ERIC Number: EJ1182157
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jun
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-6313
STEM Resources on Demand (STEMROD): Working with Community/Industry Partners and Pre-Service Teachers to Develop 'Ready to Use' Resources for Teachers
King, Donna; Lyons, Terry; Dawes, Les; Doyle, Tanya; O'Loughlin, Megan
Teaching Science, v64 n2 p31-37 Jun 2018
Connecting schools and teachers with industry and community partners is essential for improving STEM outcomes for students. To address this, two pilot 'STEM Hubs' were created for schools in Brisbane and Townsville that connected secondary STEM teachers with local industry and community partners. The collaboration afforded innovative STEM units to be conceptualised by teachers and partners, and then developed by preservice teachers at partner universities. This study reports on the perspectives of the teachers, industry partners and pre-service teachers who collaborated with university representatives to write the units of work known as 'STEMROD' (STEM Resources on Demand). Data from student and partner interviews were used to ascertain the affordances and constraints of the STEMROD initiative. The analysis revealed three positive outcomes: firstly, the STEMROD approach can relieve teacher workload by providing an initial resource that can be modified to suit students' needs; secondly, the STEMROD were written to align with schools' priorities in the STEM area by providing opportunities for integrated STEM teaching and learning; and thirdly, the STEMROD were written to afford opportunities for preservice teachers to practice curriculum planning as well as receive valuable feedback from teachers.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Educational Resources, Secondary School Teachers, School Community Relationship, School Business Relationship, Pilot Projects, Educational Innovation, Secondary School Students, Science Teachers, Mathematics Teachers, Faculty Workload, Preservice Teachers, Universities, Partnerships in Education, Foreign Countries, Interviews, Student Attitudes, Feedback (Response), Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Education
Australian Science Teachers Association. P.O. Box 334, Deakin West, ACT 2600, Australia. Tel: +61-02-6282-9377; Fax: +61-02-6282-9477; e-mail: publications@asta.edu.au; Web site: http://www.asta.edu.au/resources/teachingscience
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia