValleyArts]

Hi, we do a lot of work with schools and have recently announced a STEM challenge to engage children and young people with art and environment issues through STEM. You may also be interested in our research publication Science Nature & Identity - you will find details of both and the exhibition which resulted from a four-year project with over 300 local young people on our website www.stourvalleyarts.org.uk/ScienceNatureIdentity

[PastSellByDate]

Hi stemeducation:

DD1 in Y5 aged 10 now and from our experience STEM gets very little time at primary school.

Maths homework 10 minutes a week - DD1 was struggling we went off plan and joined Mathsfactor because school was only sending home pattern work (colouring in cars, caterpillars, train cars, etc....) for most Y1 & Y2. All children on 'top table' do maths work at home and find school merely review of concepts they already know.

Science: basically given an afternoon a week + forest school. I'd say it's introducing concepts and some experiments. DD1 enjoys this - but often find that it isn't very well linked into further work (reading, literacy, homework, etc...)

Engineering: School is expanding and currently a great deal of building work going on - yet they aren't really exploring any of that - hydraulic systems, working out number of bricks for facing of building, curve of roof, carrying capacity of crane, etc...

Technology: after school computer club - but very little mechanical engineering/ physics/ construction component at school. Building a little robot or something would be fantastic. D&T is usually arts and crafts to be honest.

Find it very sad to be based in an area with such a rich history of engineering - and yet so little is done to discuss it. Trains, canals, sewage systems, etc... all taken for granted without any real appreciation for the amazing engineering achievements these are.