Manual For Innovative Pedagogy in STEM Contents

Liceo “Niccolò Machiavelli”
Florence, Italy
Manual for Innovative Pedagogy

in STEM Contents
An Erasmus+ Project to increase secondary students’
achievements in Science subjects
Edited by
Massimo Amato and Anna Siri
Erasmus+ Project Number: 2017-1-IT02-KA201-036780

Erasmus+ “Do Well Science” project n. 2017-1-IT02-KA201-036780
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Erasmus+ Project “DO WELL SCIENCE”

Manual for Innovative Pedagoy in STEM Contents
October 2019
Edited by Massimo Amato and Anna Siri
Lyceum “Niccolò Machiavelli”, Florence – Italy
“Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra – Greece
Vocational High School of Electronics “John Atanasoff”, Sofia -

Bulgaria
University of Genoa, Genoa – Italy
University of Peloponnese – Greece
Södertörn University, Stockholm – Sweden
Pixel, Florence – Italy
Zinev Art Technologies, Sofia - Bulgaria
Published by
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Disclaimer / Copyright
All the contents (texts, images, graphics, layout, etc.) included in this manual are an integral part of the "Do
Well Science" project and are the property of the project manager and their authors.
All contents of anything included in the manual may not be published, rewritten, marketed, distributed,
radio or video-transmitted by users and third parties in general, in any way and in any form unless prior
authorization from the "Do Well Science" project managers and. The texts authorised are usable for cultural
purposes and in any case not for profit, provided that the source of origin and any authors of the text are
clearly mentioned.
The contents offered by this manual are written with the highest care/diligence, and subjected to careful
checking.
The trademarks and names of institutions, bodies and institutions mentioned in the manual belong to their
respective owners or owners and may be protected by patents and / or copyright granted or registered by
the authorities in charge.
"Do Well Science" and the authors of the manual, however, declines any direct and indirect responsibility
towards users and in general any third party, for any inaccuracies, errors, omissions, damages
(direct, indirect, consequent, punishable and punishable) deriving from the aforementioned contents.
The texts and graphics in this manual are protected in accordance with current legislation on copyright,
patents and intellectual property.
Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-83-945213-0-1
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Acknowledgements
This project was financed by the EU by Erasmus Programme.
We would like to express our very great appreciation to Silvia Lucci, school professor of
English language of the High school “Niccolò Machiavelli” in Florence, Italy, for the
valuable work done in linguistic revision over these two years. Her willingness to give her
time so generously has been very much appreciated.
Many thanks to all the school directors, teachers and students of the High schools SPGE
“J. Atanasov” of Sofia – Bulgaria, “Arsakeio” of Patras in Greece, “N. Machiavelli” of
Florence, “Calasanzio” of Empoli, “A. Pacinotti” of La Spezia, “C. Colombo” of Genoa, “E.
Amaldi” of Novi Ligure, “E. Fermi” of Genoa, “E. Montale” Institute of Genoa, “F. Liceti”
Institute of Rapallo in Italy, for the collaboration in testing the new outputs of this project
and for the useful and constructive suggestions during the planning and development of
this work.
We would like to express our special thanks of gratitude to professor Spiros Sirmakessis of
University of Peloponneso as well as Manos Petrakis of “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra in
Greece, whose expertise was invaluable in formulating the tecnological innovation
introduced in the project.
A great thank for the collaboration to Rosanna Maselli and Simonetta Trambusti of High
school “Niccolò Machiavelli” in Florence, Italy, for their contribution in the management
and coordination during the two years of the project.
Finally, this project would not have been so successful without the collaboration with
Andrea Anzanello, Federico Innocenti, Lorenzo Martellini and Andrea Peraldo of Pixel in
Florence, Italy. Their significant support in management and coordination contributed to
the great results of “Do Well Science” project.
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Table of Contents
PART I - OVERVIEW ON SCIENCE TEACHING, RATIONALE, NEEDS AND CHALLENGES …….

9
1. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION IN
EUROPE .................................................................................................................. 10
1.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 10
1.2. OVERVIEW ON THE MAIN EUROPEAN POLICIES ON STEM .......................................................................... 11
1.3. THE EU STEM COALITION .................................................................................................................. 12
1.4. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 13
1.5. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 14
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ON STEM EDUCATION ............................................................ 15

2.1. STUDENTS MOTIVATION FOR STEM ...................................................................................................... 15
2.2. TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR STEM ........................................................................................................ 16
2.3. ICT AS TOOLS FOR MOTIVATION FOR STEM ............................................................................................ 17
2.4. STEM AND UNDER-ACHIEVEMENT ........................................................................................................ 18
2.5. STUDENT BACKGROUND - INTERCULTURALITY .......................................................................................... 19
2.6. CONCLUSION: IMPLICATIONS FOR A TEACHER........................................................................................... 20
2.7. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 22
PART II - The “DO WELL SCIENCE” European project Erasmus+ ……………………………………28

1. THE “DO WELL SCIENCE” PROJECT ........................................................................... 30
1.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 30
1.2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................... 31
1.3. CONTENTS METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 33
1.4. STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN BULGARIAN, GREEK AND ITALIAN PARTNER SCHOOLS ............................................ 35
1.5. USE OF THE APP OR WEB IN EACH COUNTRY ........................................................................................... 36
1.6. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 42
2. NATIONAL POLICIES ON STEM IN THE “DO WELL SCIENCE” PARTNER COUNTRIES .... 44
2.1. OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 44
2.2. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 48
2.3. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 48
3. A COMPARISON OF THE STEM CURRICULA IN “DO WELL SCIENCE” PARTNER

COUNTRIES ............................................................................................................. 50
3.1. GENERAL OUTLINE ............................................................................................................................. 50
3.2. COMPARISON OF THE CURRICULA .......................................................................................................... 51
3.3. MATHEMATICS CURRICULA .................................................................................................................. 54
3.4. PHYSICS CURRICULA ........................................................................................................................... 56
3.5. NATURAL SCIENCE CURRICULA .............................................................................................................. 57
3.6. ORGANISATION OF STEM SUBJECTS ...................................................................................................... 61
3.7. REQUIREMENTS OF FOR STEM TEACHER QUALIFICATION ........................................................................... 63
3.8. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 64
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3.9. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 64
4. WEB PORTAL & APP PROJECT DEVELOPING ............................................................. 66

4.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 66
4.2. HOW AND WHICH EXERCISES ARE DEVELOPED BY PARTNERS ........................................................................ 66
4.3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEB APP CORRELATED TO THE STUDENT TEST USING THE SETTLED SURVEY ...................... 69
4.4. SURVEY FEEDBACKS IN DETAILS AND DEDUCTION ...................................................................................... 73
4.5. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF THE CONTENT CREATOR ........................................................................... 78
4.6. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BULGARIAN AND GREEK STUDENTS ........................................................................ 80
4.7. A BRIEF INDICATION FROM PARTNERS .................................................................................................... 81
4.8. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 83
PART III - Teaching STEM with ICT: why?

……………………………………………………………………..82
1. RESEARCH ON INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF STEM AND THEIR
ADAPTABILITY TO THE PARTICULAR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN THE DIFFERENT
SECONDARY LEVEL SCHOOLS .................................................................................. 85
1.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 85
1.2. INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR THE TEACHING OF STEM ........................................................................... 85
1.3. HOW TO EVALUATE THE ADAPTABILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR TEACHING OF
STEM IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN SCHOOL ................................................................................................... 88
1.4. CREATING INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ................................................................................... 90
1.5. LANGUAGE AS A KEY FACTOR ................................................................................................................ 91
1.6. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 92
2. TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED STEM LEARNING............................................................. 95

2.1. VIRTUAL AND REMOTE SCIENCE LABORATORIES AND INQUIRY LEARNING APPLETS ............................................ 95
2.2. GAMIFICATION OF LEARNING................................................................................................................ 96
2.3. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 98
3. STEM TEACHER TRAINING ..................................................................................... 101

3.1. NECESSITY OF STEM TEACHER TRAINING AT SCHOOL LEVEL ...................................................................... 101
3.2. DEVELOPMENT OF REAL-LIFE SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL SCENARIOS AT SCHOOL AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO STEM EDUCATION ........................................................................................... 102
3.3. TRANSNATIONAL INITIATIVES FOR STEM TEACHER TRAINING .................................................................... 103
3.4. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 105
4. STEM EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES ..................................................... 106

4.1. INVOLVED AND NETWORKING COMMUNITIES ......................................................................................... 106
4.2. FLEXIBLE AND INCLUSIVE LEARNING SPACES ........................................................................................... 106
4.3. STEM OPPORTUNITIES AND CAREERS .................................................................................................. 107
4.4. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 108
5. STRATEGIES FOR POLICYMAKERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION

OF INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE AT SECONDARY
SCHOOL LEVEL ...................................................................................................... 109
5.1. SCIENCE EDUCATION POLICY-MAKING .................................................................................................. 109
5.2. EMERGING ISSUES ............................................................................................................................ 109
5.3. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................. 110
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5.4. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 112

5.5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 113
6. GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL LEADERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL STEM EDUCATION ..... 114
6.1. TEACHER EDUCATION AND TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ......................................................... 114
6.2. USING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) ........................................................... 115
6.3. LINKING SCHOOL WITH COMMUNITY SCIENCE ORGANISATIONS .................................................................. 115
6.4. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 116
6.5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 116
AUTHORS .................................................................................................................. 118

APPENDIX …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………119
APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................................................................................. 122
APPENDIX 2 .................................................................................................................................................. 124
APPENDIX 3 .................................................................................................................................................. 126
APPENDIX 4 .................................................................................................................................................. 128
APPENDIX 5 .................................................................................................................................................. 129
APPENDIX 6 .................................................................................................................................................. 132
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PART I
OVERVIEW ON SCIENCE TEACHING, RATIONALE, NEEDS

AND CHALLENGES
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1. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in

Europe
by Massimo Amato, Emanuela De Negri, Jan-Eric Mattsson, Ann Mutvei, Anna Siri
1.1. Introduction
Sciences taught are based on many different aspects such as the training received by the
teachers, the content of the school programs, the standardized tests represent the main
elements, which influence, directly or indirectly, the contents, the approaches and the
scientific activities organized in the classes. The development of concepts is linked to
mental images and models that are formed in the mind. Making a model of a concept
means subsequently reworking weak and unstable images that however have to convey
to a definitive image, strong and stable. Lectures are indispensable but sometimes do not
compensate for past gaps or difficulties "of the moment" that the teacher is not always
able to satisfy for each individual student, given the high number of learners in the
classroom.
"Do Well Science" is "for students with students". Its aim is to increase problem solving
skills in students, to provide resolutive methods, to get ad hoc built exercises, to actualize
the problems referred to in the classroom with videos, documents, and in general with
the resources available on the web.
"Do Well Science" wants to develop a teaching methodology and wants to provide a large
number of resources using the environments most familiar to students: websites and
dedicated applets for Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences.
"Do Well Science" allows students to:
- easily identify the support, strengthen the verification activities to be carried out
on the individual discipline;
- easily identify laboratory activities and experiments for the enhancement of the
single discipline;
- identify the references to daily life and natural phenomena related to the topics
discussed in the classroom for a fruitful study;
- search, highlight and investigate scientific issues of interest to them;
- work in groups and create moments of confrontation, relationship and positive
discussion.
Existing websites, applets for tablets and smartphones in Science education are not very
user friendly and are often incomplete, approximate or without a didactically verified
structure.
"Do Well Science" wants to be a web platform and at the same time one applet that
allows users, students and teachers, to do comments, suggestions and proposals for
exercises and problems. Through the statistical analysis of the use of resources, it will be
possible to delete those exercises that are not used and deepen the topics most
requested by students. The platform will offer a good study practice, allowing the
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participation of the students, it will increase the skills by stimulating the will to do well.
The e-learning shared among the students will be allowed also through the publication of
the results obtained, through the achievement of objectives and the increase in level that
allows the earning of better badges. A championship will be created that allows the
participation into an healthy competition for a profitable and lasting learning.
The analysis and the study of the "Do Well Science" method requires a careful and
detailed analysis through skilled personnel who has been following the issues related to
learning for years: high school teachers, university professors, qualified staff of the
school's public bodies.
1.2. Overview on the main European policies on STEM

Due to the attention of the European Community on the ever increasing awareness of the
development of methodological and technological innovation in schools, the aims of this
project are to develop a new software architecture designed to the construction of e-
learning environments, Learning Management System - LMS and content management
system, CMS with which it is possible to train, assess and eventually certify the
competences of students, updating the request for a wide representation and
dissemination of knowledge and innovation experiences implemented within individual
schools, by teachers and for students.
According to the OECD-PISA surveys, the training of students in Science subjects
deteriorates progressively over the years [1]. The Council of the European Union has set
the goal of reducing the percentage of 15-year-olds with poor results in reading, Maths
and Science by 15% to 2020.
According to Eurydice [2] Science provides students with the tools to better understand
the world around them, encourages curiosity and a critical spirit, emphasizes the
relationship between man and nature and reminds us that natural resources are not
unlimited.
The #EuFactor project [3] of the European Commission and the European Parliament
sensitizes young people to the study of Science, technology and information technology,
in view of the new job opportunities and the skills required by the market; for Europe,
growing means innovating and innovating means growing. According to a study by the
European community between 2013 and 2025 it is estimated that in Europe there will be
around 2,300,000 vacancies in the field of Science and engineering.
In Italy, the INDIRE - National Institute for Educational Research Innovation
Documentation [4] through its research activities, supports innovation in the Italian
schools and addresses the processes of transformation of methodologies and educational
tools, thus helping to spread new teaching and learning practices and models.
Furthermore, with reference to the lines followed in the context of the National Digital
School Plan – PNSD [5], which promotes the development of digital skills and supports
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students' learning activities in a stimulating and attractive manner, the "Do Well Science"
project ensures the use of functional and effective resources made available by the PNSD.
Walter Lewin, former professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology: "Children must
love Science and the teacher must ensure that they succeed. Clarity is essential to achieve
this goal."
1.3. The EU STEM Coalition

The EU STEM Coalition is a Europe-wide network of national STEM platforms. STEM
platforms are organisations, usually, established by governments to increase the number
of STEM graduates and reduce skills mismatch.
STEM platforms are organisations, usually established by governments, to increase the
number of STEM graduates and reduce skills mismatch. The EU STEM Coalition [6] is a
Europe-wide network of national STEM platforms aiming at a close cooperation among
governments, education and industries, and has strongly regionalised its implementation.
In the long term, the EU STEM Coalition aims at reducing the skills gap by having a
national STEM strategy in place in all the EU member states.
The EU STEM Coalition aims at:
- facilitating the exchange of best practices among national STEM platforms;
- supporting member states in the development of new STEM strategies based on
the triple helix approach cited above.
The idea of the Triple Helix of academia-industry-government relationships was
introduced in the 1990s. Its main hypothesis is that the potential for innovation and
economic development in a Knowledge Society lies in the effective collaboration among
academia, industry and government. Experience has shown that this approach is effective
when following a national STEM strategy due to ensure that all stakeholders are involved
and engaged and that the implementation of national STEM strategies is sustainable and
fully aligned with the national and regional context and goals.
The EU STEM Coalition consists of national STEM platforms, of European partner
organisations (organisations that represent a relevant group of stakeholders) and of
national lead partners (organisations that are mandated or in the process of establishing a
national STEM platform). The EU STEM Coalition also closely cooperates with a variety of
European, national and regional partners including national and regional governments,
industry and EU level institutions including the European Commission and the European
Institute for Innovation and Technology, EIT.
The ‘general meetings’ and ‘taskforce meetings’ are the main activities of the EU STEM
Coalition. The general meetings include all members of the EU STEM Coalition and focus
on specific theme (e.g. industry-education cooperation, girls in STEM, …). The main
outcomes of these meetings are thematic reports in which the approach and practices of
each of the members is mapped. The "taskforce meetings" are also triggered when the EU
STEM Coalition is approached by another EU member state for help with the
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development of their STEM strategy. Based on the outcomes of the preparatory

discussions with the member state, in which the thematic reports are used to develop a
strategy, a taskforce is assembled in alignment with the national objectives and
preferences of the country. All meeting reports and materials are available through the
publications page.
The institution of a Jet-Net programme for school-company collaboration in Denmark
based on the Dutch Jet-Net programme and the establishment of an Estonian Technology
Pact and the development of a Hungarian STEM platform are both successful examples of
best practice sharing between members of the EU STEM Coalition that have led to
concrete results.
Out of the participating countries in this project Bulgaria and Greece are represented in
the EU STEM-Coalition, Bulgaria by The Ministry of Education and Science and Greece by
FORTH, the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas [6].
1.4. Conclusion
"Do Well Science" is consistent with the horizontal priorities identified by the European
Commission, in particular it:
- improves academic performance on the basis of the student's basic and
transversal skills, with a view to lifelong learning;
- allows the development of learning abilities of scientific subjects even for learners
who start from disadvantaged situations of language, relationship, social status, ...
but who have the possibility of using information technology, possibly even just at
school;
- helps to develop the skills of all students, reducing the disparity in learning
outcomes in students from disadvantaged backgrounds, since it uses an innovative
and integrated method in the teaching of the single community country;
- uses an open and innovative pedagogy, based on the digitization of contents, in
which teachers and students are invited to interact for a general increase in the
quality of education;
- allows educators to keep up to date with students' requests to reduce diversity
and early school leaving, enhancing innovative pedagogies;
- allows to easily identify the gaps and to recognize and enhance the skills acquired.
"Do Well Science" is consistent with the specific priorities identified by the European
Commission, in particular:
- in the context of higher education, it:
o promotes the development of new ways of delivering learning, exploiting
and adapting to new technologies for learning and teaching.
- in school education, it:
o increases performance in basic Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Science
skills;
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o uses an innovative approach focused on the student and on active

learning;
o uses interdisciplinary approaches, stimulating the critical thinking of the
student;
o takes into consideration the cultural and / or environmental context for
the teaching of scientific disciplines;
o promotes online networking of schools and collaborative approaches to
teaching, student-student, teacher-teacher.
The project aspires at the validation of an innovative method and at the construction of a
database of exercises, problems and tasks relating to the disciplines of Mathematics,
Physics and Natural Sciences, at increasing students' skills, as well as sharing results with
fellow students also within the entire European community. For teachers, the expected
result of the project is to use "Do Well Science" within their own teaching practice as an
aid to strengthening and deepening the disciplines.
The use of the platform and applets will enable the student to obtain rapid positive
results, since in a short time they will be able to solve a type of exercise or problem, with
degrees of difficulty gradually increasing. The use of the platform and the applets can also
be done during the lesson, if there is need for an immediate upgrade, otherwise
postponed and therefore the student remains in difficulty for the rest of the lesson.
Teachers will be able to advise individual learners on certain exercises that will have the
solution, either step by step, or with closed questions or open questions. The
optimization of time in the classroom is favoured, as is attention and results.
1.5. References
[1] OECD 2018 - PISA 2015 in focus, www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf
[2] Eurydice statistics, webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/
Publications
[3] #EuFactor project, www.nextadv.it/project/eufactor-il-genio-e-dentro-di-te
[4] INDIRE - Italian National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational
Research, www.indire.it
[5] Italian National Digital School Plan – PNSD www.miur.gov.it/scuola-digitale
[6] EU STEM Coalition, www.stemcoalition.eu
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2. Literature review on STEM education

by Massimo Amato, Emanuela De Negri, Jan-Eric Mattsson, Ann Mutvei, Anna Siri
2.1. Students motivation for STEM

The focus of the presentation in the conferences like ESERA1 and IOSTE2 are mainly
dominated by the researchers from academic institutions and often are heavily theory
related or concentrating on the teaching of specific concepts, mechanisms or relations,
and thus more rarely focused on more general principles of how to increase the
motivation of students with diverse backgrounds. The aim often seems to be how to
directly mediate theories instead of realizing creative environments in which the students
may take their own responsibility of their learning, understanding and use of the theories
taught. Further, as STEM is a very broad concept including theories, practical activities
and also professions, this makes the concept unfit in the academic world of well delimited
subjects.
The interest in how to motivate students for STEM in general is therefore usually found
among teachers and in teacher training programs. Conferences attracting teachers and
teacher trainers often include presentations of research with emphasis on the general
principles useable in different subjects and in groups of students with a diverse
background.
The Conference Proceedings of NSPE in 2018 [1] included nineteen contributions under
the headline Enhancing Student’s Motivation. Most of these focused on delimited
theoretical areas and might rather be regarded as descriptions of teaching strategies, but
some of them were presentations of more general ideas of how to enhance student
motivations in general, for example:
- Van Hecke [2] showed how the Fibonacci sequence appears in architecture, in
nature and music and may be used to stimulate student’s enthusiasm for STEM;
- Reynolds [3] used Creative Thinking Workshops to challenge students to apply
Science to solve social problems;
1
ESERA, European Science education Research Association, www.esera.org, was formed at the European Conference on
Research in Science education held in Leeds, England, in April 1995. It is one of the largest organizations within this field
with about 1500 participants in the biennial congresses.
The aims of ESERA are to:
- Enhance the range and quality of research and research training in science education in Europe.
- Provide a forum for collaboration in science education research between European countries.
- Represent the professional interests of science education researchers in Europe.
- Seek to relate research to the policy and practice of science education in Europe.
- Foster links between science education researchers in Europe and similar communities elsewhere in the world.
2
IOSTE, International Organization for Science and Technology Education, www.ioste.org, was established to advance
the cause of education in science and technology as a vital part of the general education of the peoples of all countries
and to provide scholarly exchange and discussion in the field of Science and Technology Education.
Its origins can be traced to a Symposium on World Trends in Science education convened in August 1979 in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, Canada. At the third symposium, held in Brisbane (Australia) in 1984, the informal circuit of 'World Trends'
was transformed into a formal organization with members from over sixty countries.
Today, IOSTE has members from about eight countries, and is officially recognized by UNESCO as a non-governmental
organization. Membership of the International Organization for Science and Technology education is open to all who
subscribe to its Constitution. About 200 persons participate in the biennial symposia.
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- Ailabouni & Lachish-Zalait [4] used multi-disciplinary Science-focused Theme

Based Learning (TBL), a development of Project-Based Learning (PBL) for teachers
of all disciplines in 7th to 9th grades.
To stimulate students’ motivation to study Science and implement the scientific
knowledge in real life, Colibaba et al. [5] developed activities and tools to increase the
students’ creativity, like storytelling, theatre performances, dances, etc.
Surrealistic paintings where used to stimulate teachers to create learning situations
where students were stimulated to understand the reality behind an object instead of
trying to reproduce the mind of the teacher [6].
Further, Hanáková showed how a score calibration method could be used for assessment
motivation [7].
Franco-Mariscal et al. [8] used map puzzles to enhance students’ motivation for learning
the chemical elements. These seven examples from one conference show the width of
methods used for enhancing students’ motivation.
2.2. Teaching strategies for STEM

Under the headline Enhancing Student’s Motivation in the Conference Proceedings of
New Perspectives in Science education 2018 [1] were also included a number of
contributions presenting teaching strategies in different subjects. Here follows a selection
of them.
Ryan [9] presents different ways of using images to “create opportunities for students to
more actively engage in learning, deepen their understanding, and generate new insights;
critical thinking is enhanced, and interest is increased.” Students need training to know
how to read and interpret images. Here several strategies are presented to develop visual
literacy; for example, images may be used as starting points of discussions as well as
summaries of learning.
In Brazil, a project aiming at challenging students to experience some of the difficulties
occurred by blind students learning botanical concepts, also increased the understanding
and knowledge of the seeing students [10]. The challenge of blindness resulted in new
perspectives regarding other characteristics than visual ones especially for the seeing
students. The project also resulted in a development of socio-emotional skills of empathy
with blind students and in creating more careful teachers, breaking the established
paradigms.
By providing an environment which increased self-efficacy and energy among students
Colson & Naug [11] aimed to the empowerment of students and teaching staff.
Development of meta-cognitive skill, using real life case studies within a directed
framework, empowerment of laboratory tutors and a flexible model of course and
program delivery have in combination resulted in capable, highly skilled biomedical
Science graduates.
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Tinkering is a holistic way to engage people with STEM disciplines, mixing them with art
and combining hi-tech material with low-tech and recycled material [12]. Knowledge is
not transmitted from teacher to learner, but actively constructed by the mind. Children
(6-12 years) in groups of 20 got some material and were free to play with it. The freedom
to play also resulted in challenges they tried to solve sometimes with some help. At the
end of the day they usually had overcome the challenge and built a complicated object.
The program will now also include courses for teachers.
As there are multiple learning styles in the classroom the benefits of the multimodal
approach in teaching ought to be obvious. This is discussed by Borzello [13] based on the
general knowledge of the different types of learning styles: visual (V), auditory (A),
read/write (R) and Kinesthetic (K). The main conclusion is that the VARK modalities must
be kept in mind when creating and teaching curriculum across all grades and age levels.
2.3. ICT as tools for motivation for STEM

There are several evidences that the use of ICT in school promotes engagement,
motivation and learning of STEM. In general, ICT stimulates inquire based learning,
promotes communication of ideas and sharing of data [14]. ICT also enhances STEM
interest by allowing students to study subjects relevant to their lives while increasing
control over their own learning [15]. However, teachers’ beliefs and attitude towards
using digital tools in their teaching activities is crucial for achievement in student learning
[16].
One example of using ICT in teaching activities is described by Looi et al. [17]. Using a
digital platform, students collected data, shared their ideas with peers and interacted
with the teacher using smart phones. With mobile technology both inside and outside the
classroom, students were more engaged and had better results on their tests compared
to traditional teaching.
Ciang et al. [18] developed mobile technology further and created a location based
augmented reality (AR) environment. The AR environment showed the students to
specific places to learn about aquatic plants and to share knowledge with others in
enquire learning activities. These activities comprised authentic problems and defined
questions that were investigated by field work, constructions, interviews, experiments
and other investigating tools.
Another example of using mobile smart phones is the enquire of life cycles of the
butterfly and the spinach plant by primary school students [19]. The enquire was
supported by different digital tools for collecting data, creating film clip, making photos
and constructive representation and for making reflections before and after the activity.
The authors showed that this tool enhanced student’s personalized learning.
A teacher in Sweden described her work to make Science more interesting and easier to
learn for lower secondary school students [20]. One example is when the students
created pod casts to a class in upper primary school answering specific questions about
- 17 -
the ear and hearing. Another example is the study of the nervous system and its reflexes.
Learning activities were done using a platform were students could share information,
You Tube clip on the function of the nervous system and photos. The national tests
showed good results and the teacher concluded that tasks were easier to individualize
based on prior knowledge, interest, desire and ability by using digital tools. Also,
cooperative learning was stimulated at the same time as students’ digital literacy.
Lukowicz et al. [21] showed that students wearing Smart Glasses (wearable computer
glasses) to study physical concepts such as tone frequency enhanced learning and
engagement.
2.4. STEM and under-achievement

The identification of the main causes of students under achievement in STEM and the
related description of the groups of higher risks represents a crucial issue.
As explained in the previous paragraphs, interest and motivation play an important role
for achievement in STEM [22]. There are not many investigations about the cause of
underachievement in STEM specifically, but more about students uninterest in the
subjects. Many students in school have a traditional view of Science, existing only as
school subject and not coupled to their personal lives [23]. One way to enhance the
motivation to study STEM subjects is the use of authentic learning, including problem
solving in authentic situations, the construction of knowledge together with others, the
observation of and reflection on student’s learning and the teachers coaching and
scaffolding and authentic assessment [24]. Attempts to create authentic exercises
connected to environmental questions and to other issues in real life to engage students
in school have been described in several articles [22] [23] [25]. This kind of exercises will
enhance student´s STEM literacy, the knowledge of scientific concepts and processes for
decision making and economic productivity [25]. STEM-literate students usually also have
skills to solve problems and to argue for their decisions based on scientific, technological
and mathematical knowledge. To reach STEM literacy of school students, teachers have
to:
- foster self-determination,
- cultivate self-regulation,
- capitalise collaborative social goals,
- establish an engaging classroom environment.
This include problem solving of authentic activities in cooperation with others and
reflections on learning [26].
One cause of underachievement in STEM subjects by students in school might be due to
the general favouring of verbal and written capacity while students having other
important skills for STEM will not be noticed properly [27]. Since most school assessments
are based on written or verbal skills students with visual-spatial ability important for
creative productivity in STEM and scientific theory development will be regarded as low
- 18 -
achievers [27]. Visual-spatial skills are valuable for creating mental representations of
complex ideas to form new model and theories which are important for STEM. Students
with visual-spatial skills are learning by observation to see the whole before the parts and
think in images before putting words on their thoughts [27]. Thus, it is important in STEM
subjects in school to have a variation of assessments to discover other skills than
traditional verbal abilities and give creative students the possibility to present their, and
maybe unorthodox, solutions.
Another reason for creating low-achiever is the direct relation between the low successes
of students in examinations and tests resulting in low-marks. This is often a result of
arduous disciplines to teach where the students are very few properly trained in finding
and trying different paths for problem solving.
Formative assessment giving students feedback during the learning situations has been
shown to be important for the development of the capacity of lower achieving students
since they have the possibility to continuously improve their results rather than getting a
final mark [28].
2.5. Student background - interculturality

Students background is a very important issue for the profession they will choose for their
future. Their high education is one of the most important choice that they had to do and
do with efficiency and advantages. Within STEM professions certain groups of students
are underrepresented, thus having a lower representation than the proportion of the
general population. Several factors are important when students chose which education
they will continue. For example, if students’ intellectual capacity is negatively judged by
some teachers it may influence their interest in STEM school subjects.
Explanation for the underrepresentation of certain ethnical groups is also the lack of
intercultural comfort and ethnic identity in STEM professions due to different cultural
values. There are also environmental and contextual factors such as perceived barriers,
discrimination, stereotype threat and low sense of belonging [29].
Other students group less represented in STEM careers are females. Both intrinsic factors
such as self-concepts and external factors such as parents, media and educators have
been described to influence the choice of education in STEM [30]. Social and
environmental factors, school climate and the influence of bias are three factors
responsible for female underrepresentation in STEM-career. The reasons for this could
be: females get less encouragement from teachers and parents, few female role models,
stereotyping and less family friendly flexibility in STEM professions [30, 31]. International
tests have shown females perform less in Mathematics and Science in school compared
to males depending on bad self-confidence in Mathematics. This will affect female STEM
career attainment since good achievement in both Mathematics and Science are
important for the professional future for both males and females [30].
- 19 -
The importance of parents’ and teachers’ encouragement of male and female school
students to continue STEM careers is well established [30, 31]. Research has shown that
perceived support in early school years influences male and female differently. Male
achievements in Mathematics increased more in later school years upon perceived
support from parents in early years compared to female. However, no relationship was
seen between perceived parent support at early age and Science achievement during
later education for male or female students, only for achievement in early school years
independent of gender [30].
The solution to increase underrepresented groups in STEM profession would be to form
strong beliefs about their abilities in STEM subjects in school by teachers, parents and
career development professionals [29, 31]. Teachers should also create an atmosphere of
curiosity and avoid situations that promote stereotypes. It is also important to notice
positive role models [31]. Further, it has also been shown the importance of integration
of different languages by multicultural students in practical exercises in Science to
motivate students for STEM studies [32]. The Content and Language Integrated Learning
methodology, CLIL, was proved to be a suitable approach for enhanced learning in STEM.
Students were interacting in foreign and native languages and acquired knowledge in
STEM as well as enhanced language awareness and discovered other cultures and
increased the acceptance of migrants [32].
2.6. Conclusion: implications for a teacher

Here we refer to our own experiences as teacher educators and mainly include the results
of our own research in this context.
Teacher education is important in most countries, the general ideas about the society and
how its inhabitants ought to behave are implemented. Thus, it is important that the
teacher understands the function of the curriculum, its (political) background, its aims, its
rules and guidelines etc. The subject content always has to be related to the expectations
of society. Although referring to a British context we have found Kelly´s The Curriculum
[33] useful when discussing the relations between society and its school system and in
combination with the more pronounced post-modern perspective of Doll’s [34] the
students gets the possibility to broaden their view of the teacher profession to include
aspects they never thought of before. As we here focus on STEM also ideas within
subjects included in this context also are of importance in teacher training. Thus, ideas
about the teaching of Science in general [35] or within specific fields as e.g., evolution [36,
37] have to be included in teacher training programs.
In the following paragraph there are some examples of activities developed within the
teacher training program based on different aspects on the society’s needs of qualified
teachers, especially in STEM.
Knowledge is rarely only a question of remembering facts but also of achieving skills to
use what is learnt [38]. By performance assessments of practical skills teachers may get
better information about the knowledge of the students but also about the enhancement
- 20 -
of the understanding of the students. This method may be used by teachers on all levels
and is practised in teacher training programs [39]. Different methods of assessments have
to be used to to give fair results as, e.g., the mother-tongue of the students has a positive
impact on some assessment methods and a negative on others [40]. Further, the different
learning strategies used by students in their development of knowledge, understanding
and skills challenges the teacher to create learning situations suitable for most students
to become good Science teachers, maybe without deep knowledge of a specific subject,
but with a scientific overview and good tools for teaching [41]. It is also important in
teacher education to cross the, even if in reality non-existing, border among the school
subjects and encourage students to develop their ability to teach in a subject integrated
manner [42]. In addition, teacher training programs also ought to include information
about the subject content for teaching at all stages to avoid discrepancies among the
subject content between, e.g., primary and secondary school. The aim of the teaching
should be the development of a deeper understanding of processes rather than the
accumulation of facts [43].
Simple work fields in teacher training programs may be used as models for studies
performed by children at school. By letting students design repetitive field studies during
sixteen months, they developed deep understanding of research. Additionally, many
students showed strong emotions when returning the sites of their investigations, some
experienced their own development, in some cases towards becoming a teacher but also
on a more private or personal level. The simple activity of field observations in
combination with personal reflection and feedback from teacher trainers created
complicated processes beneficial for the student [44]. The achievement of useable
knowledge is enhanced by close relations between teachers and students in combination
with open and visible processes of the learning [45].
Observation skills of students may be developed to enhance the understanding of the
theories describing the reality. The concepts Studium and Punctum presented by Roland
Barthes are useful primarily used to describe the relation between an observer and an
object of art [46]. Studium may be regarded as “study”, a scientific method aiming at
stimulating the observer to make a technical description of the work studied but also to
have opinions about the aims and ambitions of the artist. Punctum could have nothing to
do with the conscious aims of the artist but may be regarded as an unconscious reaction
of the observer to something in the artwork, like an arrow thrown from the picture
pierces the observer and creates a wound or a scar. These different types of relations
between an object and its observer may be used in teaching, especially to make the
student aware of the possible different qualities of observations and the role as a subject
in the relation [47]. The use of art work in making these complex relations visible may be
used also in primary school [48] and will hopefully also promote active creative learning.
This will include a feeling of meaningful learning, ownership of the learning, control of
learning processes and innovation when new understanding is going to be realised [49].
People may exhibit different ways of seeing and representing the world, which are used
in different contexts, and they have different conceptual profiles. These profiles may be
- 21 -
regarded as different ways of describing the world, none more true than the other.
Words usually have multiple meanings which may create problems but also may be
regarded as a possibility for creating deeper or wider understanding [50].
The theory of conceptual profiles may be used to assess learning outcomes [51], for
performance assessment [52] or to compare the differences in the use of concepts in
different groups of people [53].
Some specific quality markers, during the student’s assessments, are useful especially
when the depth of the understanding of the students is assessed both during the courses,
mainly as formative tools, and also at the end of courses. The 4R, Relations, Recursion,
Richness and Rigor, of Dolls are valuable [54] and they have been used in teacher training
programs for assessing the learning outcome of the students, e.g., the understanding of
evolutionary concepts [55, 56], the technological literacy [57], the personal development
[58], the depth of descriptions regarding perception [59], or the relation between
personal development during courses and the results of the examination [60].
An example of different aspects of what may be included in teacher training programs
could be teachers that usually have more than twenty students with different
perspectives and abilities in their groups, and the flexibility in their teaching has to be
enormous. To meet that challenge, in coo-operation with their students, they need own
experiences of good education. This has been presented by the teachers of the teacher
training program acting as good examples of the profession [60].
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PART II
The “DO WELL SCIENCE” European project

Erasmus+
Project number: 2017-1-IT02-KA201-036780
- 28 -
www.dowellscience.eu
iOS app Android app
apps.apple.com/it/app/dowellscience/id1326841702 play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=
eu.dowellscience.dowellscienceapp&gl=IT
- 29 -
1. The “Do Well Science” Project

by Massimo Amato, Nikolaos Giannakopoulos, Milena Gosheva, Nikolia Iliopoulou, Emmanouil Petrakis,
Greta Raykovska, Georgios Theodoropoulos
1.1. Introduction
The teaching of Science subjects is as important as it is difficult in the light of new
discoveries and new teaching methods to which teachers are called to further involve
students in having a systematic and effective approach in daily study.
Teaching through ICT tools is increasingly widespread and appreciated by students.
Often, for scientific subjects, publishing houses and specialized websites present exercises
and tests that address the issues for a wide range of students, perhaps divided by type of
school or by category of the same. However, if a teacher in a particular class needs
exercises aimed at achieving certain goals, then the overview on the web drastically
reduces the possibility of identifying the desired exercise or test. Furthermore, each
teacher gives his or her own imprinting to the explanations, to the resolutive
methodologies, with some predilections because it is, he who knows his students who
can change the method of dealing with the issues addressed from year to year but also in
the same school year.
Therefore, the idea of designing a web portal with related applets for mobile devices was
born spontaneously so that individual teachers could upload exercises, problems, tests
that reflect their needs and at the same time the students are encouraged to "play" to
solve the exercises, problems and tests through the purchase of the score and the
exchange of the same through social media. In addition, students have the opportunity to
request that new exercises be uploaded.
The Erasmus + "Do Well Science" project [1] was therefore born from the idea of prof.
Amato Massimo of high school "Niccolò Machiavelli" in Florence - Italy and involves the
following partners:
- Liceo “Niccolò Machiavelli”, Florence - Italy (Project applicant)
www.liceomachiavelli-firenze.edu.it
- Vocational High School of Electronics “John Atanasoff”, Sofia - Bulgaria
www.spge-bg.com
- Zinev Art Technologies, Sofia - Bulgaria
www.zatbg.org, www.artsbg.net
- “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra, Patra – Greece
www.arsakeio.gr/gr/patra
- University of Peloponnese - Special Account for Research Funds, Tripolis - Greece
www.elke.uop.gr
- 30 -
- Pixel, Florence - Italy

www.pixel-online.net
- Università degli Studi di Genova, Dipartimento di Matematica, Genoa - Italy
www.dima.unige.it
- Södertörn University, Huddinge – Sweden
www.sh.se
The project partners [2] worked in teams at every stage of the realization and their
personal contribution was of fundamental importance for the success of the project in
every detail. While unanimously sharing the choices made during the entire project,
relating only to the development of the intellectual output 1 of the project, the creation
of the related web portal and applets, in short and very generally, the high schools
"Machiavelli", "Atanasoff" and "Arsakeio" and the University of “Södertörn” have created
the exercises and the verification tests, structured their presentation and validated them,
Pixel and the University of the Peloponnese have been responsible for creating the portal
and the applets for devices furniture and the University of Genoa has identified Ligurian
schools that have contributed to the testing and validation phase.
The methodology of development and the creation of exercises by the teachers, their
presentation to the students and the methods of performance and attribution of the
score are some of the strengths of the project. A new resource for teachers aimed at their
students. The teacher who creates the exercise therefore has a fundamental role for the
growth of the resolving abilities of their students. He must develop exercises to improve
his students.
1.2. Project Objectives

The main objective of the project is to have a platform to learn scientific subjects using
the tools that today are the most used by students, and not only by them: phones and
other mobile devices.
Performing and learning to perform exercises, problems and tests of Biology, Chemistry,
Physics and Mathematics, perhaps inserted on the web by the teacher who carries out
the lesson from the curriculum, using his own telephone is a way of making school
attractive for the student and at the same time more immediate and easier to find.
The "Do Well Science" project requires that a single exercise be included in at least one
form of presentation among those possible, Explorer, Navigator and Investigator, and the
student can use them as a review, in-depth analysis and verification, with an effective
learning style and a methodology very familiar to him, which responds to his needs and
recalls the ways to carry out knowledge as he is accustomed to daily.
For these purposes, a web portal [3] and two applets, for Android [4] and for iOS [5], have
been created in the languages of the partners in addition to English. Both, the web portal
and the applets can be used with or without registration.
- 31 -
In case of registration [6], for students the portal allows the memorization of the score
and its sharing with social media, the possibility of requesting new and targeted exercises
and if the skills turn out to be suitable to become a creator of content in all respects.
Teachers who have an interest in entering their exercises in the portal must register and
enter their first exercise which will be evaluated before making it visible to students. Each
teacher can insert his/her own exercise in the language he/she wants, but an English
translation is also preferable allowing the whole community to access the new resource.
Exercises
As of today, the total number of exercises uploaded to the portal and usable by students
is 208.
The categories of exercises are presented as islands and the individual topics of the
various disciplines as villages.
Once the village has been chosen, it appears the list of planned exercises, as showed in
the figure below.
- 32 -
Teachers do not have the possibility to verify, evaluate or control the students' exercises,
with the advantage of emotional tranquillity and therefore an increase in resolving
capacity. Students can devote themselves to study with dedication and tranquillity, with
the desire to do well and share the results with friends, in a technological environment,
dynamic and more appropriate to their needs and habits.
The exercises can be presented in a combination of the three modes, Explorer, Navigator
and Investigator chosen by the teacher who created the exercise. Students can earn or
lose points in performing the exercises or following their resolution.
1.3. Contents methodology

The use of the "Do Well Science" platform is designed to help teachers help their
students.
The teacher has the possibility, after registering, to insert a new exercise in at least one of
the three possible ways: Explorer, Navigator and Investigator.
Step by step the teacher creates the exercise according to his own criteria and the needs
of his students.
At each step you can enter a score that will be added to the one already obtained by the
student in previous exercises.
- 33 -
The choice of how many steps, the difficulty, the strategy and the attribution of the score
is left to the teacher.
“Explorer” mode
In the Explorer version the teacher inserts the question and the various steps to solve it.
There is only one resolution path. Step by step, through the development and
explanations, the student is guided to the solution identified by the creator of the
exercise that he considers the most valid and effective.
“Navigator” mode
The Navigator method allows the creator teacher of the exercise to indicate more
possible solutions. The student finds himself making choices, all formally correct, but he is
called to identify the most correct one that gives him the most score.
“Investigator” mode
The creation of an exercise in Investigator mode allows the content creator to also enter
wrong answers, so the student knowing the possibility must pay attention and
concentration if he does not want to lose points.
To involve and entice the student to perform more exercises, 6 levels of use have been
established based on the total score acquired, so up to 50 points the student is classified
- 34 -
as a Pawn, up to 150 points is a Knight, up to 300 is a Bishop, up to 600 points is a Rook,

up to 1000 points is a Queen and up to 5000 points is a King. For example:
The student therefore has at his disposal a new methodology to identify and / or search
for a solution to a question and can learn through exercises aimed at achieving certain
skills that the teacher considers to increase.
The idea that must always be kept in mind each content creator is the one that he must
think and develop exercises for a typology of students that he knows and through the
platform "Do Well Science" he wants to share with his students to increase the skills, skills
and problem solving.
Students have at their disposal a platform that can be used with any device, from
desktops to mobile phones, at any time of the day. The resolution of the exercises
becomes easy to use, fluent, in which it is possible to linger in the explanations or to
continue quickly, to deepen with the different types of development of the same exercise
and not lastly to share the results with friends, thus having the possibility of creating a
true and own league challenging each other.
1.4. Student participants in Bulgarian, Greek and Italian partner schools

The total number of registered students and involved into the “Do Well Science” were
1461.
This number is massive and it will be a very starting point to create a community and not
only to use the web portal and the applets.
Bulgaria
The students from high school SPGE “J. Atanasov” who participated in the exercise
testing, are at the age of 14-18, in 8th-12th grades incl. Students are randomly selected
and encompass participants from all the specialties in the high school. The students have
a specific focus on technical sciences, and the use of the platform, created as a didactic
learning tool, was intriguing. The students at SPGE “J. Atanasov” study English intensively
and the testing of Science exercises in English language enabled them to check their
language skills and competences. In doing so, they did exercises prepared both by
teachers from Bulgaria and from the other countries involved in the project. For the
students, taking part in the exercise testing, was interesting and quite entertaining. As a
result, they made some important conclusions, for example how not to make mistakes in
- 35 -
the process of solving problems and how to deal with different tasks and solve specific
cases.
Greece
The students from “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patras, who participated in the exercise testing,
are at the age of 14-18, in 8th -12th grades incl. Three labs of the school are used namely
the Physics, Chemistry and Biology lab where students carry out experiments. These
classrooms are fully-equipped with instruments and other appliances. All the classes of
the school include multimedia equipment (a PC, a projector, a screen and Internet
connection) available for use in class during the lesson, following the modern methods of
teaching practice. The conditions are ideal for practicing high standards of education and
keeping traditions set by the Arsakeia Schools through the years. As a result, taking part
in the exercise testing was an interesting and quite entertaining experience for the
students because it was really innovative for them to use their mobiles in the classroom.
The laboratory equipment is renewed every year and covers a wide range of experimental
practices additional to those enforced by the Ministry of Education. Thus, teachers are
enabled to carry out projects in the labs which contribute to the best possible
understanding of the taught material issued by the analytical program of the Ministry of
Education. As a result, students and teachers came to some important conclusions
concerning teaching practices, learning and assessment, infrastructure, curricula, etc. and
how to deal with different tasks and solve specific cases.
Italy
The students in Italy had been identified in high school grade, in particular scientific high
school and technical high school, in particular the “N. Machiavelli” Lyceum of Florence,
the “Calasanzio” Lyceum of Empoli (FI), the “A. Pacinotti” Lyceum of La Spezia, the “C.
Colombo” Lyceum of Genoa, the “E. Amaldi” Lyceum of Novi Ligure (AL), the “E. Fermi”
Lyceum of Genoa, the “E. Montale” Institute of Genoa and the “F. Liceti” Institute of
Rapallo (GE). At the scientific high schools enrolled in the project, the students’ age is
from 14 to 19 years old, and at the technical school the age of the students is from 14 to
15 years old. The classes are from 1st year to 5th year of the scientific high school, and 1st
and 2nd year of the technical high school. 772 Italian students registered into the web
portal.
1.5. Use of the App or Web in each country

Through the administration of two non-mandatory questionnaires, it was possible to
identify the use of applets and the web portal by teachers and students in partner schools
in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy.
The specially developed questionnaires [7][8] provided the following indications.
Students
The free questionnaire of the students " Use of App or Web" [7], to which 215 students
responded, is presented below in the questions asked and in the answers received.
- 36 -
- 37 -
- 38 -
The answers provided by the students let us know that only half of them use web portals
and applets to study but almost all of them think that they can help, at least in Science
subjects. The "Do Well Science" project has reason to have been developed and carried in
it forward over time, so that the students benefit most from it.
Teachers
The free questionnaire of the teachers "Use of App or Web" [8], to which 13 teachers
replied, even if less representative, can still be interesting to consider it for the
suggestions that can be drawn. Below are the questions and their answers.
- 39 -
- 40 -
- 41 -
The teachers who answered the questionnaire say they do not use or rarely use web
applications or teaching applets but all are convinced that these methodologies can be of
help to their students and most likely would leave them even more free time from study.
1.6. References
[1] Erasmus+ Program Call 2017–KA2, project title: “Do Well Science”, project number:
2017-1-IT02-KA201-036780, www.erasmusplus.it
[2] Project: www.dowellscience.eu/project/index.php
[3] Home-page portal: www.dowellscience.eu/ui
[4] Android app “Dowellscience”: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.dowell
science.dowellscienceapp&gl=IT
- 42 -
[5] iOS app “Dowellscience”: apps.apple.com/it/app/dowellscience/id1326841702

[6] Registration user: www.dowellscience.eu/index.php
[7] “DWS - Use of App or Web - for Student.pdf”, appendix 1
[8] “DWS - Use of App or Web - for Teacher.pdf”, appendix 2
- 43 -
2. National policies on STEM in the “Do Well Science” partner countries

by Massimo Amato, Laura Capelli, Jan-Eric Mattsson, Ann Mutvei, Anna Siri
2.1. Overview
STEM as concept is almost never used in the curricula or other important policy
documents in the different project’s countries but there are anyhow some STEM-related
activities in all four countries. There are several international organisations promoting
STEM. As seen above Bulgaria and Greece are represented in EU STEM Coalition in
contrast to Italy and Sweden.
In another international organization, e.g. European Schoolnet [1], STEM is one of the
major thematic domains. Here Bulgaria is an observer country while Greece by Ministry of
Education, Research and Religious Affairs [2], Italy by INDIRE - National Institute for
Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research [3] and Sweden by Skolverket -
Swedish National Agency for Education [4] are members.
There are several other organisations promoting STEM but these rarely are directly
related to official national educational organisations.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria there is no specific policy for the development of STEM education but the
country participates in the EU STEM-Coalition [5] through the Ministry of Education and
Science [6].
According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science: “The Bulgarian education
system has been traditionally supportive of STEM, providing students with numerous
opportunities to broaden their experience in the STEM fields outside the curriculum.
Currently several non-government and academic organisations are responsible for the
bulk of the STE(A)M initiatives in Bulgaria and most of them work closely with
policymakers, trying to ensure the sustainability of their initiatives, some of which have
been standing for decades and have turned into an institution of their own.
The longest standing form of extracurricular STEM activities have been the various
Olympiads – Mathematics, Informatics, Information technologies, Physics, Chemistry,
Astronomy, Mathematical linguistics etc. Bulgaria has been a founding member of most
of the international Olympiads in these fields and last year founded EJOI (European Junior
Olympiad in Informatics). Bulgaria is also one of the few countries, where students
receive direct support and mentorship from active researchers. Every Olympiad has three
rounds- school, district and national, with the more popular fields, such as Mathematics
and Informatics also having additional national competitions. Schools are encouraged to
provide extracurricular courses, preparing the students for the Olympiads through various
funding programmes such as the Operative programme “Science and Education for Smart
Growth”.
High school research is another well-established traditional STEM activity, due to the
tradition of research organizations in mentorship and access to resources to talented high
- 44 -
school students. The High School Students Institute of Mathematics and Informatics has
been functioning since 2000, initially modelling its structure and activities after the US
Center for Excellence in Education and then – gradually expanding and diversifying its
methods. Currently it organizes two annual high school conferences, an interview-based
grant initiative supporting high achieving students to participate in international research
programs, and an international summer school, which gathered 45 students from ten
countries in 2017. The summer school is three week long and each participant is provided
with a personal mentor and research topic in the field of Mathematics, Computer Science,
ICT or Astronomy.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science's current priorities include:
- involvement of the three interests’ parties in STEM skills intensification –
kids/students, parents, school/education authorities;
- funding for STEM education innovations and interdisciplinary projects
development aimed at foster collaborations for sharing and co-creation of new
knowledge among High Schools or/and Education Institutions;
- better STEM through better STEM teachers: fostering change management in
education and development of education change management strategies for each
High School/education institution;
- improvement and digitalisation of STEM infrastructure (STEM Labs), facilities, and
libraries (digital STEM libraries at High Schools/education institutions);
- overcoming the inequality and better integration through learning communities
and development of STEM knowledge map and paths (STEM BUS Bulgaria);
- pragmatism, transparency, and visibility of STEM efforts: ideas and contributions
of all interest parties can be achieved through the development and sustainability
of Open Data STEM portal Bulgaria;
- integration with the foreseen EIT community hub in Bulgaria” [5].
Greece
In Greece there is not specific policy for STEM education in the upper secondary
education but Greece also participates in the EU STEM-Coalition [5] and is represented by
FORTH, the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas which is one of the largest
research centres in Greece.
“The Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), established in 1983, is one
of the largest research centres in Greece with well-organized facilities, highly qualified
personnel and a reputation as a top-level research foundation worldwide. The research
and technological directions of FORTH focus on areas of major scientific, social, and
economic interest. The Foundation, with headquarters in Heraklion, includes six Research
Institutes in different parts of the country. FORTH currently employs 1080 people
(researchers, technicians and administrative staff) and trains around 320 students from
Greece and other European countries.
The Educational Research and Evaluation (ERE) Group operates within the Institute of
Applied and Computational Mathematics (IACM), which is one of the founding institutes
- 45 -
of FORTH. The Group’s research concerns are in areas of educational and social
innovation with particular focus on the aspects of gender, S&T, ICT, adult education and
leadership in education. The scope of activity is on research for modelling and the
building of understanding of the emerging social, pedagogical / training and policy trends
in Europe. The underlying concern is the identification of methods which can foster
effectiveness in social cohesion and learning for responsible decision-making and
improvement of education and lifelong learning services. This is achieved through the
design and implementation of awareness development activities with the actors of the
educational community, the carrying out of applied research, digital forms of course
design and implementation, the conduct of programme evaluations. The Group’s
research and evaluation activity is addressed under the scope of policy
comprehensiveness and coherence within and across the sector of education and related
sectors from a learning tradition perspective.
Over the years, the Group has developed conceptual tools to facilitate policy and tangible
outputs to direct self-reflection for practitioners on matters pertinent to education and
training” [8].
Italy
In Italy there is some specific policy for the development of STEM education. The most
important is INDIRE [3], where looking for innovation of the Italian school which
represents the key point for development into the school. It is also the National Agency
for Erasmus+ programs.
The INDIRE is the reference point for educational research in Italy. It develops new
didactic models, experiments with the use of new technologies in training courses,
promotes the redefinition of the relationship between spaces and times of learning and
teaching.
The Institute has a consolidated experience in the in-service training of teaching,
administrative, technical and auxiliary staff and of school managers and had been the
protagonist of some of the most important e-learning experiences at European level.
Together with the INVALSI, the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education and
Training System and the inspection task of the Ministry of Education, the INDIRE is part of
the National Evaluation System on Education and Training [10]. In this context, the
Institute develops support actions for teaching improvement processes for raising
learning levels and the proper functioning of the school context.
Through quantitative and qualitative monitoring, databases and research reports, the
INDIRE observes and documents the phenomena related to the transformation of the
curriculum in technical and professional education and to the issues of school and work.
Sweden
In Sweden there is not a specific policy regarding the development of STEM education but
the diploma goals for the Natural Science programme (upper secondary school,
gymnasium) may be regarded as STEM policy: “The Natural Science Programme is a
- 46 -
higher education preparatory programme. With a diploma from the programme, students
should have the knowledge needed for higher education studies primarily in the Natural
Sciences, Mathematics and Technology, and in other areas. The education should develop
students’ knowledge about context in nature, about the conditions for life, about physical
phenomena and events, and about chemical processes. In Biology, Physics and Chemistry,
the surrounding world is described in models that are developed in interaction between
experiment and theory. The education should also develop students’ knowledge of
Mathematics.
Mathematics is a subject with its own distinctive character, and is also an instrument
whose concepts and symbolic language is used for models developed to understand and
analyse relationships in other subject areas. The education should stimulate students’
curiosity and creativity, and their ability to think analytically. Through the education,
students should develop a scientific approach. This covers the ability to think critically,
reason logically, solve problems, and make systematic observations. Students should thus
be given the opportunity to develop the skill of assessing different types of sources, and
the ability to distinguish among statements based on scientific and non-scientific grounds.
Understanding of sciences is based on the interaction between theory and practical
experience. Experiments, laboratory experiments, field studies and other comparable
practical areas should thus be central elements in the education. The education should
contain a perspective from the history of ideas, which means that the ideas and theories
of the sciences are studied as parts of a historical process. Students should be given the
opportunity of developing their interest in science questions, and they should be able to
benefit from current research findings in relevant areas. The education should give an
understanding of how science and the development of society both affect and are
affected by each other and in particular highlight the role of science in questions
concerning sustainable development. Students should also be given the opportunity to
take part in ethical discussions of the role of science in society. Language is a tool for
communication, as well as for reflection and learning. The education should thus develop
students’ ability to argue and express themselves in advanced writing and speaking
situations related to Science and Mathematics. Students should also be able to
understand, read and write about, and discuss basic Science in English. In Science and
Mathematics, data collection and calculations are mainly carried out using computers.
The ability to search for, select, process and interpret information, and acquire
knowledge of new technology is important for scientists and mathematicians. The
education should thus provide good practice in using modern technology and equipment.
The education should encourage students into taking responsibility and their ability to
cooperate, and stimulate them into seeing opportunities, trying to solve problems, taking
initiatives and transforming ideas into practical actions” [11].
- 47 -
2.2. Conclusion
Based on the diverse information, regarding structures, contents, aims and contexts
produced in the different countries and presented in the previous paragraph, it may be
difficult to present just and objective comparisons among the policies of the countries
included. From another point of view, the resulting knowledge and skills of the individual
students appears to be fairly similar. Thus, it may not be important to compare the
content or the structure of the goals presented in different documents or found in other
sources but to try to evaluate the outcome of the education in each country. However,
this is not the objective of this presentation.
Still some questions remain: Why do we have these similarities in the outcome of the
teaching regardless the differences in the curricula? The subject content is similar, at least
in a wide perspective; the main principles are learned although different examples,
pedagogy, etc. is used.
Focusing on STEM there are some immediate similarities. The concept STEM is rarely used
directly in the national context. This may partly be due to the acronym itself. The word
“science” in English is “ңayka” (nauka) in Bulgarian, “Επιστήμη” (epistimi) in Greek,
“scienza” in Italian and “vetenskap” in Swedish. Only in the Italian word the letter “s” is
found in the beginning. Similarly, “engineering” is “инженерство” (inzhenerstvo),
“μηχανική” (michaniki), “ingegneria”, “ingenjörskonst”. Here none of the word begins
with an “e”. Further the four words may, as it is in Swedish, belong to different groups of
words. Vetenskap or usually naturvetenskap refer primarily to the theoretical subjects’
Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Teknik often refer to how to do in different situations but
also to more technical activities as building or construction. Ingenjörskonst is usually the
professional activity of construction, which may be used as a synonym to teknik.
Matematik is in Swedish a subject at school similar to Biology etc. Thus, in Swedish STEM
refers to (school) subjects or theoretical areas, how to act practical in different situations
and a specific type of professions. As STEM include all these disparate areas and activities
it is not a concept easily used outside the curricular school world.
2.3. References
[1] European Schoolnet, www.eun.org
[2] Greece Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, www.elidek.gr
[3] INDIRE - Italian National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational
Research, www.indire.it
[4] Skolverket - Swedish National Agency for Education, www.skolverket.se
[5] EU STEM Coalition, www.stemcoalition.eu
[6] Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, www.mon.bg
[7] Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, www.forth.gr
- 48 -
[8] European Commission – Growth – Regional Innovation Monitor Plus

www.ec.europa.eu /growth/tools-databases/regional-innovation-
monitor/organisation/foundation-research-and-technology-hellas-forth
[9] INVALSI - Italian National Institute for the Evaluation of Education and Training System
www.invalsi.it
[10] Italian National Evaluation System for Education and Training,
www.snv.pubblica.istruzione.it/snv-portale-web/public/index
[11] Elofindalvs, www.eloflindalvsgymnasium.kungsbacka.se
- 49 -
3. A comparison of the STEM curricula in “Do Well Science” partner

countries
by Laura Capelli, Emanuela De Negri, Jan-Eric Mattsson, Ann Mutvei, Anna Siri
3.1. General outline

Before comparing the curricula of Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Sweden school systems and
their descriptions of the Science subjects, some general comparisons between their
background and their structure will be presented. Knowing the general ideas behind the
curricula and their different overall structures it is more accurate to compare them. Later,
the different political determinations of the curricula are presented followed by
differences in structures and in how the goals are presented in the four countries.
With these facts in mind it may be easier to follow the comparisons between the
structure of the presentations and the contents of the different subjects.
A brief content for each partner’s country regarding their institutionalisation.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria the educational aims and content for all subjects is determined in a centralized
way by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science www.mon.bg [1].
All school subjects are centralized on the National Education Content Standards and are
developed and approved by the Ministry. These standards outline what students are
expected to know and be able to do by the end of each level of schooling (primary,
presecondary, and secondary). For each subject there are a curriculum, developed for
each grade level, defining the topics of study as well as skill objectives.
Regarding the Science subjects, the aims of the STEM education, as necessary skills and
knowledge by the last year of education in high schools, can be seen below.
Greece
In Greece the educational aims and contents for all school subjects is determined by the
Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs – MIN.EDU
www.minedu.gov.gr [2] after the introduction of the Institute of Educational Policy - I.E.P
www.iep.edu.gr [3] and at the end, they are approved by the Greek Parliament.
The I.E.P. is a scientific agency that provides support to the MIN.EDU on issues regarding
primary and secondary education, post-secondary education, transition from secondary
to higher education, teacher training, student dropout and early school leaving. Co-
operation with I.E.P. is required for every relevant initiative or action taken by the
MIN.EDU departments or the agencies supervised by it.
It issues opinion, in response to relevant queries submitted by the MIN.EDU, or ex officio,
in relation, among others, to:
- educational policy formulation, modernization and implementation in all types of
school units;
- 50 -
- primary and secondary education programs of studies and curricula, school books
and teaching material.
The teaching of all the subjects is based on the Cross-thematic Curriculum Framework,
which sets the general principles and the curricula for every subject at each grade level.
The aims of the curricula of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology for the upper
secondary education can be seen below.
Italy
In Italy the educational aims and content for all subjects are determined in a centralized
way by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research - MIUR www.miur.gov.it
[4]. There are three levels of school: primary, lower secondary and upper secondary or
high school. The compulsory school are determined by the age of the students: all
students have to attend school up to 16 years old. For a regular student’s career, school is
up to the second year in high school.
The curricula for every level are developed by MIUR. Concerning the high school, the last
five years before university, the Italian national indications about what the teachers have
to teach in STEM are described below.
Sweden
In Sweden the educational aims and content for all subjects is determined in a centralized
way but by the Government after directions of the Parliament www.sweden.se/society/
education-in-sweden [5].
The Swedish curriculum of compulsory school (year 1 to 9) also includes the preschool
class, the year before the first year of the primary school, and the recreation centre
(pedagogic activities in the early mornings and late afternoons, as most pupils belong to
families where both parents are working the whole day. The curriculum of the last three
years before university, gymnasium, includes not only programs preparatory for
university studies but also programs with more practical training and thus embraces
almost all Swedish older teens.
3.2. Comparison of the curricula

The curricula of the different countries have similar structures, focusing on general
principles although the Bulgarian curriculum and the Italian usually describe the content
in more details.
As an example of this we may look at the concept of model and of modelling in
Mathematics, as this concept often is regarded as important in the practical use of
Mathematics, and is used in many professions to calculate or predict the outcome of
different actions. If we search for the word model/modelling in the four curricula we find
four different ways of describing similar goals for the teaching.
Bulgaria
The curriculum directly states the objectives in this field:
- 51 -
The student can:

- model with a linear or square function;
- model with equations that are linear or square;
- model systems with second-degree equations with two unknowns
Here the concept model is used in a delimited and strict mathematical sense.
Greece
The Greek curriculum doesn’t use the word model, but it refers to modelling in more
general terms:
In particular, through the teaching of Mathematics, students are encouraged to be able
to:
- formulate and answer questions in and through Mathematics
….
Specifically, the ability to formulate and answer questions in and through
Mathematics is analysed in:
o Mathematical thinking
o Mathematical reasoning
o Problem solving
The concept model is also here used in a strict mathematical sense but with wider
applications.
Italy
The Italian curricula uses modelling under different headlines:
Learning results of the scientific high school:
[The students] will have to:
- …
know how to use calculation and representation tools for modelling and problem
solving;
- Scientific High School with Applied Sciences Option:
[The students] will have to:
…
analyse the logical structures involved and the models used in scientific research;
Mathematics: General lines and competences:
- … objective of the study:
…
- the concept of mathematical model and a clear idea of the difference between the
mathematical vision characteristic of classical Physics (univocal correspondence
between Mathematics and Nature) and that of modelling (possibility of
representing the same class of phenomena through different approaches);
- 52 -
- construction and analysis of simple mathematical models of classes of

phenomena, also using computer tools for description and calculation;
- at the end of the educational path the student will have studied in depth the
characteristic procedures of mathematical thinking (definitions, demonstrations,
generalizations, formalizations), will know the basic methodologies for the
construction of a mathematical model of a set of phenomena, will know how to
apply what has been learned for the solution of problems, also using computer
tools of geometric representation and calculation.
In the final year the student will deepen the understanding of the axiomatic method and
its conceptual and methodological utility also from the point of view of mathematical
modelling.
In the Italian curricula we can see a strict mathematical approach but it opens up for a
wider perspective of models and modelling.
Sweden
In Swedish curricula seven areas of Mathematics are covered by the curriculum. A
relevant area is:
Teaching in Mathematics should give students the opportunity to develop their ability to:
- interpret a realistic situation and design a mathematical model, as well as use and
assess a model's properties and limitations.
In the Swedish curricula the model formulation represents a similar view as that of the
Italian curriculum but in a more strict or delimited mathematical sense.
Although the large differences in their approaches and descriptions the teaching based on
the four curricula may result in similar learning outcomes, even if there are some
differences.
The Bulgarian text does not refer to the relation between the model and the reality it
describes. The reader has to be acquainted with the concept of model as something that
depicts a real situation in mathematical terms and not as a way of, for example, solving
equations.
Similarly, the Greek curriculum doesn’t clearly specify an object outside the mathematical
framework, although the phrase “in and through Mathematics” indicates the use of
Mathematics to understand a non-mathematical context.
In the Italian curriculum, the idea of modelling, is clear in the focus on using Mathematics
to understand reality and not on Mathematics by itself. This in contrast with the Swedish
goal which may be interpreted as being more focused on Mathematics than reality.
With these knowledges of aims in each country in mind, it should be possible to
understand the general ideas of the different curricula in the four countries and to get
some ideas of different possible interpretations of these by the teachers and students.
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Differences in structure and content do not necessarily lead to differences in the layout
and content of the courses at school.
The indications in the country curricula is presented for each discipline interesting in this
project.
3.3. Mathematics curricula

The structure of the curricula in Mathematics differs among the countries and also the
subject content. Here, as for the other subjects, we follow the actual text of the curricula
not the syllabi for different courses. For example, many of the detailed specifications of
knowledge and abilities in the Bulgarian curriculum are similar to the content of Swedish
courses according to their syllabi.
Thus, it is problematic to make comparisons exclusively out of the curricula. Further, the
general structure of, e.g., the Swedish goals covers elementary mathematical courses in
practical study programs (farming, carpentry, hairdressing, etc.) in which the content is on
a basic level far from the objectives of, for example, the aims of the Italian curriculum
which is quite similar to the syllabi of the more advanced courses in Sweden. Anyhow, the
presentation of the general principles makes it possible to compare the basic
mathematical ideas included in the different curricula.
Greece
The Greek curriculum mainly focuses on introducing basic mathematical principles,
mathematical thinking and language and the interconnection the world of experience as a
preparation for academic studies and the adult life. Thus, the main aims are to encourage
the students to:
- be able to formulate and answer question in and through Mathematics;
- manage mathematical language and tools.
These abilities are mainly analysed in:
- mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem solving;
- representation of mathematical concepts, processes and relationships;
- communication and use of the formal language and tools of Mathematics.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian curriculum is in contrast detailed in the specifications of the abilities and
knowledge in different fields of Mathematics where the students are supposed to master
at the end of their studies. Further, the different fields usually include two levels of
knowledge and abilities, each with several mathematical goals. The main areas of
Mathematics in the curriculum are:
- algebra;
- figures and bodies;
- functions and measurement;
- logical knowledge;
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- probabilities and statistics;

- modelling.
Italy
The Italian curriculum includes eight groups of concepts and methods that will be the
objective of the studies:
- Euclidean geometry;
- algebraic calculus, Cartesian analytic geometry, elementary functions of analysis
and elementary notions of differential and integral calculus;
- mathematical tools for studies of physical phenomena;
- elementary knowledge of probability calculus and statistical analysis;
- the concept of mathematical model and the differences between the univocal
correspondence among Mathematics and Nature and that of modelling;
- construction of simple mathematical models;
- the characteristics of the modern axiomatic approach compared to the classic
approach of Euclidean geometry;
- mathematical induction.
In the last year of the Italian high school, the fifth, the aim is to deepen the students
understanding of the axiomatic method and from the point of view of mathematical
modelling.
Sweden
The Swedish curriculum is less specific but shows differences and similarities with the
others. There are seven areas in which the teaching in Mathematics aim at promoting the
ability to:
- use and describe mathematical concepts and their relationships;
- use procedures and solve standard problems;
- formulate, analyse and solve mathematical problems and evaluate strategies,
methods and result;
- interpret a real situation and create a mathematical model and further use and
evaluate the properties and limitations of the model;
- follow, direct and evaluate mathematical reasoning;
- communicate mathematical reasoning orally, written and in action;
- relate Mathematics to its importance and use in other subjects in professional,
social and historical contexts.
As the structure of the curricula, and also the description of their contents, differs it may
be difficult to make reliable comparisons among them. Each of the eight groups of
concepts and methods in the Italian curriculum refer to or have similarities with at least
two, usually three or more, of the Swedish goals. The Swedish goal about communication
is the only one not directly corresponding to any of the Italian groups. On the other hand,
the groups in Italian curriculum are process oriented and may be regarded as instructions
to follow to increase the understanding of Mathematics while the Swedish curriculum
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more directly aims at the goals of the teaching. Similarly, the general principles of the
Greek curriculum focus not only on mathematical thinking and skills but underlines the
importance of students being able of using them in daily adult life. In that perspective the
Greek curriculum clearly relates to daily life. The Bulgarian curriculum, as presented here,
may be regarded as dealing with strict mathematical Science but the detailed
specifications of the abilities and knowledge, that the students are supposed to master at
the end of their studies, are often related to everyday life.
Thus, although the differences among the constructions of the curricula it is quite
possible to make consistent interpretations of their aims concerning mathematical
understanding. The ability to use Mathematics in a wider context seems to be more
strongly supported in the Greek curriculum compared to, for example, the Bulgarian. This
may lead to similarities among the abilities of students from different countries in their
strict mathematical skills but to differences in their ability to use these professionally or in
everyday life.
3.4. Physics curricula

The curricula in Physics differ among the countries mainly in structure but not so much in
content.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian curriculum primarily lists the content of the Physics studies under different
headlines while the others focus on the goals and aims of the teaching. In the curricula of
the other countries similar descriptions and objectives may be found in the syllabi for
specific courses. The resulting teaching and learning may be similar in all countries, but
detailed lists may present a mechanical view of the subject content unless it is combined
with more wide-ranging aims useful for citizens in general.
Some examples may illustrate the general similarities and differences. For example, the
first general goal is similar in the Italian and in the Swedish curricula.
Italy
<<… At the end of the high school course the student will have learned the fundamental
concepts of Physics, the laws and theories that explain them, gaining awareness of the
cognitive value of the discipline and of the connection between the development of
physical knowledge and the historical and philosophical context in which it is
developed.>>
Sweden
<<Teaching in the subject of Physics should give students the opportunities to develop
the following: Knowledge of the concepts, models, theories and working methods of
Physics, and also understanding their development.>>
Greece
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The Greek curriculum has similar objectives also but here the subject content primarily is
related to the use of Physics in the society.
<<The main objective of the curriculum of Physics in General Upper Secondary is the
formation of educated citizens / future citizens, with knowledge of the principles and laws
governing the natural world, the understanding of natural phenomena and of the
technological applications of these principals and laws, but also skills for best use and
their exploitation in the society. This goal is for all students / future citizens.>>
This relation between the subject and the society is also found in the Italian curriculum:
<<In particular, the student will have acquired the following skills: […] understand and
evaluate the scientific and technological choices that affect the society in which they
live.>>
Also, the Swedish curriculum has a similar goal for the student:
<<Teaching in the subject of Physics should give students the opportunities to develop
the following: Knowledge of the importance of Physics for the individual and society.>>
Although these declarations on teaching Physics are useful for the society, the main part
of the curricula focus on scholastic Physics. The subject content is similar although the
Bulgarian curriculum and Swedish syllabi are very detailed and specified. The Swedish
syllabi seems to contain more specific applications like Radiation in medicine and
technology and Climate and weather forecast.
The Greek curricula focus on literacy in Physics and the exploitation of ideas and
interconnections and the Italian one specifies also the non-mechanistic areas as Einstein’s
special theory of relativity, quantum Physics, the wave nature of matter etc …
3.5. Natural Science curricula

The Natural Science are divided into two different big areas, Biology and Chemistry.
Biology
The structure and content of Biology differs among the countries.
Italy
The Italian curriculum includes Earth Sciences, Biology and Chemistry in the more general
Natural Science subject with focus on “observation and experimentation”. In Italy the
experimental dimension seems to always be important, both in the laboratory and in the
field. This practical focus makes the students directly and practically engaged. The
teachings of Natural Science aims at giving the student the skills like to make logical
connections and formulate hypotheses based on data provided or draw conclusions
based on results obtained. They are also supposed to communicate their own conclusions
using the specific language and to apply the acquired knowledge to real life situations.
Similarly, it is also regarded as important to establish connections with the teachings of
other subjects like Physics, Mathematics, History, Philosophy and Art, which may be
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developed around themes and / or figures of scientists of particular relevance in the

History of Science, and also to activate collaborations with universities, research
institutes, science museums and the world of work. Concerning the curriculum the
Biology aims are mainly on some relations to Chemistry, especially the biochemical
processes where primarily Molecular Biology is studied in depth.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian curriculum in Biology covers five different areas:
- Biosphere (macrosystem structure and processes);
- Cell (microsystem structure and processes);
- Multicellular organism (mesosystem structure and processes);
- Biological evolution;
- Observations.
Within each of these areas, there are several goals that the students are supposed to
reach. Although more clearly specified these are partly similar and coherent to the
knowledge and the abilities included as goals of the teaching of Biology in Sweden.
Sweden
In Sweden, teaching in the subject of Biology should give students the opportunities to
develop:
- knowledge of the concepts, models, theories and working methods of Biology, and
also an understanding of their development;
- the ability to analyse and find answers to subject-related questions, and to
identify, formulate and solve problems. The ability to reflect on and assess chosen
strategies, methods and results;
- the ability to plan, carry out, interpret and report field studies, experiments and
observations, and also the ability to handle materials and equipment;
- knowledge of the importance of Biology for the individual and society;
- the ability to use knowledge of Biology to communicate, and also to examine and
use information.
Greece
The Greek curriculum also covers similar areas as the others but, as for the other subjects,
the goals are clearly related to development of the understanding of structures,
processes and relations among organisms.
In addition to this dynamic perspective, also research methodology, collaboration and
communication and the use of Biology in society are important in the Greek curriculum:
- understanding key concepts, processes and phenomena;
- initiation in research processes;
- the goal is to create favourable conditions for ensuring interest and active
participation of students in exploratory learning processes such as
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experimentation in the laboratory, field investigations, and implementation of

small research by exploiting research methods;
- communication and collaboration;
- link to the surroundings of life.
Compared to the others the Greek curriculum has more generalized goals and also the
skills of the students are not strictly specified but presented in more general terms
although these may relate to personal properties rather than strict subject content.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian student is supposed to be able to:
- describe […] environmental factors of the environment, population, biopsy,
relationships and behaviour of organisms;
- compare selected organelles and cell structures:
- modelling structures and processes at cell, organism, population, ecosystem level.
These skills are typical of those described in the first two or three Swedish goals of
Biology teaching. The difference in the curricula is mainly due to different perspectives.
The Bulgarian curriculum uses macro- to micro-perspectives in Biology as the basic
framework complemented with evolutionary processes, on all levels, and methodology.
Within this framework the students are given opportunities to develop their skills in
Biology.
Sweden
The Swedish curriculum starts with the eligible skills of the students at the end of the
studies and specifies the knowledge content (the concepts, models, theories and working
methods of Biology) in the syllabi of the different courses. The learning outcome of these
different types of curricula is similar as long as the studies aim at practical biological
knowledge which they are able to apply in real life situations, which was a goal of the
Italian teaching in Biology.
Chemistry
Italy
In the Italian Chemistry courses, as in Biology ones, the teaching aims are to improve the
student skills making logical connections, formulating hypotheses and drawing
conclusions based on results obtained. The students are supposed to communicate their
conclusions and to apply the acquired knowledge to real life situations. The curriculum
emphasises how it is important to establish connections with the teachings of other
subjects like Physics, Mathematics, History, Philosophy and Art, which may be developed
around themes and/or figures of scientists of particular relevance in the History of
Science, and also to activate collaborations with universities, research institutes, science
museums and the world of work. During the fifth year of high school, Organic Chemistry
studies are included with focus on materials of technological and applicative interest, as
polymers, composites, etc., and basic concepts of the main classes of materials, as metals,
ceramics, semiconductors, biomaterials etc.
- 59 -
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian curricula describes a number of skills that the student should master within
five different chemical areas:
- classification of substances and nomenclature;
- structure and properties of substances;
- use of substances;
- chemical processes;
- experiment and research.
To give an idea of how the curriculum is constructed here is one example from each of
the different areas. As a result of Chemistry education at the end of the upper secondary
level, the student:
- applies the chemical nomenclature to all chemical species compounds;
- applies rules to fill the layers, sublayers, and electrons orbits;
- describes substances with special use and basic methods for their synthesis;
- uses mechanisms to explain chemical processes;
- describes methods for determining the composition and composition of
substances, as well as for their separation.
As seen from the examples above the Bulgarian curriculum describes the achieved skills
of the students at the end of their education.
Greece
In Greece, the Chemistry lessons are taught in the first and second year of the high school
and the students are encouraged to:
- conquer an adequate and coherent body of Chemistry knowledge, which, on the
one hand, will offer them conceptual and methodological tools to continue
learning autonomously and on the other to provide the future citizens with a
culture of scientific investigation of things, which will give them the opportunity to
have critical and reflective management of knowledge;
- develop skills necessary for both multilateral development and active participation
in the modern society, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication,
collaboration, excellence and wise use of information technologies and
communication;
- cultivate values, attitudes and behaviours which distinguish the educated modern
citizen and contribute positively to their progress towards the upgrading.
For the Chemistry lesson which is taught during the last year of their studies only for
students in the field of Sciences hence more emphasis and depth in:
- the conceptual part with a reduction of the corresponding descriptive and more
extensive development of the central concepts;
- the practical part with skills of development implemented knowledge and
problem-solving;
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- promoting scientific thinking, initiative, creativity and abilities of the students;

- cultivating skills that will facilitate pupils' access to the labour market;
- social awareness with reporting applications of Science in the problems.
The Greek curriculum describes the achieved skills and relates them to the surrounding
society. Chemistry is definitely not just a school subject in the Greek context; it is a
theoretical framework useful in the ordinary daily life of the ordinary citizen.
Sweden
Teaching in the subject of Chemistry should give students the opportunities to develop:
- knowledge of chemical concepts, models, theories and working methods, and
understanding their development;
- the ability to analyse and find answers to subject-related questions, and to
identify, formulate and solve problems. The ability to reflect on and assess chosen
strategies, methods and results;
- the ability to plan, carry out, interpret and report experiments and observations,
and also the ability to handle chemicals and equipment;
- knowledge of the importance of Chemistry for the individual and society;
- the ability to use knowledge of Chemistry to communicate, and also to examine
and use information.
The Swedish curriculum appears as a mix of the other with emphasis on knowledge of the
subject in combination with practical skills, but also on the understanding and use the
subject content in practical life.
There are differences in structure and content of the curricula, and their explicit goals,
but the students probably will reach similar levels of their knowledge content, especially
as regards their possibility to participate successfully in higher studies. If there are
differences these probably will show in everyday Chemistry which often is hidden or
obscure unless specifically trained.
3.6. Organisation of STEM subjects

There are many differences in the school systems of the four countries involved in this
study. The programs preparing the students for university studies, upper secondary
school, may embrace three years in Greece and Sweden or five years in Bulgaria and Italy.
The division in programs also differs, where programs with different lengths and content
of courses may qualify for academic studies of a subject. The length of the school year
also differs among countries and sometimes also is depending on the grade (33−40
weeks).
Considering the above information, the number of teaching hours is the most appropriate
figure to use in comparisons.
Bulgaria (5 years program)
Natural Mathem
Mathematics 303 hours science atics
38% 42%
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Physics 146 hours

Chemistry 132 hours
Biology 144 hours
Greece (3 years program)
Mathem
Natural atics
Mathematics 550 hours
science 42%
Physics 250 hours 39%
Chemistry 220 hours

Biology 280 hours Physics
19%
Italy (5 years scientific high school with Science option)

Mathematics 700 hours
Natural Mathem
Physics 430 hours science atics
39% 38%
Natural Science 730 hours
Physics
23%
Sweden (3 years Natural Science program)

Natural
Mathematics 500 hours Mathem
science
atics
35%
Physics 250 hours 43%
Chemistry 200 hours

Biology 200 hours Physics
22%
Comparing the number of STEM hours into the countries:
STEM hours
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Bulgaria Greece Italy Sweden
Mathematics Physics Natural science
- 62 -
Regarding the students participating, in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy all students in high
school study STEM subjects.
In Sweden the Natural Science programme has about 12,000 students, about 12% of total
students. The technology programme with 10,000 students, round 10%, may also include
courses to prepare for academic studies in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. In total
about on fifth of Swedish teenagers are prepared to study STEM subjects on an academic
level.
3.7. Requirements of for STEM teacher qualification

In all of the project countries the teachers have to be qualified to teach but the
differences are plenty.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria a Bachelor school in the specific subject is needed and several mandatory
courses in, for example, pedagogy, psychology, IT. This includes methodology in teaching
and learning the subject as well as school observation, school practice and an internship.
Bachelor’s degree courses emphasize knowledge of the subject matter, pedagogical
preparation, and practical school experience. Some universities offer a degree for
teachers only in one subject area (e.g., Mathematics, Biology or Chemistry), but most
offer combined double undergraduate programs (e.g., Physics and Informatics, Physics
and Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, Chemistry and Informatics, Biology and
Chemistry, Biology and Geography, and Mathematics and Informatics). Double degree
programs culminate with a state examination in both subjects (e.g., Chemistry and
Physics, Biology and Chemistry, or Physics and Mathematics). Master’s degree programs
in general are designed for actively employed teachers, but they also are open to
applicants who are not actively teaching. There are five levels of postgraduate
professional qualification for actively employed teachers in Bulgaria, the first level being
the highest and the fifth the lowest. These qualifications are not mandated and can be
completed at any time at the teacher’s own discretion. The requirements for completing
each level are nationally regulated. The qualifications are conferred by the Departments
for In-Service Teacher Training, affiliated with three of Bulgaria’s universities.
Greece
In Greece the degree after four years of university studies is sufficient requirement for
teaching. For teachers teaching for the first time there is an introductory training seminar
organized by the ministry of education.
Italy
In Italy, state requirements for teacher qualification include a master bachelor in Maths
or Physics or Biology/Chemistry/Natural Science or Engineering. After this graduation it is
possible to become high school teachers through a state competition or further two years
of specialization with, also the interested STEM disciplines, courses on pedagogy and
sociology.
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Sweden
In Sweden the STEM teacher qualification includes five to five and a half years of
academic studies. The studies include subject studies of three and a half years, the core of
education Science in one year and further a half year of practical work at schools. The
different courses may be spread out over several semesters which will result in a mixture
of theoretical, pedagogical and practical courses during the training. The subjects studied
normally include two subjects, usually Biology/Chemistry, Biology/Mathematics,
Biology/Natural Science (Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science), Physics/Mathematics,
Geography/Mathematics or Chemistry/Mathematics. One of these subjects is studied
during two years the other during one year and a half. The core of education Science
includes the history of the school systems, the present school organisation, basic
democratic and human rights, curriculum theory and didactics, theory and research,
development, learning and special education, social relations, conflict handling and
leadership, assessment and grading and finally evaluation and development. The practical
courses often are spread in time over the program to increase the teaching ability of the
student and adapt the training to personal requirements of the student.
3.8. Conclusion
As seen already in the introduction of this chapter there are several differences in the
structure of these curricula as well in their contents. Also, the aims or goals seem to
differ, but mainly due to the different perspectives of the curricula. It is anyhow possible
to acknowledge the possibility in similar results concerning the preparation for higher
studies in the development of theoretical understanding and practical skills of the
participating students. If there are differences in the resulting knowledge and practical
skills of the different subjects these may probably mainly appear in the practical everyday
life of the student. It may be important to learn the lesson of the Greek curriculum and
never forget to relate the subject content to everyday life whenever this is possible.
School Science may be adequate in school situations but learning should also be learning
for life, nor only for school. Together and in combination these curricula show the
necessity of the teacher to use several ways of describing goals, to vary the way of
teaching and use the individualities of the students. To facilitate this and widen the
perspectives, every teacher should not only be accustomed to the curriculum and syllabi
of the own country but also of these of others.
3.9. References
[1] Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, www.mon.bg
[2] Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs – MIN.EDU,
www.minedu.gov.gr
[3] Greek Institute of Educational Policy - I.E.P, www.iep.edu.gr
[4] Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research – MIUR, www.miur.gov.it.
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[5] Swedish Government after directions of the Parliament www.sweden.se/society/

education-in-sweden
- 65 -
4. Web portal & app Project developing

by Massimo Amato, Nikolaos Giannakopoulos, Milena Gosheva, Nikolia Iliopoulou, Emmanouil Petrakis,
Greta Raykovska, Georgios Theodoropoulos
4.1. Introduction
The development of the portal and applications for mobile devices has been carried out in
different phases. After the implementation of the portal and the app and the related
debugging phase, it was necessary to carry out a testing phase so that students and
teachers who were not initially involved in the project had the opportunity to help
partners optimizing the content and the creation methods of the exercises by the
teachers and their use by the students. Therefore, questionnaires were specifically
designed to be given to teachers and teachers to verify the use of the portal and
applications.
The development of the portal in its forms shared by the partners was tackled by
following the ideas of gamification and approach to the STEM disciplines as specified in
Part III of this manual.
The contents of the portal are presented below and how they were designed and
prepared.
4.2. How and which exercises are developed by partners

During the first meeting the partners decided which kind of exercises they should have
developed, in terms of number, typology and different schools whom the partners were.
Following the idea of the project, shared by all the partners, each exercise could be
created and developed in three modalities named “Explorer, Navigator and Investigator”.
In the Explorer mode the exercise is showed with only one right solution. This solution is
developed by the teacher that should foster in the students a specific scientific skill in a
very short time depending on the kind of exercise.
By Navigator modality the teacher could insert in more than one right solution, by
growing the skills of the students and their curiosity by following and exploring different
ways to resolve an exercise.
When the same exercise is developed in Investigator mode, the student has to select the
right answer in a range of possibilities so to learn the solution in deep.
The total number of exercises developed by partners are 208.
The figures show the types in percentage developed by each partner.
“Atanasov” (BG)
The exercises developed by SPGE “J. Atanasov” in Bulgaria are in the field of Natural
Sciences, Physics and Mathematics. The exercises were distributed among 10 teachers in
the following way: 55 exercises in Mathematics, prepared by 4 teachers. They cover the
following topics: square equations, equations of a higher degree, fractional equations,
- 66 -
irrational equations, inequalities, systems of equations, probability theory, and limit of

functions.
The exercises in Physics are 17 in number, distributed among 3 teachers. They include
mechanics, fluid mechanics, forces, Energy, the laws of conservation of energy and
impulse, strike between bodies. Part of the chosen exercises in Physics is taught during
the preparation of the students for continuation at a higher technical school. The choice
of such exercises is due to the fact that the students from our high school continue their
education in higher technical schools and Physics education is leading.
The exercises in Natural Sciences are 17, 9 of which are in Biology and 8 - in Chemistry.
The topics are in the fields of Genetics and Ecology, Organic Chemistry, and the bonds
among chemical elements. The exercises are developed on the basis of the suggested and
approved topics of exercises by all partners. The choice made by the high school teachers
from SPGE “J. Atanasov” is accordant to the students’ basic knowledge and skills, and the
developed exercises enable them to upgrade their knowledge.
The exercises of the three types, so that the students can learn, about the possibilities
how to solve a problem or a task, and also to make a choice in which way to solve the
problem or the task and to see the possible mistakes they can make, if they fail to follow
all the successive steps in doing the task.
The type 3 of the exercises is of a training character because the students directly see
where they can possibly make mistakes and learn from them, trying not to make them in
other exercises.
“Arsakeio” (GR)
Greek partners developed their own exercises. During the first meeting, the project
coordinator indicated the categories of these exercises and the number of exercises per
category and the partners approved. The exercises included in the project are in the field
of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences.
A total number of 21 exercises were created by the Mathematics teachers of “Arsakeio”
Lyceum.
These exercises were chosen for several reasons. First of all, they are considered to be
representative of the respective categories as similar exercises are found in pupils' school
books in upper secondary education in Greece. Furthermore, it is possible to solve these
exercises in two or more ways which correspond to the general philosophy of the
platform's operation. Finally, it has been proven that students have difficulty in
understanding the resolution process in several of these exercises if it is presented to
them in the traditional way. This is an opportunity for the students to work on their own
through the platform, by choosing the most appropriate way or the best method that will
enable them to deeply comprehend these exercises.
The exercises in Physics were distributed by one teacher. They include 12 exercises. More
specifically, the physics issues undertaken by the partners in Greece are based on the
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initial allocation made by the program coordinator and the selection of these exercises
was done according to the educational program applied in Greece. The exercises cover a
wide range of the material taught from the third grade of the Gymnasium to the third
grade of the Lyceum.
In all the suggested exercises, the questions are of increasing difficulty. Finally, we have
chosen the types of exercises, one and three, because we believe that these types of
exercises are more acceptable to the pupils and are more suited to the current
educational system.
The exercises in Natural Sciences were distributed by two teachers and are in total 11,
seven of which are in Chemistry and four in Biology. More specifically:
- Chemistry: The topics are in the fields of periodic table of the elements and the
investigation of chemical properties (such as atomic mass for example), chemical
stoichiometry and organic Chemistry. The exercises are developed on the basis of
the suggested and approved topics of exercises by all partners. Additionally, one
exercise was prepared in Greek language for the language test needed to be
performed from the contributor of the app. Between the three types of each
exercise it seems that the third type (explorer) best suits to Chemistry because the
students directly see where they can possibly make mistakes and learn from them,
trying not to repeat them in other exercises.
- Biology: As far as the Biology exercises are concerned, in total six exercises were
created, five of them in English and one in Greek. Exercises were selected from
the following thematic sections: Genetics, Phylogeny, Ecology and Molecular
Biology. The exercises were created for students of all high school classes. The
choice of exercises was based on students’ cognitive background and all the three
types were designed to test their knowledge in an interesting way beyond the
teacher-centred teaching standard. Especially, the third type of exercises managed
to keep students motivated during Biology class.
“Machiavelli” (IT)
Italian partners developed their 44 own exercises following the project indications, so the
Italian teachers settled exercises in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics according to the
needs and the possible requirements of the students. The teachers involved into the
project had some meetings to focus which kind of exercises and of which typology. The
teacher preferred to extend their work to the most of students possible, so they choose
to write the exercises in English. Some exercise is in Italian just to help the objectives of
the project. Consequently, the decision was to create several exercises for the first, the
second and third classes of the Italian high school.
In Mathematics the exercises number is 18, in Physics is 11 and in Natural Sciences 15.
“Södertörn” (SE)
Swedish partners developed their own 28 exercises concerning the evolution of the
natural systems. This kind of exercises has been due to the type of university departments
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from which the teachers are coming. Evaluating the modality of the presentation of the
questions the teachers mainly limited to the “Investigator” mode, because it is the best
that fit the type of examination that the students are called to do. After a very brief time
where it was necessary to understand how to create and why, the teachers developed
the exercises with enthusiasm and proficiency.
4.3. Development of the web app correlated to the student test using the settled
survey
During the development of the project, the partner would know the indications of the
users to take care of those at the moment or in the future after the project.
The partners asked their teachers to confront the idea and the methodology of “Do Well
Science” with their students, using the items and answered to the surveys, to test the
web portal and the app.
Predominantly the attention is the project but “Do Well Science” had also been an
opportunity to understand the students’ interest in STEM approach.
Students and teacher were called to answer a survey to know their relating in the project.
Students
The surveys presented below were non-compulsory, because the project would have a
response from the students without any kind of suggestion, so the answering could be
very interesting as they are.
Using the data collected with the “DWS - Student questionnaire” [1]:
- 628 students filled in the survey in which they could answer about which kind of
app they used and how many exercises they tested.
The graphics of the portal and applications for iOS and Android are very pleasant and
interesting. The same graphic also allows teachers to make the presentation of new
exercises more appealing, since some subjects are often difficult to introduce.
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Using the data collected with the “DWS – Exercise suggestion” questionnaire [2]:
- 12 students, from Bulgaria, filled in the survey indicating new exercises only in
Physics.
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Teachers
The total number of teachers who tested the app were 37, 29 by the online form [3], and
8 by hand-writing form [4].
Using the answers of the survey “DWS – Teacher questionnaire.pdf” [3], the results are:
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Using the answer of the hand-writing form [4], the result is:
- for the question “STEM Teaching and Learning Package”
o general organization of structure: 8,6%
o easiness of navigation: 8,6
o scientific reliability: 8,6
o didactical Appropriateness: 8,2
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o usefulness and Transferability: 8,4

o attractiveness for students: 8,4
- for the question “Is the Package useful for you? Why?”
o Yes, extremely useful. The exercises presented in this way are interesting,
they provide the opportunity to solve tasks with a different approach. This
is the way students prefer learning and feedback, which makes exercises
even more relevant.
o I don’t like computer games
o Yes. The exercises are presented in an accessible and understandable
language for the respective pupils' age.
o Solving tasks step by step leads to a faster resolution of the problem.
Showing possible mistakes in exercises is a good approach to learning.
o Yes. Exercises served in this way become easy to perform, showing
opportunities to solve various problems. Type 3 is suitable for training
because it enables the teacher to show the possible mistakes that are
allowed in solving a particular task.
o Solving tasks step by step leads to a faster resolution of the problem.
Showing possible mistakes in exercises is a good approach to learning.
o Yes. Exercises are easy to implement, they can solve specific problems.
Different, interesting and new way to solve tasks.
o My students enjoyed working with the project as well as I did. The tasks
were in the approximate level of difficulty and did not feel to
overwhelming. The user interface is easy to use as well.
Most of the teacher recognize that the app are good but probably they could be
improved, and the creation of the exercises is clear and easy.
4.4. Survey feedbacks in details and deduction

Students
The “DWS - Student questionnaire” survey [1], requested to fill in for free, shows:
- By students from 15 to 19 years old:
o 205 of them have done between 1-5 exercises
o 50 students from 6 to 10
o 40 students have done over 10 exercises;
- By subjects:
o Mathematics 120 exercises were done, 41 per cent of respondents
o Physics 75 exercises are done, 25% of respondents
o Science 100 exercises, 34% of respondents.
o Answering the question “Which app did you use?
o 219 students preferred to use Android
o 47 students preferred to use the web portal
o 29 of the students surveyed preferred to use IOS
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o Answering to the question “The app was?”

o 72% of all 295 students gave very good ratings (150 students) and good (60
students).
o 11% are not satisfied and answered with bad
o 17% gave no bad ratings
o Answering to the question “Comments and/or questions“
 Students' comments are mostly related to the location of exercises.
Sometimes it is difficult for them to find the right type of exercise and
its place. They couldn’t find quickly the exercises in interest. Many of
those who took part in the study, have come to believe that this
learning is useful, interesting and preferable to the standard one.
 Some very interesting comments and/or questions were:
 Why having islands when you can have well organised menus?
 I think the biggest problem comes from the translation of some of the
exercises
o Maybe there need to be a better GUI
 Very nice, very good, nice work, perfectly sufficient
 The App is very useful!
 Good job. Perfect! Nice!
Teachers
The “DWS - Teacher questionnaire” survey [3], requested to fill in for free, shows:
- Answering to the question “What aspects of the web portals were most useful or
valuable?”
o The portal is very valuable concerning the three typologies;
o It isn't allowed to change from one ex to another one without coming to the end.
o Sometimes, by IOS, at the middle of type 2, it pushes me out of the ex. Chosen
English, if we search for specific ex, the list of proposed exercise isn't complete
and sometime it appears in Italian.
o The graphical interface is very simple and intuitive.
o The portal seems very suitable for collective use in the classroom (in my case using
the video projector). The unconventional situation allowed me to involve students
in a more playful, relaxed and collective approach to problem solving. The need to
look for different exercises for students and the possibility of navigating among
many themes allowed me to refresh even "old" subjects and to evaluate their
permanence. It is very gratifying for students to be able to solve exercises on
subjects they haven't seen for a long time. The difference in approach and
language with respect to those who formulated problems sometimes makes the
interpretation of the answers difficult, but forces a useful exercise of adaptation
and elasticity.
o Easy access.
o The idea seems good: it could be interesting to have some exercises on which
students can practice with the "methodology" proposed in DWS.
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o In many exercises errors (even rough ones) are found: this makes the instrument
unreliable. The best result that can be achieved is to have students try to find and
correct errors in the proposed exercises
o The students tell me that using the app on android or iOs you see different things
o The structure of the exercises is not very intuitive
o Often English is also questionable
o I had no intention of inserting exercises, but I didn't find a way to do it
o In the questionnaire that the teachers must complete at the end, the questions
relating to the creation of exercises are mandatory, although it is not mandatory
to have entered exercises
o In the evaluation of portal and app, 3 items out of 4 are positive (very good / good
/ not bad) while one is negative (bad): this clearly pushes respondents to focus on
“not bad” even in case of judgment not positive on the project, clearly distorting
the results of the questionnaire
o The graphic is ugly (subjective judgment, therefore questionable)
o The topics (the names of the villages within the islands) are not readable
o I often disagree about "what is the best strategy" to solve a problem
o The layout of the mathematical formulas is ugly (subjective judgment, therefore
questionable)
o The structuring of the exercises in the three types, above all the one that also
proposes incorrect alternatives.
o Graphic: islands, villages
- Answering to the question “What aspects of the App were most useful or valuable?”
o The app could be very interesting for the students, with the possibility to use at
any moment of the day, also in class if the teacher agrees.
o The possibility of proposing exercises in different ways than using a text. I have
not prepared and entered any exercise
o In the islands the cities sometimes develop too wide arguments and therefore it is
difficult to find, in a fast way, exercises related to the topic you want to play.
o The interface is similar to a game, and therefore closer to young people's learning
methods. In the initial phase (weather permitting) it would be useful to develop
these paths also with the children, taking advantage of the project to analyse in
depth an algorithm or a concept. Unfortunately, at this stage of the year it was not
possible, but the idea is very interesting and intrigued the students.
o The tool used a lot by young people, the game-like interface intrigued the kids and
caught their attention. It would be interesting to have time to learn more about
this app with the kids
o The graphical interface is very simple and intuitive
o The applets is definitely closer to the spirit of many kids (especially the younger
ones) and the idea of being able to use mobile phones for schooling has had an
effect of involvement and has produced curiosity. I don't know how much the
"novelty" effect counts and how long the first interest is. However, several
students have used the app. even alone at home.
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o Graphic: islands, villages

- Answering to the question “How would you improve DWS web portal or apps?”
o Addition of virtual labs, use as a tool for flipping classroom.
o It is too slow.
o Making the answers more understandable and adjusting the languages
o The titles of the series of exercises are too general and force the user to open the
exercise to discover, perhaps, that they do not yet know how to deal with it.
Example: in the Algebra - algebraic expressions section it is not specified if they
are integer or fractional. It would be nice to improve the structure of the "islands"
inside each subject. I find a lot of overlap among the subjects (e.g. functions and
analysis, mechanics and dynamics). A clearer structure and less overlapping
among different "chapters" or "areas" (maybe not totally avoidable) would be
useful to help students find exercises on the topics they need.
o Maybe an indication of the level of difficulty a student could expect from an
exercise would be useful, to go along with the topic of the exercise.
o I found the app on Android kind of slow. The web portal was a better experience
in my opinion.
o The portal could be more interactive and more user-friendly. The challenge among
the students should be developed.
o Delete the explorer part of the exercises. These often confuse the students.
o The interactivity and the creation of multiple-choice paths, with the explanation
on the possible mistakes made, or the comment on the correct choices but still
more or less elegant.
o The possibility of greater interaction between the proposed exercise and the boys.
Some comments or explanations on the various steps.
o The navigator version is often very boring because obviously not interactive. some
exercises also in the other two versions do not have multiple answers and do not
entertain the students who see the possibility of making a mistake denied (playful
component).
o Certainly already planned operations of setting up the platform (more reliable
software, development of other language versions, revision of the exercises also in
the linguistic formulation, etc.) should be completed. A greater number of
exercises would be required for the platform to be used over time. It would be
interesting to know the geographical origin of the businesses (as was initially
announced in the meetings). It might be interesting to introduce the possibility of
using a random exercise generator (for defined categories) instead of leaving the
choice only to the user, thus enhancing the emotional component.
o I don't know.
o Improve the clarity of the portal and the speed of response of the system:
navigation is difficult and too slow. More useful and the graphic more clear and
visible.
o More user-friendly to insert images and formulas
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o Creating form to search the exercise by name of the teacher, name of the
exercise, number of the exercise, ...
o Creating form to search an exercise easiest.
o Sometimes the app or portal are very slow.
o The home page of the portal is not very user-friendly.
o Type 3 is suitable for training because it enables the teacher to show the possible
mistakes that are allowed in solving a particular task
o Extremely useful
o My students enjoyed working with the project as well as I did
o The user interface is easy to use as well.
o Deduction
o Reading the surveys for the students and recalling that the survey was not
compulsory, it could summarize that the students have dealt with the Maths
exercises, then those of Natural Sciences and finally those of Physics. Also, the
surveys seem to indicate that the students prefer using the mobile device instead
of the pc or laptop and to give the information that “Do Well Science” is in the
right way but it could be improved. Reading the comments, it could be found that
most of them wrote that the project idea is excellent and also the exercises. In
some case the students ask to fix the bugs into the app concerning the score,
some symbols, the English translation. They paid a lot of attention to the system
that offers them the exercises and they know that it could be done the
enhancement. The students greatly appreciated the presentation and
development methodology of the exercises.
o The exercises presented in this way are interesting, the students provide the
opportunity to solve tasks with a different approach. This could be the way that
students prefer learning and feedback, which makes exercises even more relevant.
The exercises served in this way become easy to perform, showing opportunities
to solve various problems.
By reading the surveys of teachers and students it could be concluded that the below
comparative analysis of the main common trends and most relevant differences emerged
between the traditional learning methods and the learning process based on the “Do well
Science” e-platform:
- despite the popularity of online education, vast groups of students consciously
stay away from such methods, mostly due to misconception;
- at the same time, despite the rising popularity of using the brilliant option of the
island as a mean of a specific scientific area, traditional (classroom) training is
fighting back and trying to adopt newer means of retaining learners' interest, such
as the experiments in the lab specially for the Natural Sciences courses;
- digital classroom learning helps students and teachers knowing each other in a
better manner. Increasing students’ participation in their own learning has been a
goal of educators, no matter the specific scientifically field, for a considerable
time. This allows teachers to know the students and to better evaluate their
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strengths and weaknesses, act as mentors, and guide students in their career
possibilities.
Summarizing the answers, there are always two sides of a coin: for some individuals
digital training is more appropriate, but for others traditional-classroom training is the
preferred delivery method. Then, teachers found the exercises useful and necessary
didactic tool in the interactive way of learning and student could learn in a different and
more useful mode.
4.5. Problems and challenges of the content creator

The procedure for creating an exercise by teachers is a long work. In addition to some
technical difficulties due to the way the exercise is inserted, but which are quickly
acquired through practice, teachers need to concentrate on the development of the
exercise, seeking a new solution vision that is appropriate for their class and sometimes
for a single person or a group of students. Specifically, the development of an exercise
procedure includes different skills of teachers in terms of: identifying the type of exercise
as an aid to their class, identifying the difficulty of the exercise, creating an interesting
and easy-to-follow path for the students, develop the exercise without too many
approximations and without going too far in the explanations, identifying the points of
interest, inserting in the exercise "common" difficulties of their students, highlighting the
most suitable solution strategies, stimulating students with the assignment of score.
At the centre of attention there must be the student but it is the teacher who must make
him participate and interested through the new way of presenting the "Do Well Science"
project.
Bulgaria
Developing the three types of exercises was a challenge for the teachers at SPGE “J.
Atanasov”. Each of them chose several of the suggested exercises that are the closest to
what he/she does with the students and what he/she will be able to present in the best
way to reach the project goals. The implementation of the exercises of types 1 and 2,
where the exercises describe the options that can lead to the solution of a problem or
task, allow the development of the pedagogical abilities of the teachers of our high
school.
Most difficulties teachers encountered in developing the third type of exercises where
the kind of errors had to be shown. In this type, the teachers showed their
professionalism by analysing all the options where students could make mistakes. Each
exercise of this type is a wonderful training tool.
The difficulties in creating exercises were encountered by teachers when writing the
individual steps and referring to the next steps. This had to be considered very precisely
so that after their development exercises could be uploaded on the platform so that
inaccuracies could be avoided in the visualization. The work of the Bulgarian team in
creating this product was interesting and fruitful.
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We received the assurance that the work is well done after the testing with students and
their satisfaction from learning.
Teachers and students together showed that learning at school can be easier and
interesting.
Greece
The development of the exercises through the "Content Creator" was a very interesting
process for the teachers of “Arsakeio”.
The selection of the exercises was a challenge for the teachers. The topics were very clear
from the beginning of the project and the teachers had to choose exercises suitable for
the students of secondary education. The exercises should be relevant to their school
books, easy to understand and resolved with two or more different ways. This last part
was not easy to achieve for the exercises of Natural Sciences.
Writing exercises in the English language was another challenge for them. Since they
don't use this language in teaching, they had to recall to their memory the scientific
terminology. Of course, the help of the English teachers was very precious.
A serious difficulty that a lot of teachers encountered was writing equations with
mathematical symbols. The "Content Creator" environment was not friendly for this
process and the teachers had to make a lot of steps and moves until the equation
appeared as an image. So, writing exercises for Mathematics and Physics was a time
consuming process.
Writing the exercises in three different types was an interesting and innovative idea. The
third type (multiple choice) was the most demanding for the teachers. They had to give a
lot of different possible answers and also predict the errors which students make and
then comment on these errors to give the feedback. The third type was suitable for
exercises of Chemistry and Biology but also was a useful teaching tool for all the teachers
to increase the interest and competitiveness of the students in the classroom.
Despite those difficulties, the teachers of “Arsakeio” involved in writing the exercises,
enjoyed their participation in this process. They collaborated with teachers from Italy and
Bulgaria exchanging thoughts and opinions about common teaching issues and they are
waiting for the acceptance of their work.
Italy
The Italian teachers have found the same difficulties as the Bulgarian and Greek
colleagues because the implementation of the solutions of the exercises has a slightly
different logic from that which they usually carry out in the classroom. The main
difference was that of necessarily having to transcribe in the form of a question and
answer all those considerations that are usually made in an active discussion in the
classroom.
Sweden
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The Swedish teachers, since they mainly developed exercises on Biology, implemented
the exercises almost exclusively in the Navigator mode, since it was the one most suited
to the questions that they usually propose to the student and for which a draft with "Do
Well Science" which allows a different view that helps students in the skills they need to
develop.
4.6. Achievements of the Bulgarian and Greek students

As already mentioned, many students appreciated the “Do Well Science” methodology.
Although the project does not foresee that the proposed exercises could be a form of
teacher evaluation by the students, some teachers did small tests on some exercises
created.
Bulgaria
Students generally demonstrated a quick understanding of how to perform the exercises,
a pleasant understanding of the text and the requests and a user-friendly app.
Some comments were also very interesting, such as: "so I do first to go over" or "I will
need it right these days" or even "it looks just like what we do it in class".
Objective results could be analysed only with a real experimentation over time but the
premises are more than satisfactory, let alone the appealing graphics of the app and the
web portal and the possibility of sharing the achieved score on the social networks.
Teachers, working on the project, and students from SPGE “J. Atanasov” tested the
developed exercises. 320 students from 8th to 12th grade participated. These are
students aged 14-18. The testing was done in classes of Mathematics, Physics and Natural
Sciences - Biology and Chemistry. The Maths teachers worked mostly with the 11th and
12th grades where the proposed exercises were appropriate for revision and recycling of
background knowledge. Students from 9th and 10th grades took part in the Biology and
Chemistry exercises. The material proposed in the exercises covered the curricular
content of these classes.
All students at different ages from SPGE were included in doing the exercises in Physics.
First, the exercises were done with the 12th grade students who were preparing
themselves for a state matriculation exam in Physics. In this way they revised the basic
concepts, laws and formulas necessary for their preparation. The eighth graders were
then included with the curriculum content of mechanics and fluid mechanics. In the
exercises concerning energy and energy conservation laws as well as impulse
preservation law, students from the 10th and the 11th grade studying Physics as a
compulsory optional subject took part.
The students did the testing with interest and we are now preparing exercises in
Bulgarian language so that they can be easily understood by all.
Greece
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About 100 students of all the classes of “Arsakeio” Lyceum were involved in testing the
exercises. The teachers participating in the program informed the students of how the
application works and how the exercises are processed. The testing phase took place in
the classrooms during the lessons of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology and
also some of the students worked on their own at home. At first, students were reluctant
to be involved due to some technical difficulties concerning the web portal and the App,
as well as the fact that the exercises were not written in their mother tongue. In the
following weeks, however, the students became more familiar with the philosophy of the
exercises. It is very important to mention that the third type of the exercises was more
appealing to the students. This could be attributed to the fact that they had the chance to
work in groups and their competitive spirit was challenged.
The results were particularly encouraging as students found the application useful and a
different way of approaching Natural Sciences and Mathematics. They argued that the
application could be an additional tool in the educational process and a knowledge check
on what they have been taught. Additionally, the application could be used for the final
revision before the exam. A further reason that students showed interest in the
application is the use of new technologies.
In conclusion, the “Do Well Science” web portal and the App offered a flexible, efficient
and interesting learning tool to the majority of the students.
4.7. A brief indication from partners

Bulgaria
The use of the exercises in the teachers’ and students’ work will create a close and
friendly atmosphere and will enable them to jointly solve problems and tasks. Students
will learn from their mistakes and will have the opportunity to choose the way they can
solve a task or a problem.
The inquired teachers find that working in this way is a wonderful didactic tool in the
context of modern technology.
Using a phone app is a good way to get accurate and true information quickly and at any
time. The students did the exercise test through both their PCs and their phones and in
the two cases the results were the same.
The training thus corresponds to the mathematical competence, the basic competences
in the field of Natural Sciences, the technologies and the key digital competence, in
accordance with Article 2, paragraph 1 of Ordinance 5 from 30.11.2015 for general
education, issued by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The subjects such as Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences are directly related to the
acquisition of mathematical competence and basic competences in the field of Natural
Sciences and aim at achieving mathematical and scientific literacy. Along with these
competences, students develop skills for critical thinking, problem solving, decision
making and initiative.
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Greece
The implementation of innovative technology in the teaching and learning process is the
basic tool in serving the objectives of the Greek educational system. Thus, new
methodologies that cultivate experiential and cooperative learning are promoted. Also,
the Greek educational system motivates the educator to make use of the possibilities
offered by the constant evolution of digital technology to facilitate and upgrade the
quality of its work, www.minedu.gov.gr.
In Greece, Digital educational content for primary and secondary education is a key pillar
of digital national policy for the incorporation and constructive utilization of Information
& Communication Technologies, ICT, in school education, www.dschool.edu.gr. The
creation of digital Open Educational Resources, development Digital repositories for the
organization, search and wide availability of educational resources in the school
community, as well as the development of a digital educational platform for pupils and
students educational and pedagogical frameworks for their use in the learning process
are the central objective of the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious
Affairs actions on Digital Educational Content.
According to the “Do Well Science” Project results, this project not only helps students to
reflect on the process of solving problems, acquire skills and strengthen their critical
thinking but also offers the teachers the ability to turn the traditional lesson into a more
modern lesson, tailored to the demands and needs of the era. In conclusion, “Do Well
Science” Project constitutes an innovative pedagogical-teaching method through which
the Greek educational objectives are being served.
Italy
In Italy there is a progressive revision of the teaching methods of schools of all levels, to
increasingly integrate scientific subjects, STEM, with other disciplinary fields.
The study activities aim at identifying effective strategies, solutions, models and
approaches for the management of learning processes, taking into account the variety of
contributions coming from different research approaches: cognitive psychology,
neuroscience, social psychology, anthropology, pedagogy, and the need to make explicit
the scientific competences to be promoted.
Moreover, this research path intends to enhance all those activities that focus on the
collaboration between researchers and teachers in real learning contexts, which thus
become real "laboratories" for research. “Do Well Science” is a good practice of
collaboration among schools of same and different grades, and a possible habit for
students to improve their skills from how their teachers like to teach.
“Do Well Science” is an opportunity to help the school system improving the STEM
disciplines using the ICT as an easy and effective approach, because it is addressed
directly to the students of the teachers who would engage in the creation of the
exercises.
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4.8. References
[1] “DWS - Student questionnaire.pdf”, appendix 3
[2] “DWS - Exercise suggestion.pdf”, appendix 4
[3] “DWS - Teacher questionnaire.pdf”, appendix 5
[4] “DWS – Project Evaluation by end users.doc”, appendix 6
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PART III
Teaching STEM with ICT: why?
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1. Research on innovative approaches to the teaching of STEM and their

adaptability to the particular educational process in the different
secondary level schools
by Petros Karkoulias, Miglena Molhova-Vladova, Gianluca Olcese
1.1. Introduction
The contents of this chapter deal with the issue of combining both technical and
methodological approach by illustrating the main theoretical findings emerged during the
project. These contents are also a practical guide to teachers based on the best practice in
using alternative pathways to teaching STEM based on enquiry, centred on student and
on argumentation group discussions.
The key strategy is to engage or re-engage children and youth in Science and
Mathematics in ways that are authentic and interesting and meaningful to the learners
themselves. The system currently is struggling with this regard today: the curriculum and
its assessment are dull, encourage teaching narrowly to low - level fact - based tests, fail
to encourage creativity, and switch the majority of learners off. This module touches on
the sensitive issues of how innovation can be implemented in STEM education and what
are the main questions which must be regarded by school administrations and teachers in
secondary schools.
1.2. Innovative approaches for the teaching of STEM

When we discuss innovative approaches in teaching STEM we first must consider some
basic factors that teachers have to take into account for innovations in teaching STEM to
happen. Such factors come from the various studies, which investigating results of
students in STEM education, focus not only on the teaching methods, but also on the
models of learning and remembering information of students. More and more studies
focus on the cognitive model of thinking and understanding of students; on child-
instigated approaches in teaching rather than teacher-instigated ones. Furthermore, the
constructivist theory teaches us that children build their knowledge on previous
experiences. There are also other theories regarding learning in general and learning of
STEM in particular, but all of them focus on 3 main points:
- Children construct their own understanding;
- Learning is enhanced through social interaction;
- The educator is pivotal to children’s learning. [1]
Also, according to Campbell and Chealuck, the approaches of enhancing science learning
can be grouped as follows:
- Intentional thinking, the term 'intentional teaching' has been used to describe the
deliberate decisions and actions of an educator in the way they approach children's
learning. However, intentional teaching is not a 'formal' teaching approach and is not
intended to mimic a school structured approach: rather, it is recognized as educators
enhancing children's learning through play in a purposeful way.
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- Science as developing a sense of understanding of the world, children need exposure

to new experiences, new materials and the opportunities to explore new ideas. This
exposure provides them with the basis for constructing meaning.
- Process skill approach, in the process skills approach, the educator assists children to
develop Science skills. While· building Science knowledge, we also want children to
develop the skills and processes to be able to confidently undertake their own
investigations. In the process skills approach the educator focuses on a particular
scientific skill, such-as observing or communicating, or some combination of process
skills.
- Guided discovery approach, children attempt to make sense of their world through
their own play explorations and, if a constructivist approach to learning is accepted,
children build their own understandings from their own experiences. However,
children are limited in how far the discovery can aid understanding. Interaction with
peers and adults provides additional stimulus to extend understanding further.
- Interactive approach and inquiry learning approach, the interactive approach to
learning recognises that children have legitimate questions of their own to which they
would like to find answers. In this approach, the children's questions lead the
explorations and the educator's role is to provide resources and guide/scaffold the
explorations. The educator supports the development of the children's ideas, asks
focused questions, suggests alternative ways of thinking and helps develop children's
responses.
- Problem-based learning approach, in problem-based learning, the educator provides a
problem to children, usually in small groups, and gives them time to try to solve it. It is
a child-centred approach.
- Project approach, in the project approach, children are involved collaboratively in a
particular project that requires problem-solving around a specific need.
Innovations in teaching and learning Science in the recent years are focused on
technology-assisted education process and creativity enhanced approach, urging students
to generate new ideas. The technology enhanced educational approaches is associated
with gaming, virtual laboratories, international collaborative projects, real-time formative
assessment and skills-based assessment. More about the technology enhanced
pedagogical approaches you can read in the previous Chapters.
Here we will pay more attention to the necessity to enhance creativity in students during
Science teaching and learning and the trend to add A in STEM, which stands for art.
There are five types of nurturing creative learning activities in Science which are:
- discovery;
- understanding;
- presentation;
- application;
- transformation of scientific knowledge.
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To get creativity through discovery activities, teachers can ask students to do

independent research activities, or involve in divergent thinking training of students in
Science process skills. Students are encouraged to develop Science; it is an interesting and
diverse range of scientific observation, to do classification, ask questions of scientific
research, form hypotheses, plan trial and methods of measurement, use equipment or
appliances, and make conclusions from empirical data. [2]
Linking the understanding of creativity with Science teaching can help teachers working in
a better way with students on the one hand improving students’ creativity and on the
other to assess how much of the scientific material taught is really understood by
students. Connecting levels of comprehension and levels of creativity can help teachers
measure both, since they are interrelated: a higher level of creativity shows higher level
of comprehension and vice versa; linking levels of comprehension and creativity can also
help teachers understanding more about the prior knowledge the students have access to
and also about the cultural background and context of this knowledge.
A summary of the levels of creativity, with which teachers can estimate how much of the
prior knowledge the student actually uses and how much of the scientific concepts he
understands, because the higher the creativity he/she shows the better understanding of
the material stands behind it.
Level of creativity [3]
Explanation.
Imitation, creation of an identical cue; the basic skill-the starting point for more creative
tasks.
Variation, variations of some definite part(s) of the work, the rest is presented identically.
Combination, combination of 2 or more works in one new work.
Transformation, transformation of the existing work into another form or the way of
presentation.
Original work, creation of a new original work that has a slight resemblance or no
connection with the previous work.
Integrating arts in Science can help students learning how to express ideas and emotions
by performing. Adding drama pedagogical tools in Science classes will require for students
to analyse critically a specific problem, to reflect on it so that it is expressed on the one
hand with a scientifically correct way and on the other with different pedagogical means
than the widely known ones.
Arts education trains students in complex thinking and encourages a path of thinking that
often leads to innovative solutions or even multiple solutions, as when an actor tries
different ways of portraying a character.
A summary of innovative teaching approaches in STEM and strategies for these
approaches to be put in practice in class can be found here: www.edsys.in/innovative-
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science-teaching-methods/. Additional resources on the paragraph topic can be found in

[4][5][6][7][8].
1.3. How to evaluate the adaptability and transferability of an innovative approach

for teaching of STEM in the educational process in school
One of the first points to consider in innovation implementation in STEM education is
what is understood under “innovation” in this context. Each school is free to set its own
definition and criteria to put behind this concept, so that it is understood and accepted by
the academic community that works in the school. Obviously, there is always the
possibility to choose a formal definition, by recognized academics in the field or
organizations working on this topic, which have investigated number of practices.
Here we can give one such definition of the OECD, which specifically put efforts in
measuring innovation in education:
“The implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service) or
process, a new marketing method, or a new organizational method in business practices,
workplace organization or external relations.”
Educational organizations, schools, universities, training centres, education publishers,
etc., can introduce:
- new products and services, such as new syllabi, textbooks or educational
resources;
- new processes for delivering their services, such as e-learning services;
- new ways of organizing their activities, for example communicating with students
and parents through digital technologies;
- new marketing techniques, such as differential pricing of postgraduate courses.
Such new practices aim at improving the provision of education in one way or another,
and should therefore be regarded as intended “improvements” [9].
Since innovation is about change it is important how we measure that change in the
school practice. In this process school administration must first identify what is
considered “traditional” approach in the educational practice and then see what is
changed and how big this change is.
Criteria that can be determined with this regard could be:
- the curriculum being targeted, e.g. its intensity, structure, size, approach, content,
learning processes, instructional materials, curriculum ‘fit’ and so on;
- the teaching being targeted, e.g. staff numbers, qualifications, familiarity with
methodology, status of staff, contextual factors impacting on teaching such as
funding and so on;
- the learning being targeted, e.g. student selection process, language background,
previous education, academic achievement, contextual factors impacting on
learning such as time-tabling and so on [10].
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INNOVATION
Some specific criteria that can be used to determine the change in traditional and
innovative educational approaches could be:
INNOVATION IN THE CLASSROOM - PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES
- possibility for students to design their own experiments;
- scope for students to explain their ideas;
- explain the relevance of Science in everyday life;
- use of memorization of facts and procedures as a pedagogical technique;
- using computer simulations for learning;
- using computers to practice skills and procedures.
INNOVATION IN SCHOOLS - WORK PRACTICES AND RESOURCES
- teacher collaboration in form of peer observation;
- teacher collaboration through teaching discussion with peers;
- professional development for fostering students’ critical thinking and problem
solving;
- availability of laptops or notebooks in schools.
INNOVATION IN EXTERNAL RELATIONS
- parental involvement in school activities;
- public posting of school achievement data.
At the core of successful innovation in schools is the relationship among the innovation,
the capacity and disposition of the innovator, and the environment in which the
innovation occurs [3].
Zhao et al. (2002) argues that a two-
axis scale can be used to understand
the potential success of an innovation
through the capacity of an
organization or individual to engage
with change. On the vertical axis is the
distance of the innovation from the
existing practice. They suggest that
the closer the innovation is to existing
practice, the easier it will be to adopt.
Here practice can relate to classroom
practice, pedagogy, school culture or
structures within the school
depending on the nature of the innovation. Indeed, the definition of the ‘change to
practice’ is a context bound by those who use this model. The horizontal axis shows the
degree to which the innovation is dependent on resources for success. This relates to the
resources needed for the innovation and the extent to which they differ from existing
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school resources. Resources can be a broad category including technical resources such as
equipment or web access, human resources such as extra staff to support activities and
planning time, or physical resources such as classroom space. The less demand the
innovation puts on extra school resource levels the more likely it is to succeed [11].
Additional resources on the paragraph topic can be found in [12][13][14][15].
1.4. Creating innovative learning environments

Innovation in education has never been an easy task and the school systems are some of
the most conservative ones and usually governed publicly, which makes changes slow and
top-down driven, which is not always the best way for a change to happen. Building
innovative learning environments for STEM requires step by step approach. As a first
stage the school administration may consider doing old things in new ways, using
interactive white boards to represent content instead of the classic boards is one
example. As a second stage, school may focus on new ways of teaching and learning,
adopting new pedagogical approaches, strategies and tools. Of course, this cannot
happen at the same time for the entire school and for all teachers; the school must work
on building a critical mass of “teacher-innovators” who can be the leaders of change for
their colleagues. This is necessary also to reach the stage three of implementing
innovation. Generally speaking building an innovative learning environment will require
the development of a school innovation strategy to acknowledge a shift in thinking about
education, a shift that advocates moving away from: a teacher-centred classroom to a
learning-centred classroom, from a system that relies on single sense stimulation to a
system that enables multiple intelligences, from a single media environment to a
multimedia environment, from isolated work to collaborative work, from isolated artificial
content to authentic real world experiences, and from information delivery to
information exchange.
Learning principles
To be the most effective, schools and other learning environments should attend to all of
the following design principles:
- Learning Principle One: make learning central, encourage engagement, and be
where learners come to understand themselves as learners.
- Learning Principle Two: ensure that learning is social and often collaborative.
- Learning Principle Three: be highly attuned to learners’ motivations and the
importance of emotions.
- Learning Principle Four: be acutely sensitive to individual differences including in
prior knowledge.
- Learning Principle Five: be demanding for each learner but without excessive
overload.
- Learning Principle Six: use assessments consistent with these aims, with strong
emphasis on formative feedback.
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- Learning Principle Seven: promote horizontal connectedness across learning

activities and subjects, in- and out-of-school [16].
Additional resources on the paragraph topic can be found in [17][18][19][20][21].
1.5. Language as a key factor

The romance philologist Michail Bachtin stated that: “The exact science is a monological
form of knowledge: the mind contemplates a thing, on which pronunciation is performed;
here there is only a subject: he who knows (contemplates) and speaks (pronounces). In
front of him there is only the dumb thing” [22]. It means that the human sciences are
sciences that study man in his specificity, and not the dumb thing and the natural
phenomenon. Human being in his specificity always expresses himself (speaks), that is, he
creates a text (albeit potential).
This is a phenomenon of enormous importance which scientific teachers must be aware
of. In fact, on the one hand it is obvious that it is not enough to know a language to read a
scientific treatise in that language; one thing is the learning of the fundamental,
grammatical and lexical structures of a language and completely different is what is
technically called the 'microlanguage', i.e. the language of specialization in a given
science, which certainly presupposes the general study of that language , but also the
specific study of that scientific language, of its forms and its contents and therefore a
theoretical definition of this specific code, its structures, its semantisms, its working
mechanisms. But it is also true, on the other hand, that microlanguage is the tool that is
used in the teaching of science that is taught to gradually lead students to the knowledge
of its conceptual cornerstones.
The teaching process, as it is implemented today, is very often a one-way communication
that goes from the teacher to the student, interrupted only by oral tests or by written
tests. Instead, the relationship between teacher and student must also take place when
the teacher explains the lesson. This relationship means that either the teacher or the
student, must initially find a common language on which to converge, since it is certain
that, at the outset, the forms of communication are clearly unequal. This means having to
search for an undoubtedly difficult balance between properly individual forms of
communication-expression and a common code on which to converge.
The symbols, which are the real "written language" of chemists, are probably the most
emblematic example of a polysynthetic language, and this can be grasped the more the
chemical is known; from this point of view it would be fundamental to let the students'
focus on how the meaning of the formulas for them is getting richer and richer the more
the learning of Chemistry proceeds. For chemists, the formulas are an indispensable
intellectual and operational tool, but for the students, whether they do not yet know the
structure and the logical and historical development of Chemistry, what can these latter
mean?
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The language of Science is the sectorial language of which the texts produced in the field
of scientific research are typically constituted and spread. These are the texts in which the
following conditions are fulfilled: the subject of the text is exclusively the objective reality
and whatever subjective intrusion by the author is banned; at the centre of the
relationship between the text and the extra-textual reality is the principle of verifiability
or falsifiability of the statements produced; the text must be decoded on the basis of
standardized codes, therefore it should keep strong constraints on interpretation.
For Michail Bachtin: “The objective unity of cognition knows no ending as something
which possesses positive validity: it is not Science that begins and ends, but the scientist.
The end, the beginning, and a considerable number of the compositional moments of a
learned treatise reflect the activity of its author-subiectum, that is, they are aesthetic
moments, which do not penetrate into the open, infinite, and beginningless world of
cognition” [23].
The field of studies (the studied objects themselves) is, however, divided into two great
articulations. On the one hand we can consider the studies of (or based on) physical and
natural reality: and, in addition to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc., we can include in this
area the same Mathematics that - even with the maximum of abstraction which it reaches
- it is always founded and inscribed in natural reality if we remember, with Galileo, that
the universe: “It is written in mathematical language, and the letters are triangles, circles
and other geometrical figures, without which means it is humanly impossible to
comprehend a single word”.
On the other hand are the studies that concern - rather than ‘things’ - the ‘signs’, which
concern mankind (hence the term ‘human sciences’): however, not the human being in
itself, but as a producer (or receiver) of signs or, better, of texts.
In reality, each object can be studied with a scientific method, a method defined from
time to time within the epistemological status of the various fields of study, but which
often assumes as a model, as far as possible, that of the exact and experimental sciences,
considered for excellence the ‘scientific disciplines’. The adoption or the tension towards
a scientific method justifies for those subjects the term of ‘human sciences’.
Additional resources on the paragraph topic can be found in [24][25][26][27][28].
1.6. References
[1] Campbell, Coral and Chealuck, Kate 2015, Approaches to Enhance Science Learning. In
Campbell, Coral, Jobling, Wendy And Howitt, Christine (Ed), Science in Early Childhood,
Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, Vic., Pp.67-84.
[2] Cheng M.Y.V. Infusing Creativity into Eastern Classroom: Evaluations Froms Students
Perspectives. Journal of Thinking Skills And Creativity. 6: 67-87, 2011 In Adzliana Mohd
Daud, Jizah Omar, Punia Turiman & Kamisah Osman, Creativity in Science Education,
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 59 (2012) 467 – 474
- 92 -
[3] Heidingers, U., Assessment Criteria of the Natural Sciences Concepts' Models Created
by the Students, Goscience Project, Goscience.Eu.
[4] Innovative Teaching Strategies that Improve Student Engagement: article by James
Davis on Five teaching strategies designed to challenge and engage students,
www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/876
/Innovative-Teaching-Strategies-that-Improve-Student-Engagement.aspx.
[5] Anne Jolly, Characteristics of a Great STEM, lesson,
www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/ 06/17/ctq_jolly_stem.html.
[6] Innovation and Stem Education by Drs. Lynne Holt, David Colburn, and Lynn Leverty
The Reubin O.D’ Askew Institute on Politics and Society, University of Florida, article,
www.bebr.ufl.edu/economics/website-article/innovation-and-stem-education.
[7] Take a Project-Based Approach to STEM Learning, Article www.creativeeducator.
tech4learning.com/2018/articles/taking-a-project-based-approach-to-STEM-learning.
[8] George Hademenos on strategies to keep students engaged in STEM, article
www.eschoolnews.com/2018/05/08/3-strategies-to-keep-students-engaged-in-stem/.
[9] Vincent-Lancrin, S., G. Jacotin, J. Urgel, S. Kar and C. González-Sancho (2017),
Measuring Innovation in Education: A Journey to the Future, OECD Publishing, Paris.
[10] OECD (2017), The OECD Handbook for Innovative Learning Environments, OECD,
Publishing, Paris, dx.doi.org/9789264277274-en.
[11] Kieron Kirkland and Dan Sutch, Futurelab, Overcoming the barriers to educational
innovation.
[12] 30 strategies for education innovation, www.fieldingnair.com/wp-content/uploads/
2015/05/EdInnovationNair5.pdf.
[13] What is necessary to take into account in building school innovation strategy, article,
www.worlds-of-learning.com/2015/08/06/what-is-your-schools-innovation-strate gy
[14] Needs of building an innovation strategy in school, article hbr.org/2015/06/you-
need-an-innovation-strategy;
[15] Innovation strategy for education and training, OECD www.oecd.org/education/ceri/
IS_Project_Brochure.pdf.
[16] OECD (2017), The Oecd Handbook for Innovative Learning Environments, OECD,
Publishing, Paris, Dx.Doi.Org/9789264277274-En.
[17] Four Keys to Success at the Most Innovative Schools in the World, article,
www.gettingsmart.com/2018/11/four-keys-to-success-at-the-most-innovative-schools-in-
the-world.
[18] How to define a school’s innovation strategy, article, www.theeducatoronline.
com/k12/technology/e-learning/does-your-school-have-an-innovation-strategy/260300.
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[19] OECD publication on redesigning schools towards innovative learning systems

infinitylearn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Schooling_Redesigned_Towards_Innovati
ve_Learning-SystemsOECD-Book.pdf.
[20] OECD handbook on building innovative learning environments in school
espas.secure.
europarl.europa.eu/orbis/sites/default/files/generated/document/en/9617031e.pdf.
[21] Tips to Achieve Creativity and Innovation in Education, article, www.designorate.
com/creativity-innovation-in-education.
[22] Bachtin, L’autore e l’eroe, 1988, p. 377.
[23] Bachtin, The problem of content, material, and form in verbal art, 1990, p. 311.
[24] Michail Bachtin, The problem of content, material, and form in verbal art (1924), in:
Michael Holquist & Vadim Liapunov (Eds.), “Art and answerability. Early philosophical
essays by M. M. Bakhtin”, Austin, University of Texas Press, 1990, pp. 257-326.
[25] Aldo Borsese, Il problema della comunicazione linguistica a scuola: il linguaggio
scientifico e chimico in particolare, in: Neus Sanmartí (Ed.), “Enseñanza de las ciencias:
revista de investigación y experiencias didácticas” 12/3, 1994, pp. 333-337.
[26] Giscel Sardegna (AA.VV.), Materie scientifiche, libri di testo e linguaggio: il punto di
vista di insegnanti e studenti, in: Anna Rosa Guerriero (Ed.), “L’educazione linguistica e i
linguaggi delle scienze”, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1988, pp. 267-286.
[27] Michael H.G. Hoffmann, Johannes Lenhard & Falk Seeger (Eds.), Activity and Sign:
Grounding Mathematics Education, Springer Science & Business Media, 2005.
[28] Nicola Pasini & Mario Picozzi (Eds.), Salute e immigrazione: un modello teorico-
pratico per le aziende sanitarie, FrancoAngeli, 2005.
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2. Technology-enhanced STEM learning

by Petros Karkoulias, Miglena Molhova-Vladova
2.1. Virtual and remote Science laboratories and inquiry learning applets
In recent years, Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) has proved its efficacy in
education by expanding on “traditional” lessons and motivating students to actively
participate in Science [1]. IBSE methods and digital technologies support necessary
educational innovations and can be the catalyst for change in educational patterns (in
regard to its form, space, functions, services, tools, roles, procedures) [2]. Virtual
laboratories are an essential digital tool. In fact, many European schools are equipped
with computer classes, tablets and high-speed internet connection while using a huge
variety of web-based learning applications, simulations and visualizations [3].
Description of virtual laboratories environments
Virtual laboratory environments can be divided into the following categories [4]:
Simulations
Simulations are imitations of operating systems through time, via computers. These
represent a process on the basis of a model that is cheaper, faster, less risky and more
affordable than the real process.
Network applets
The applets are experimental devices in small virtual laboratories and are quite popular in
Science subjects. They are small in size and easily transported and they can be used
regardless of the operating system type.
Virtual labs
Virtual labs (virtual laboratories) simulate a virtual operating system, the computer
screen, Science laboratories, exploiting the potential offered by modern media
technology, key feature technical interaction and direct and plausible manipulation of
objects and parameters.
Virtual Reality Laboratories (VRL)
VRL workshops are computer based and highly interactive. The user becomes a
participant in a “virtually real” world, in an artificial three-dimensional optical
environment. These workshops are essentially an high level interface including real time
three-dimensional simulations through different sensory channels.
Laboratories Controlled by Distance (Remote Labs)
Workshops controlled remotely (remote labs, otherwise known as online labs or
workbenches) include real experiments conducted from a distance with the use of
telecommunications, while the user uses this technology from another location.
Most of the virtual laboratory software consists on computing applications running on the
local user’s computer, for speed and security reasons. They can be operated remotely. An
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example is those based on applets or robotic workshops (remote labs) that can accept
commands via the Internet [5].
Benefits of using virtual labs in teaching and learning Science [6]
Virtual labs can be very useful in the teaching of Science, particularly in cases where the
experimental activities are to be done quickly and do not easily allow observation and
safe measurement, the experimental process is very slow and / or complex and not
compatible with the teaching time available, the experiments involve risks to the health
and physical integrity of learners and/or the learning activities require modelling.
Virtual labs support IBSL in learning Science:
- laws in Science arise from a detailed observation process, with clearly more
chances of clarification, understanding and acceptance if regarded in detail;
- it encourages collaboration and communication between teachers and students.
STEM teachers participate actively in the learning process: asking questions, trying
to find answers, organizing procedures and commenting on them, helping in
formulating conclusions, understanding their mistakes and highlighting any
misconceptions.
But what are the differences between real life experiences and those formed by
representations in a computer screen?
With virtual labs, students acquire a tool with which to experiment without limitations of
space or time. They are available all year, as opposed to school laboratories, limited to a
specific place and for a limited time [7].
The use of virtual environments makes students acquire better computer skills, which can
be considered skills for lifelong learning. The use of these technologies also brings
together different STEM subjects and provides with great resources for more inclusive
workshops [8; 9].
2.2. Gamification of learning

Gamification of learning is an interactive educational approach that motivates students to
learn by using video game design and game elements in learning environments [10, 11].
The goal is to maximize fun and engagement through capturing the interest of learners
and inspiring them to continue learning [12]. Gamification is considered as the process of
defining the elements which include games that make those games amusing and motivate
players to continue participating, and using those same elements in a non-game context
to influence behaviour [13]. In other words, gamification is the introduction of game
elements in a non-game situation.
There are two forms of gamification, structural with no subject matter changes, and the
altered content method that adds subject matter [14]. Games used in learning can be
considered as serious games, where the learning experience is centred around serious
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stories. The serious story is "impressive in quality" and "part of a thoughtful process" to
achieve learning goals [15].
In educational contexts, examples of desired student behaviour which gamification can
potentially effect include attending class, focusing on meaningful learning tasks, and
taking initiative [16].
Several researchers compare gamification of learning with game-based learning, arguing
that gamification occurs only when learning happens in a non-game context, such as a
school classroom, and when a series of game elements is arranged into a system or
"game layer" which operates in coordination with the learning in that regular classroom
[17]. Others include games that are produced to encourage learning [18; 19; 20].
Gamification activities in learning contexts acknowledge that large numbers of school-
aged children play video games, which shapes their identity as people and as learners
[21][22][23]. While the world of gaming used to be skewed heavily toward male players,
recent statistics show that slightly more than half of videogame players are male: in the
United States, 59% male, 41% female, and 52% male, 48% female in Canada [24][25].
Within games and other digital media, students experience opportunities for autonomy,
competence and relatedness [26], and these are what they have come to expect from
such environments. Offering these same opportunities in the classroom environment is a
way to acknowledge students' reality, and to acknowledge that this reality affects who
they are as learners [27; 28; 29; 30]. Including elements from games into classroom
scenarios is a way to provide students with opportunities to act autonomously, to display
competence, and to learn in relationship to others [26]. Game features are a common
language that children speak, and an additional channel through which teachers can
communicate with their students.
Jane McGonigal, a famous game designer, typifies video game players as serious optimists
who are part of a social fabric, involved in great productivity [31]. If teachers can
successfully organize their classrooms and curriculum activities to incorporate the
elements of games which facilitate such confidence, purpose and integrated sense of
mission, students may become immersed in learning and collaborating such that they do
not want to stop. The dynamic combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators is a
powerful force [26] which, if educational contexts can adapt from video games, may
increase student motivation, and student learning.
Some of the prospective benefits of successful gamification proposals in the classroom
incorporate:
- giving students ownership of their learning [32];
- opportunities for identity work through taking on alternate selves [33];
- freedom to fail and try again without negative repercussions [32];
- chances to increase fun and joy in the classroom [34];
- opportunities for differentiated instruction [34];
- making learning visible [34];
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- providing a manageable set of subtasks and tasks;

- inspiring students to discover intrinsic motivators for learning [35];
- motivating students with dyslexia with low levels of motivation [36].
Referring to how video games provide increasingly difficult challenges to players, game
designer Amy Jo Kim has suggested that every educational scenario could be set up to
operate this way [37]. This game mechanic which involves tracking players' learning in the
game, and responding by raising the difficulty level of tasks at just the right moment,
keeps players from becoming unnecessarily frustrated with tasks that are too difficult, as
well as keeps players from becoming bored with tasks that are too easy. This managing
encourages continued engagement and interest which can mean that learners are
dedicated on educational tasks, and may get into a state of flow, or deeply absorbed in
learning [38].
2.3. References
[1] Rocard, M. (2007). Science education NOW: a renewed pedagogy for the future of
Europe. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications for the European Commission.
Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/
report-rocard-on-science-education_en.pdf.
[2] Sampson, D. (2010). Instructional Design. Course Lectures. University Piraeus 2010.
[3] Dikke D., Tsourlidaki E/, Zervas P., Cao Y., Faltin N.,Sotiriou S., Sampson D., Golabz.
Towards a federation of online labs for inquiry based science education at School.
[4] Harms, U. (2000). Virtual and remote labs in Physics education. Proceedings of the
Second European Conference on Physics Teaching in Engineering Education, Budapest,
Romania (pp. 1-6).
[5] Scientix.eu blog article written by Argyri Panagiota, Scientix Deputy Ambassador.
[6] Niederrer et al. (2003). Research about the use of information technology in Science
Education. Education research in knowledge based Society. Kluwer Academic Puplishers.
[7] Doukeli M. (2012). Virtual labs in teaching Physics in secondary school. Research paper
for Master Degree. University of Piraeus at department of Digital Systems.
[8] Tselfes, B. (2002). Trial and error: The workshop on the teaching of Science.
Athens:Island. Education and Training Sector (TEK). Training material for teacher training
– Issue 5: Sector PE04. CTI. Available from electronics address: http://axis.teikav.edu.gr/
pake/Enotita_7_Logismika_PE04/AMAP_Anoikto_Mathisiako_Perivallon/AMAP-Intro.pdf.
[9] Buckner, E. & Kim, P. Prospects (2014) 44: 99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-013-
9269-7
[10] Kapp, Karl (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based
Methods and Strategies for Training and Education. Pfeiffer. ISBN 978-1118096345.
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[11] Shatz, Itamar (2015). Using Gamification and Gaming to Promote Risk Taking in the
Language Learning Process (PDF). MEITAL National Conference. Haifa, Israel: Technion.
pp. 227–232.
[12] Huang, Wendy Hsin-Yuan; Soman, Dilip (10 December 2013). A Practitioner’s Guide
To Gamification Of Education (PDF) (Report). Research Report Series Behavioural
Economics in Action. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
[13] Deterding,, Sebastian; Dixon, Dan; Khaled, Rilla; Nacke, Lennart (2011). From game
design elements to gamefulness: defining 'gamification'. 15th International MindTrek
Conference. New York: ACM. pp. 9–15. doi:10.1145/2181037.2181040. ISBN
9781450308168.
[14] Kapp, Karl (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods
and strategies for training and education. San Fransciso: Pfeiffer. ISBN 9781118096345.
[15] Lugmayr, Artur; Suhonen, Jarkko; Hlavacs, Helmut; Montero, Calkin; Suutinen, Erkki;
Sedano, Carolina (2016). "Serious storytelling - a first definition and review". Multimedia
Tools and Applications. 76 (14): 15707–15733. doi:10.1007/s11042-016-3865-5.
[16] Borys, Magdelena; Laskowski, Maciej (19–21 June 2013). Implementing game
elements into didactic process: A case study (PDF). Management, Knowledge and
Learning International Conference. Zadar, Croatia. pp. 819–824. ISBN 9789616914024.
[17] Werbach, Kevin; Hunter, Dan (2012). For the Win: How Game Thinking Can
Revolutionize Your Business. Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press. ISBN 978-
1613630235.
[18] Kapp (2012), p. 200: "result of the brainstorming process... is the creation of a
gamification design document outlining the design of the game..."
[19] Pettey, Christy; van der Meulen, Rob (27 November 2012). "Gartner Says by 2014, 80
Percent of Current Gamified Applications Will Fail to Meet Business Objectives Primarily
Due to Poor Design" (Press release). Gartner, Inc.
[20] Hamari, J.; Koivisto, J.; Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? A literature review
of empirical studies on gamification (PDF). Hawaii International Conference on System
Sciences. IEEE Computer Society. doi:10.1109/HICSS.2014.377. ISBN 978-1-4799-2504-9.
[21] Zichermann, Gabe. "How Games Make Kids Smarter". TED.
[22] boyd, danah (2014). It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens (PDF).
New Haven: Yale UP.
[23] Ito, Mizuko; et al. (2012). Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out (PDF). The
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning.
[24] Essential Facts about the Canadian Video Game Industry (PDF) (Report).
Entertainment Software Association of Canada. 2015. p. 14
[25] Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry (PDF) (Report).
Entertainment Software Association. 2016. p. 3.
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[26] Ryan, Richard M.; Deci, Edward L. (2000). "Self-determination theory and the
facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being". American
Psychologist. 55: 68–78. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.529.4370. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.68.
[27] Gee, James Paul (2007). What video games have to teach us about learning and
literacy (2nd ed.). St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 9781403984531.
[28] Gee, James Paul (2012). Video Games: What They Can Teach Us About Audience
Engagement (Report). The Neiman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard.
[29] Whitaker, Jody L.; Bushman, Brad J. (2012). "Remain calm. Be kind. Effects of relaxing
video games on aggressive and prosocial behaviour". Social Psychological and Personality
Science. 3 (1): 88–92. doi:10.1177/1948550611409760.
[30] Green, C. Shawn; Bavelier, Daphne (2012). "Learning, Attentional Control and Action
Videogames". Current Biology. 22 (6): 197–206. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.02.012. PMC
3461277. PMID 22440805.
[31] McGonigal, Jane (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they
can change the world. New York: Penguin Press. ISBN 9780143120612.
[32] Pavlus, John (2010). "The Game of Life". Scientific American. 303 (6): 43–44.
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1210-43.
[33] Klopfer, E.; Osterweil, S.; Salen, K. (2009). Moving learning games forward (PDF)
(Report). The Education Arcade / Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
[34] Lee, J.; Hammer, J. (2011). "Gamification in education: What, how, why bother?"
(PDF). Academic Exchange Quarterly. 15 (2). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-
16.
[35] Li, Cen; Dong, Zhijang; Untch, Roland H.; Chasteen, Michael (2013). "Engaging
computer science students through gamification in an online social network based
collaborative learning environment". International Journal of Information and Education
Technology. 3 (1): 72–n/a. doi:10.7763/ijiet.2013.v3.237.
[36] Gooch, Daniel; Vasalou, Asimina; Benton, Laura; Khaled, Rilla (2016-01-01). Using
Gamification to Motivate Students with Dyslexia. CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems. CHI '16. New York: ACM. pp. 969–980.
doi:10.1145/2858036.2858231. ISBN 9781450333627.
[37] Kim, Amy Jo (20 December 2014). The Player's Journey. Gamification 2013. University
of Waterloo Stratford Campus.
[38] Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1997). Finding Flow: The psychology of engagement with
everyday life. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465024117.
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3. STEM teacher training

3.1. Necessity of STEM teacher training at school level

To make innovations integration in the STEM education process, successful school
administrators must consider teacher professional development as one of the key factors.
Despite the potential benefits of innovations in STEM education, implementation of
changes faces several challenges one of the most serious of which is the knowledge that
Science teachers own. To effectively implement STEM education innovations, teachers
must have deep knowledge of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
content that they teach, but additionally to that, they must also have specialized
knowledge of how to teach STEM content to students, for example pedagogical
knowledge [1].
Different studies show that teachers feel underprepared to use STEM applications with
their students in the classroom or that teachers do not have sufficient understanding of
the T in STEM and that they may not have an adequate understanding of the nature of
Science and Technology and the interactions between these two disciplines. Additionally,
teachers’ beliefs and views about teaching and learning, and their resistance or lack of
motivation to change their beliefs and practice, may pose another challenge to the
implementation of innovative STEM education.
The majority of STEM teachers surveyed for example by the European Schoolnet [2] have
not taken any ICT-related professional development or training related to innovative
STEM teaching in the last two years. When they do follow training, teachers tend to
update their knowledge online and in their own time. In terms of supporting groups, most
teachers rely on their colleagues of the same subject for updating their knowledge. In
general, there is collaboration among teachers in the classroom (38% of STEM teachers
surveyed report having received little or no support, even from their colleagues of the
same discipline) [2].
There is still a need to educate teachers to teach students in the way that they can work
on STEM research, and so that they can design and use the learning environments
effectively. Therefore, teacher training programs are really important. The interaction
between Science and Maths shows that it is not enough for a teacher to have a teaching
knowledge only in their major to raise labour force that our country needs. The studies
that analyses teachers’ use of similar fields to their major field reveal that there is still a
problem with that. For example, pre-service teachers who studied Physics are not
satisfactory at Maths, and Maths teachers cannot use Mathematics knowledge while
implementing Science experiments. The teachers who will implement STEM education
need many courses and workshops which show how to integrate STEM fields while trying
to solve real world problems in collaboration.
In this context, Çorlu proposed a model to the researchers that deals with teacher
education. The model, which is conceptualized as Integrated Teaching Knowledge, is
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based on Shulman, Hill, Schilling & Ball and his doctoral dissertation. According to this
model, STEM teacher:
- has a professional level content knowledge;
- has a professional level pedagogical content knowledge;
- has the knowledge of another STEM field apart from his/her field of specialization.
This knowledge brings competency as a STEM practitioner for field education;
- develops the knowledge related to field by collaborating with the colleagues.
As a result of this collaboration, professional learning communities are formed and
collaboration among group teachers is improved. Therefore, major field teacher
education programs such as Science, Technology, Engineering (design) and Mathematics
teaching should include courses that support integrated teaching knowledge, and there
should be professional communication and collaboration opportunities for the teachers
from similar fields.
3.2. Development of real-life Science educational scenarios at school and

implementation of interdisciplinary approach to STEM education
Great learning occurs when it is participatory, personalised and project/problem-based
rather than using a passive input. The past model of education prepared our students for
an industrial economy. The future model must prepare our students for a knowledge
economy, i.e. an economy in which growth is dependent on the quantity, and on the
accessibility of the information available, rather than on the means of production.
Invention and problem-solving aren’t just for laboratory thinkers hunkered down away
from the classroom. Students from elementary to high school can wonder, design, and
invent a real product that solves real problems. STEM lessons, which are built around
real-life scenarios are an organized, open-ended approach to investigation that promotes
creativity. Problem solving is really the heart of STEM investigations. Providing students
with real-world problems to solve fuels their curiosity and investigative interests. But
identifying real-world problems that students can solve is also one of the hardest parts of
creating STEM lessons.
The concept of implementation of an interdisciplinary approach to STEM education is
challenging, as integration of subjects is more than a matter of simply putting different
subject areas together. The idea of curriculum integration is derived from educators’
awareness that real world problems are not separated into isolate disciplines that are
taught in schools. In many cases, people need skills that cut across the disciplines. It is
important to distinguish the concepts of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach.
Overall, multidisciplinary begins and ends with the subject-based content and skills and
students are expected to connect the content and skills in different subjects that had
been taught in different classrooms. The concepts of interdisciplinary integration are
interconnected, in fact they cover different subject areas and focus on interdisciplinary
content and skills, rather than subject-based content and skill. Many researchers suggest
that an interdisciplinary curriculum is the best form of curriculum integration.
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Interdisciplinary curricula start with real world problems or issues. The essential elements
that need to be considered in an interdisciplinary curriculum include such skills and
knowledge as critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and making connections with
learning experiences that relate to personal meanings. If we treat STEM integration as a
type of curriculum integration, it manifests its expression; a curricular approach that
integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM integration offers
students one of the best opportunities to experience learning in a real-world situation,
rather than to learn bits and pieces and then to have to assimilate them afterwards.
Additionally, Morrison [3] provided the criteria for what an effective STEM instruction
should look like in a classroom. She noticed that in a STEM integration class-room, the
students should be able:
- to perform as problem-solvers;
- to perform as innovators;
- to perform as inventors;
- to perform as logical thinkers;
- to understand and develop the skills needed for self-reliance;
- to understand and develop technological literacy [1].
3.3. Transnational initiatives for STEM teacher training

Creating a solid STEM foundation through an integrated curriculum is the best way to
ensure that students are involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
throughout their educational career. It is also important for educators to have a skill set
allowing them to inform students on STEM careers prospects, motivate them and support
them.
Professional development of STEM teachers aims at providing them with opportunities to
further develop their professional abilities for teaching Science. Current trends in the
STEM education and innovation implementation in curricula, interdisciplinary and art
approaches integrated in the Science subjects require science teachers to stay tuned with
the changes and further develop their pedagogical skills. There are a number of national
and international teacher training initiatives which provide access to instructional
strategies and practices needed to transform teachers’ classrooms into innovative,
engaging STEM environments. Current STEM trainings focus on helping teachers support
their students as they put Science and Maths into action through inquiry and problem-
based learning process.
Research in teacher professional development (TPD) over the past decade has revealed a
number of principles that are important in supporting teacher learning. Generally
speaking, TPD can address a variety of teacher needs, focusing on helping teachers
refining their teaching approaches and pedagogy, understanding the need to change their
everyday practices in particular areas and helping them implementing changes in their
daily teaching that will eventually help their students to learn more effectively.
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STEM teacher training courses focus on enriching the STEM curriculum through
innovative activities for students, on making available learning and teaching resources as
well as on enriching educator’s skills on engaging and motivating their students. Some
courses also explore the need to involve the local community, external experts and
scientific organizations.
The resources given to this paragraph show some of the STEM teacher courses available
internationally and some of them are also available through Erasmus+ program, which
financially makes it easier for willing teachers to participate.
Information about STEM teacher training courses can be found on the links below:
- http://dorea.org/erasmuscourses/promoting-stem-education/
- https://www.discoveryeducation.com/solutions/professional-development/
- https://www.theogtc.com/newsroom/news/2018/innovative-approaches-to-
inspiring-stem-in-aberdeen-primary-schools/
- http://www.anatolia-ec.com/erasmus-ka1-courses/21/Innovative-Math-
Applications-at-Schools
- https://www.csinfol.it/teacher-training-on-stem-education.html
- https://www.alleducationschools.com/resources/stem-education/
Additional resources
Developing identities of STEM teachers at emerging STEM schools, article, www.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6310437/.
STEM education practices in Europe, http://www.scientix.eu/documents/10137/
782005/STEM-Edu-Practices_DEF_WEB.pdf/b4847c2d-2fa8-438c-b080-3793fe26d0c8.
STEM Teacher Education and Professional Development and Training: Challenges and
Trends, www.researchgate.net/publication/321097023_STEM_Teacher_Education_
and_Professional_Development_and_Training_Challenges_and_Trends.
STEM Projects That Tackle Real-World Problems, education.cu-portland.edu/blog/
classroom-resources/real-world-stem-projects/.
Real-World STEM Problems that teachers can address in STEM classes, www.middleweb.
com/5003/real-world-stem-problems/.
Practical Applications of Mathematics in Everyday Life, article,
owlcation.com/stem/Some-Practical-Applications-of-Mathematics-in-Our-Everyday-Life.
Hands-on activity Solving Everyday Problems Using the Engineering Design Cycle,
www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/usu-1961-everyday-problems-introduction-
engineering-design.
How to inspire students through real-world inquiry, www.napequity.org/nape-content/
uploads/johnson_NAPE-Spark-101-Presentation-Deck.pdf.
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Resources for teachers

Solving Real World Problems in the Classroom – A Realistic Application of STEM/STEAM
Principles, www.edisonmuckers.org/resources-for-teachers/solving-real-world-problems-
in-the-classroom-a-realistic-application-of-stemsteam-principles.
Real-World STEM Tutorial & Software, www.kidwaresoftware.com/real-world-stem-
science-technology-engineering-math-tutorial-by-philip-conrod-lou-tylee-kidware-
software.
Hacking STEM Lessons & Hands-On Activities: resource with free lesson plans for STEM
teachers, www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/education-workshop/default.aspx.
3.4. References
[1] H.H. Wang, T.J. Moore, G.H. Roehrig, M.S. Park / Journal of Pre-College Engineering
Education Research, Vol.1, Issue 2, 2011.
[2] Nistor, A., Gras-Velazquez, A., Billon, N. & Mihai, G. (2018). Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics Education Practices in Europe. Scientix Observatory report.
December 2018, European Schoolnet, Brussels.
[3] Morrison, J. S. (2006). Attributes of STEM education: The students, the academy, the
classroom. TIES STEM Education Monograph Series. Retrieved from goo.gl/J4CiUq.
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4. STEM education development strategies

4.1. Involved and networking communities

Communities play a unique and vital role in the development of equitable and sustainable
innovation. Engaging a community and its members in its own future provides fertile
ground for new ideas, and the opportunity for broad ownership of the ideas and plans
that are adopted. Key community stakeholders do not always serve as public officials,
business titans or even community leaders. By identifying a diverse sampling to support
and engage in the design process, a community is more likely to have a path of more
impactful and sustainable innovations [1].
STEM Networking communities bring educators, business leaders and STEM professionals
together to build student success and connect them with STEM career opportunities in
their communities. Various involved parts can benefit from this process:
- young people from all backgrounds have the aspiration, knowledge and skills to
thrive, with more progressing into STEM-related careers;
- employers can gain access to knowledgeable, talented people with strong STEM
skills, increasing productivity, competitiveness and diversity;
- teachers of STEM subjects continually develop their STEM knowledge and
experience, maximising their impact and own job satisfaction. Families and
communities recognise the value of STEM to young people, encouraging and
supporting them in STEM-related studies and careers.
4.2. Flexible and inclusive learning spaces

As faculty explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning, attention should be
given to physical space. Environmental psychologists recognize that physical space can
influence behaviour in both positive and negative ways [2]. While students benefit from a
range of learning experiences [3], the traditional classroom, with its fixed seating
arrangement and singular focus on the instructor, is best-suited for lecture. With faculty
implementing alternative teaching and learning strategies, a traditional space constrains
the effectiveness of more student centred approaches. Learning that is active,
participatory, experiential and cooperative requires a flexible space. In this way, physical
space is viewed as an agent of change [4].
Student-centred approaches to learning require a physical space that adapts to learner
demands. Using modular furniture and accessible information technology better supports
alternative approaches to teaching and learning. As instruction moves toward co-creation
of the learning experience, the flexible, networked classroom provides an appropriate
physical setting. Investment in flexible learning space design supports students and
faculty and reinforces institutional commitment to educational excellence [5].
Creating inclusive environments involves systemic changes that require the strategic use
of human and material resources. Schools, districts, and states must take deliberate
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action to broaden participation over the long term. These actions will vary at each level of
the education system. Expectations and opportunities to learn STEM are set from the
moment a child enters the classroom. Creating inclusive classroom learning environments
is an essential yet underdeveloped skill. Professional learning for teachers should blend
the elements of teaching STEM and broadening participation. It can include families and
students to help educators appreciate families’ commitment to education and
understand students’ thinking about STEM. Involving administrators can increase their
awareness of the changes needed to broaden participation in STEM [6].
4.3. STEM opportunities and careers

Careers in the STEM fields include large sectors of our society, and hold roles for people
who complete various levels of formal education. Two-year college degrees can lead to
careers as technicians in computer manufacturing, and graduate diplomas in
bioengineering can lead to careers in cutting edge biomedical and biotechnology research
[7].
However, unlike non-technical fields, STEM careers require a path of achievement that
starts with high school courses in Maths and Science [8]; these courses are known as
gatekeepers to advancement. In fact, students need to leave high school academically
prepared, with a sense of self-efficacy, motivation and commitment to persist until
graduation in a STEM area major [9].
The last decade has seen considerable concern regarding a shortage of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workers to meet the demands of the
labour market. At the same time, many experts have presented evidence of a STEM
worker surplus. A comprehensive literature review, in conjunction with employment
statistics, newspaper articles, and interviews with company recruiters, reveals a
significant heterogeneity in the STEM labour market: the academic sector is generally
oversupplied, while the government sector and private industry have shortages in specific
areas [10].
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics workers drive innovation and
competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. However,
businesses frequently voice concerns over the supply and availability of STEM workers.
Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-
STEM jobs (in USA). STEM workers are also less likely to experience joblessness than their
non-STEM counterparts. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics workers play
a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the economy. Regardless of educational
attainment, entering a STEM profession is associated with higher earnings and reduced
joblessness. For college graduates, there is a payoff in choosing to pursue a STEM degree,
and for workers, an even greater payoff in choosing a STEM career [11].
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4.4. References
[1] Akua Carraway, Karl Rectanus,Mark Ezzell (2012). The Do-It-Yourself Guide to STEM
Community Engagement (PDF). NC STEM Community Collaborative.
[2] Mehrabian, Albert and James A. Russell (1974). An Approach to Environmental
Psychology, Cambridge. MA: M.I.T. Press.
[3] Karns, Gary L. (2006). “Learning Style Differences in the Perceived Effectiveness of
Learning Activities”. Journal of Marketing Education, 28 (1), 56-63.
[4] Oblinger, Diana G. (2006). “Space as a Change Agent,” in Learning Space Design. Diana
G. Oblinger. Boulder, CO: Educause.
[5] Stern Neill, Rebecca Etheridge. Flexible Learning Spaces: The Integration of Pedagogy,
Physical Design, and Instructional Technology. 2008 M.E. Sharpe.
[6] Powell, A., Nielsen, N., Butler, M., Buxton, C., Johnson, O., Ketterlin-Geller, L,
McCulloch, C., (2018). Creating Inclusive PreK–12 STEM Learning Environments. Waltham,
MA: Education Development Center.
[7] Jennifer Dorsen, Bethany Carlson, Leslie Goodyear (2006). Connecting Informal STEM
Experiences to Career Choices: Identifying the Pathway. ITEST Learning Resource Center.
[8] AAUW (1999). Gender Gaps: Where schools still fail our children. New York, NY,
Marlowe & Company.
[9] Clewell, B. C. and P. B. Campbell (2002). "Taking Stock: Where we've been, where we
are, where we're going." Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 8:
255-284.
[10] Xue Y, Larson RC. STEM crisis or STEM surplus? Yes and yes. Mon Labor Rev.
2015;2015:10.21916/mlr.2015.14. doi:10.21916/mlr.2015.14
[11] Langdon David, McKittrick George, Beede David, Khan Beethika, Doms Mark. STEM:
Good Jobs Now and for the Future. US Department of Commerce (2011).
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5. Strategies for policymakers and school leaders for the implementation

of innovative approaches to the teaching of Science at secondary
school level
by Laura Capelli, Emanuela De Negri, Anna Siri
5.1. Science Education Policy-making

As our society becomes more interconnected and globally competitive, new economic
chances often come hand in hand with complex challenges. Therefore, policymakers must
involve all of society in research and innovation processes and offer the space for open,
inclusive and informed discussions on the research and technology decisions that will
impact citizens’ lives.
Policymakers need to better understand, and communicate, the transformative
relationship among Science, innovation and society. It is still uncertain how the workforce
for future markets and innovative industries in Europe will be provided. For young people
to hope a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics it is compulsory to
bring emerging technologies and markets friendlier to the classroom, to stimulate their
imagination.
This chapter is aimed primarily at science education policymakers. It identifies the main
emerging issues involved in helping citizens to access scientific debate; it provides
guidance on how they can contribute to Science education; and it proposes a new
framework for all types of science education from formal, to non-formal and informal
approaches.
5.2. Emerging issues

Making Science education and careers attractive to young people is an ambitious
purpose, aiming at drastically improving science and technology-literacy in our society.
Innovative formal and informal science education teaching and learning are important to
raise both young boys' and girls' awareness of the different aspects encompassing science
and technology in our society and to tackle the challenges faced by young people when
pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The quality of school education in Science and technology became crucial for
governments. In particular, three are the key elements.
The first issue relates to the traditional role of Science in school, namely the
identification, motivation and initial preparation of those students who will go on to
further studies for careers in all those professional STEM fields. A necessary supply of
these professionals is vital to the economy of all countries and the health of their citizens.
They are recognised everywhere as key players in ensuring that industrial and economic
development occurs in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner. In many
countries, this supply is now decreasing seriously.
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The second one is that sustainable technological development and many other possible
society applications of Science require the support of scientifically and technologically
informed citizens. Without the support and understanding of citizens, technological
progress can all too easily serve a short term and sectional interests.
Sustainable development involves societies in ways that can often interact strongly, with
traditional values, and therefore, making decisions about them involve major moral
decisions. All students need to be prepared through their science and technology
education to be able to participate actively as persons and as responsible human being.
The third imperative derives from the changes that are resulting from the application of
digital technologies that are the most rapid, the most pervasive, and probably the most
widespread effect that Science has ever had on human society. We are all part of a global
communication society. This is leading to profound changes in the World of Work and in
what is known as the Knowledge Society. Schooling is now being challenged to contribute
to the development in students of an active repertoire of generic and subject-based
competences. Science and technology education needs to be a key component in
developing these competencies.
5.3. Key recommendations

Better conceptualising scientific literacy in curriculum and competence frameworks:
All elements of scientific literacy should be integrated into curricula and fostered across
educational levels and academic disciplines (such as Science, History, Citizenship, Health,
Media education). Scientific literacy includes the ability to think scientifically, apply
knowledge in practice, critically assess information and actively engage in an informed
democratic dialogue by using valid scientific evidence and scientific tools for reasoning. It
goes beyond the mere acquisition of scientific knowledge. This extended understanding
of scientific literacy has been widely taken up by recent EU [1, 2] and national education
policy strategies (EU’s recent ‘Future of Learning’ package).
Addressing the risks relating to the spread of misinformation and disinformation:
- Policymakers should disseminate scientific evidence on science-related issues and
promote effective tools to detect, analyse and expose misinformation and
disinformation [3]. Greater attention has to be given to promoting Responsible
Research and Innovation (RRI) and enhancing public understanding of scientific
findings and the capabilities to discuss their benefits and consequences.
Supporting innovation and lifelong learning in education for scientific literacy:
- the development of scientific literacy and critical thinking should be considered in a
lifelong learning perspective targeting both young and adult learners. Recent
Eurobarometer survey results suggest that people with lower levels of education tend
to be less concerned about important science-related issues such as climate change,
and more vulnerable to disinformation [4];
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- policymakers should consistently support public and private initiatives to promote

Science among the population across Europe (courses, scientific and technical
museums, scientific literacy centres, scientific popularisation journals, science
festivals, Fab Labs, Living Labs, networks) and ensure that they are accessible to socio-
economically disadvantaged groups;
- policymakers should also encourage the collaboration of various stakeholders through
Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe projects aimed at the design, piloting and
exchange of new teaching practices to develop scientific literacy among all citizens.
Developing adequate instruments for assessing scientific literacy:
- existing tools for measuring scientific literacy are often focused on students’ level of
scientific knowledge and competences, leaving aside such elements as critical thinking
and active engagement. The development of comprehensive assessment instruments
could allow grabbing scientific literacy more holistically and better understanding of
what educational approaches can help develop it [5];
- policymakers should encourage the use of the existing research funding programmes
(such as Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe) to fund projects exploring appropriate
assessment instruments to better measure scientific literacy. Such projects should be
multi-dimensional and involve the collaboration of various stakeholders including
researchers, scientists, educators and businesses engaged in the design of digital
assessment tools.
Building teachers’ capacity to adopt scientific literacy:
- to educate scientifically literate students, one needs scientifically literate teachers.
Effective implementation of innovative science teaching practices (e.g. inquiry-based
science teaching, integrated science teaching practices and lessons outside of school
walls) depend on teachers’ capacity [6]. Relevant training and professional
development opportunities for teachers should equip them with the necessary
competences to develop scientifically literate students;
- national education systems should also develop schools’ capacity to promote a
collaborative learning culture that motivates teachers and builds their competences
to adapt to the changing needs of learners and society;
- policymakers should use the tools at its disposal to provide various professional
development opportunities for the promotion of innovative science teaching methods
and cross-curricular approaches to Science.
Encouraging access and equity in science education:
- policymakers should address socio-economic, gender and cultural inequalities to
widen access and provide everyone with the opportunities to pursue excellence in
learning and learning outcome [7];
- using information and communication technologies (ICT) in Science Education.
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Technology-based teaching and learning can make many changes in school that require a
proper planning and policy [8, 9, 10]. The national ICT policies can serve several crucial
functions. They provide a rationale, a set of goals, and a vision of how education systems
run if ICT is integrated into teaching and learning process, and they are beneficial to
students, teachers, parents and the general population of a given country.
It has been shown that the use of ICT in education can help improve memory retention,
increase motivation and generally deepens understanding. ICT can also be used to
promote collaborative learning, including roleplaying, group problem solving activities
and articulated projects. ICT allows the establishment of rich networks of
interconnections and relations among individuals.
Lack of adequate ICT equipment and internet access is one of the key problems that
schools are facing now.
Several studies argue that the use of new technologies in the classroom is essential for
providing opportunities for students to learn to operate in an information age. It is
evident, as argued that traditional educational environments do not seem to be suitable
for preparing learners to function or be productive in the workplaces of today's society.
Policymakers should consider the cost, provision and maintenance of ICT across the
school system in terms of the educational benefit and equity it will bring to schooling in
general, and to Science and Technology education.
Promoting participatory research and Open Science:
- the promotion of Open Science can improve public access to scientific information
and engage scientists into the public debate. Additionally, it creates stronger links
between Science and society and increases public trust in Science by engaging the
general public in scientific activities and participatory research (Citizen Science).
- policymakers should further invest in participative research projects based on the
principles of Open Science to bring Science closer to the public, stimulate scientists to
take a more active part in science-related public debates, as well as education
activities at schools, to combat the influence of misinformation and pseudo-science.
5.4. Conclusion
The world is changing rapidly [4]. The global competition and the technological
developments have stimulated new patterns of social mobility and migration, greater
inter-connectivity between and within societies and cultures and improved individual and
community empowerment.
New demands on our institutions, businesses and civil society organisations are placing to
meet the changing needs of the society and the workplace.
To meet these scientific and technological challenges, the European Union has set
ambitious goals: to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, to find pathways to
create new jobs and to offer a sense of direction to our societies. This requires significant
- 112 -
strengthening of our knowledge and innovation capacity and our creative capability as
drivers for future growth.
Evidence shows that the European citizens, either young or old, appreciate the
importance of Science and want to be more informed and that citizens want more science
education. Over 40 % believe that Science and Technological innovation can have a
positive impact on the environment, health and medical care and basic infrastructure in
the future.
This is a really exciting time to create opportunities for science learning, in formal, non-
formal and informal settings.
5.5. References
[1] European Commission (2010) “Europe 2020: Commission proposes a new economic
strategy in Europe”, Press Release, www.europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-10-
225_en.html
[2] European Commission (2010) EUROPE 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth, COM (2010) 2020, Brussels: European Commission,
www.ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/COMPLET EN BARROSO 007 - Europe 2020 - EN
version.pdf
[3] European Commission (2014) Special Eurobarometer 419. Public Perceptions of
Science, Research, and Innovation, Brussels: (DG COMM “Research and Speechwriting”
Unit). www.ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ ebs/ebs_419_en.pdf
[4] Schleicher, A. (2012), Ed., Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders for the
21st Century: Lessons from around the World, OECD Publishing. www.dx.doi.org/
10.1787/9789264-en
- 113 -
6. Guidelines for school leaders in secondary school STEM education

by Laura Capelli, Emanuela De Negri, Miglena Molhova-Vladova, Anna Siri
6.1. Teacher education and teachers’ professional development

This chapter is for school leaders, head teachers, school principals, team leaders,
coordinators, etc., who want to know the main actions that have to be taken to improve
the depth and quality of learning outcomes in science education [1; 2].
From induction through pre-service preparation and in-service professional development,
should the quality of teaching be improved to develop the quality of learning outcomes.
Continuous Professional Development should become a requirement and a right for all
teachers throughout their teaching career.
Efforts should be undertaken to attract more highly qualified and motivated people to
become teachers and to enhance the status and prestige of the profession.
Greater emphasis should be given to closing the research-practice gap, by implanting
science education research findings into teacher preparation, curriculum development,
teaching and learning and assessment for learning.
Appropriate approaches should be developed for teaching research ethics and raising
awareness of research integrity.
Mechanisms should be foster to support schools and teacher teams working with
reflective, evidence-based approaches, e.g. team-based earning and pair/peer teaching
between pre- and in-service teachers and other stakeholders, blended learning,
curriculum innovation, teachers as responsible innovators and educational entrepreneurs.
Science education should be a crucial part of a learning continuum for all, from pre-school
to active engaged citizenship.
Higher attention should be given to the value of all disciplines and on how
interdisciplinarity (STEAM rather than STEM) can contribute to our understanding and
knowledge of scientific principles and to solve societal challenges.
Educational institutions, at all levels, should boost understanding the importance of
acquiring key competences to ease the transition from “education to employability” [3;
4], by:
Learning about Science through other disciplines and learning about other disciplines
through Science;
Strengthening connections and synergies between science, creativity, entrepreneurship
and innovation.
More importance should be placed on ensuring all citizens are equipped with the skills
and competences needed in the digitalized world starting with preschool.
Specific attention should be given to projects and educational programmes that:
- 114 -
- stimulate creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the educational

life-cycle,
- build on curiosity and develop the relevance of science education to learners’
lives, including connections to societal challenges
- develop innovative teaching and evaluation practices to support STEAM and inter-
disciplinary learning with a focus on competences for science, innovation and
education to employability.
6.2. Using information and communication technologies (ICT)

Integration of ICT into education plays an important role in simplifying and increasing
student learning.
As the world becomes more inter-connected and competitive and as research and
technological know-how expands, new opportunities along with more complex societal
challenges arise. Overcoming these challenges will require all citizens to have a better
understanding of Science and Technology if they are to participate actively and
responsibly in science-informed decision-making and knowledge-based innovation.
Enhancing the educational process to better equip future researchers and other actors
with the necessary knowledge, motivation and sense of societal responsibility is
mandatory to actively participate in the innovation process. School should enlarge the use
of ICT to enrich science education, for all ages, in and beyond the classroom, including via
accredited online courses and programmes in innovative formats, to support the different
paces of learning and profiles of learners [5; 6; 7].
6.3. Linking school with community Science organisations

Collaboration among formal, non-formal and informal educational providers, enterprise
and civil society should be enhanced to ensure relevant and meaningful engagement of
all societal actors with science and increase interest of science studies and science-based
careers to improve employability and competitiveness.
Encourage “open schooling” where:
- schools, in cooperation with other stakeholders, become an agent of community
well-being;
- families are encouraged to become real partners in school life and activities;
- professionals from enterprise, civil and wider society are actively involved in
bringing real-life projects into the classroom;
- endorse partnerships among teachers, students, researchers, innovators,
professionals in enterprise and other stakeholders in science-related fields, to
work on real-life challenges and innovations, including associated ethical and
social and economic issues;
- share guidelines on how to integrate responsibility and responsiveness into
formal, non-formal and informal Science education, following the principles of CSR
(Corporate Social Responsibility) and RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation);
- 115 -
- encourage partnerships that adopt networking, sharing and applying Science and
Technology research findings amongst teachers, researchers and professionals
across different enterprises (start-ups, SMEs, large corporations).
The link between scientists, researchers, science educators and the media should be
strengthened to ensure more effective public communication, in a way that makes the
underlying issues and consequences understandable by citizens. Citizens should be
actively and directly involved in science research and innovation projects.
6.4. Conclusion
To summarize, successful developments in Science education are characterised and
driven by:
- collaborations among school-teachers and external agents such as higher
education institutions (HEIs), academies of science, research laboratories, business
and community groups, various informal science-promoting actors e.g. science
museums, enterprise and civil and society organisations etc.;
- cooperation when designing teaching-learning sequences and ICT-enhanced
learning environments [10; 11];
- robust teacher preparation and induction as well as long-term teacher
professional development initiatives, all focused on student learning;
- active student and family engagement.
There are a wide range of interesting examples of innovation in Science Education
practices, many of which have been tried out in classrooms or professional development
programmes and to a lesser extent in pre-service teacher education.
6.5. References
[1] Council of the European Union, 2016a. Council Recommendation of 30 May 2016 on
Developing Media Literacy and Critical Thinking through Education and Training. (No. OJ
2016/C 212/05). Official Journal of the European Union.
[2] European Commission, 2018i. Study on Supporting School Innovation Across Europe.
Final report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
[3] Council of the European Union, 2018a. Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on
Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (No. OJ 2018/C 189/01). Official Journal of the
European Union.
[4] Cedefop, 2017. Defining, writing and applying learning outcomes: a European
handbook. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
[5] Dinis da Costa, P., Araújo, L., 2018. Quality of Teaching and Learning in Science (JRC
Science for Policy Report No. EUR 28865 EN). Publications Office of the European Union,
Luxembourg.
- 116 -
[6] UNESCO (2017). A Guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education. ISBN 978-92-
3-100222-9
[7] European Commission (2013): Survey of Schools: ICT in Education Benchmarking
Access, Use and Attitudes to Technology in Europe’s Schools, www.ec.europa.eu/digital-
single-market/en/news/survey-schools-ict-education
[10] OECD (2016): Innovating Education and Education for Innovation. The Power of
Digital Technologies and Skills.
[11] European Commission (2017): A concept paper on digitisation, employability and
inclusiveness. The role of Europe, http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/document.cfm?doc
_id=44515.
- 117 -
Authors
Laura Capelli
Mathematician, Laura has been involved in sustainability, health and wellbeing at school
for years. She has been the coordinator of several European projects in the field of
Science and she has been a lecturer in environmental science and technology education
at the Ministry of Education, University and Research. Laura is currently Contract
Professor at the University of Genova, Italy.
Emanuela De Negri
Emanuela is an Associate Professor in Commutative Algebra at University of Genoa,
Department of Mathematics. She has more than 20 years’ experience of teaching and in
supervising school and university teachers. Since 2001 member of the Orientation
Commission of the Degree in Mathematics. Since 2004 she is involved in “Piano Lauree
Scientifiche”, a project supported by Italian Government to improve the teaching
of Mathematics in the school. From 2012 she is the local leader of this project. She was
invited or involved in the organisation of many conferences and international schools
in Commutative Algebra, and its iteractions with Combinatorics and Algebraic Geometry.
Nikolaos Giannakopoulos
Nikolaos is a Chemistry school professor at “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra. He has studied
carefully and implemented successfully the entire scope of project life, including project
development, implementation, reporting and organizing everybody’s work as a target
oriented team. His educational background and experience as school professor were very
valuable under the current project.
Milena Gosheva
Milena is senior teacher in Physics and Mathematics at the Vocational High School of
Electronics “John Atanasoff” in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has graduated Sofia at University "St.
Kliment Ohridski", master degree in Physics and master in Pedagogics. She has worked in
various international projects, in the field of education: Nano Teach Science Education;
Goerudio; Robotics for Bulgaria and many others. She has won first places with teams of
students in the field of Physics and Robotic at many international competitions. She has
excellent organisation and management skills.
Nikolia Iliopoulou
Nikolia is a school teacher of Biology at the “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra, Greece. She
coordinates international educational projects. Her field of interest covers work with
innovative educational methodologies in training/teaching and non-formal education.
Petros Karkoulias
Petros was awarded a Degree of Mathematics from the School of Natural Sciences of
Patras University and an MSc in Information Systems from the Greek Open University. He
has worked as an IT Manager and as a Project Manager in both private and public sectors.
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He owns advanced software development and designing skills. He has delivered several
software projects including multimedia applications, web portals, e-commerce sites and
native mobile apps. He has developed and published more than 20 iOS mobile apps in the
AppStore.
Jan-Eric Mattsson
Jan-Eric is senior lecturer at Södertörn University in Stockholm, Sweden. He graduated
Systematic Botany from the University of Lund in 1994. His earlier education also includes
M.A. in Social and behavioural sciences, B.Sc. (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics,
Philosophy), M.Sc. (Biology, Chemistry) from Stockholm University, and M.Ed. in Scientific
Subjects Education from Uppsala University. He has been working as lichen taxonomist at
Uppsala University and for the last fifteen years also as teacher in Biology, Science, and
Educational Sciences at Södertörn University. Jan-Eric is mainly teaching within teacher
training programs in courses in science and science didactics but also in educational
courses. The latter includes curriculum, assessment, pedagogic traditions, childhood
development and supervising and examination of theses. He has also been a member of
the Faculty Board for teacher training and is now a member of the curriculum committee
of the Faculty.
Miglena Molhova-Vladova
Miglena is a project coordinator at Zinev Art Technologies and a chief assistant professor
at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She got her Ph.D. in
Economics and management in 2008. She has more than 30 publications in the field of
economics, intellectual property, technology, and e-business. She has participated
successfully in the management and implementation of more than 15 European projects
since 2005. Works for the development and implementation of innovative pedagogical
methods and tools, also in the field of science education in particular, for more than 10
years now.
Ann Mutvei
Ann is a senior lecturer at Södertörn University in Stockholm, Sweden. She got a PhD in
Biochemistry 1988 at the Stockholm University and spent three years as a postdoc at the
EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), Germany. After the postdoctoral period,
she started her own research group working on the characterization of nuclear envelope
proteins in yeast. Ann has been involved in the development of new methods of
assessments of the quality of the teaching and learning based on the 4 R’s of Doll’s,
recursion, relations, richness and rigor. She has published articles in many different
research journals in her fields as well as 17 articles on different aspects of research in
Science education.
Gianluca Olcese
Gianluca is a lecturer for Italian Language, Literature and Culture at the University of
Wrocław (Poland) since 2008; 2017-2018 Junior-Professor for Didactics of Romance
Languages at the Technical University of Dresden; since 2013 President of the Società
- 119 -
Dante Alighieri of Wrocław. Research on folk culture in Silesia, cultural transfer and
difficulties in the learning process. Publications in the field of intergenerational approach
and author of photography exibitions.
Emmanouil Petrakis
Emmanouil is a Physics teacher and Headmaster “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra, Greece. He
has published more than 30 scientific papers in international scientific journals and
conferences in the fields of Fluid Mechanics, Renewable Energy Sources and Parabolic
Photovoltaic Systems.
Greta Raykovska
Greta is English school professor at the Vocational High School of Electronics “John
Atanasoff” in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has many years of experience in educational and
training project in the field of Information Technology. She participated in several
international project. She also has excellent organisation and management skills.
Georgios Theodoropoulos
Georgios is a Mathematics teacher at the “Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra, Greece. He
graduated from the University of Patra, Department of Mathematics, in 1995. He started
working at Arsakeio School of Patra in 1998. He has been trained and certified (by the
Ministry of Education) in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) in the
teaching practice and has also participated (contributing exercises) in the creation of the
platform called "Study for Exams" (http://www.study4exams.gr/) in which students of
the last grade of high school can be prepared for the national exams.
- 120 -
ANNEXES
- 121 -
Appendix 1
- 122 -
- 123 -
Appendix 2
- 124 -
- 125 -
Appendix 3
- 126 -
- 127 -
Appendix 4
- 128 -
Appendix 5
- 129 -
- 130 -
- 131 -
Appendix 6
Do Well Science Project
Project Evaluation
by end users
This questionnaire is addressed to the three main target users of the project: School
Directors, Secondary School teachers, Policy Makers.
SECTION A: PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL DETAILS
Name: (optional)
Country:
School Director Teacher Policy Maker
Other, please specify …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Section B: Evaluation of the Do Well Science intellectual

Output
B.1 STEM Teaching and Learning Package

Please tick one of the numbers below where 1 = Poor and 10 = Excellent
Usability 
General organization of structure 
Easiness of navigation 
Scientific reliability 
Didactical Appropriateness 
Usefulness and Transferability 
Attractiveness for students 
B.2Is the Package useful for you? Why?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
- 132 -
- 133 -
The role of technology in educational settings has become increasingly prominent in recent years. When
utilized effectively, the ICT tools provide a higher quality of learning for students and a new stimuli for
teachers.
The “Do Well Science” project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, KA2 - Strategic Partnership in the
field of School education, covered ITC tools and STEM subjects aimed at increasing secondary students
learning results in Maths, Physics and Natural Sciences through the development of a new software
architecture and learning and teaching packages addressed to both teachers and students.
This guide means to present the results of the project and it is mainly designed to be relevant for all
learners of higher school worldwide and to find its application in all sorts of learning settings.
Educators can use this text as a resource when developing training on Science in formal and non formal
educational settings. Policy-makers may find it helpful to consider core ideas when developing
education policies or strategies. It can also be used to build on existing work in ESD and related areas
such as global citizenship education, environmental education and others.
Because the target group is diverse and possible uses of this guidance are manifold, while in their
concrete implementation they will, naturally, have to be adapted to the national or local context.
Massimo Amato
Massimo is graduated in Aerospace Engineering in 2001. After three years as Project Manager for an
International Company he started working as teacher in Mathematics, Physics and Information
Technologies in high schools. Over the years, he has played important roles within the schools and at
the Lyceum "Machiavelli" is responsible for two school and safety management commissions, security
and prevention. Always aware of the new technologies and the dynamics of teaching, he focuses on
student engagement for dynamic, effective and long-term learning. He had participated in the Erasmus+
"Goerudio" project, is involved in other two European projects under the Erasmus Plus KA Strategic
Partnership has been doing research in Maths teaching through music, he’s in contact with North
Caroline School of Mathematics and Science to interchange the experiences and methodologies of
Science teaching. He is the coordinator of “Do Well Science” Erasmus Plus project.
Anna Siri
Anna is a specialist in educational research. She obtained her PhD in Evaluation of Educational Processes
and Systems at the University of Genoa (Italy). Her research areas of interest include the measurement
and determinants of instruction, how educational innovations impact instruction, and how instruction
affects student learning. She has been involving in international research projects for 15 years and she
currently coordinates two European projects under the Erasmus Plus KA Strategic Partnership and a
ministerial project funded by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities under the 2018 European
Year of Culture. She has published many articles and reports mainly related to special educational
needs, assessment and evaluation, and innovative teaching methodologies, and she has actively
participated in paper presentations and symposiums at major research association meetings. She also
has many years of experience as a project manager and scientific writer. Anna is a Founder Member of
the interdisciplinary UNESCO Chair on “Anthropology of health – Biosphere and Healing systems”.
- 134 -

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Liceo “Niccolò Machiavelli”

Manual for Innovative Pedagogy

Erasmus+ Project Number: 2017-1-IT02-KA201-036780

Erasmus+ Project “DO WELL SCIENCE”

Edited by Massimo Amato and Anna Siri

Lyceum “Niccolò Machiavelli”, Florence – Italy

“Arsakeio” Lyceum of Patra – Greece

Vocational High School of Electronics “John Atanasoff”, Sofia -

University of Genoa, Genoa – Italy

University of Peloponnese – Greece

Södertörn University, Stockholm – Sweden

Pixel, Florence – Italy

Zinev Art Technologies, Sofia - Bulgaria

PART I - OVERVIEW ON SCIENCE TEACHING, RATIONALE, NEEDS AND CHALLENGES …….

2. LITERATURE REVIEW ON STEM EDUCATION ............................................................ 15

PART II - The “DO WELL SCIENCE” European project Erasmus+ ……………………………………28

3. A COMPARISON OF THE STEM CURRICULA IN “DO WELL SCIENCE” PARTNER

3.9. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 64

4. WEB PORTAL & APP PROJECT DEVELOPING ............................................................. 66

PART III - Teaching STEM with ICT: why?

2. TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED STEM LEARNING............................................................. 95

3. STEM TEACHER TRAINING ..................................................................................... 101

4. STEM EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES ..................................................... 106

5. STRATEGIES FOR POLICYMAKERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION

5.4. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 112

AUTHORS .................................................................................................................. 118

OVERVIEW ON SCIENCE TEACHING, RATIONALE, NEEDS

1. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in

1.2. Overview on the main European policies on STEM

1.3. The EU STEM Coalition

development of their STEM strategy. Based on the outcomes of the preparatory

o uses an innovative approach focused on the student and on active

2. Literature review on STEM education

2.1. Students motivation for STEM

- Ailabouni & Lachish-Zalait [4] used multi-disciplinary Science-focused Theme

2.2. Teaching strategies for STEM

2.3. ICT as tools for motivation for STEM

2.4. STEM and under-achievement

2.5. Student background - interculturality

2.6. Conclusion: implications for a teacher

The “DO WELL SCIENCE” European project

iOS app Android app

1. The “Do Well Science” Project

- Pixel, Florence - Italy

1.2. Project Objectives

1.3. Contents methodology

as a Pawn, up to 150 points is a Knight, up to 300 is a Bishop, up to 600 points is a Rook,

1.4. Student participants in Bulgarian, Greek and Italian partner schools

1.5. Use of the App or Web in each country

[5] iOS app “Dowellscience”: apps.apple.com/it/app/dowellscience/id1326841702

2. National policies on STEM in the “Do Well Science” partner countries

[8] European Commission – Growth – Regional Innovation Monitor Plus

3. A comparison of the STEM curricula in “Do Well Science” partner

3.1. General outline

3.2. Comparison of the curricula

The student can:

- construction and analysis of simple mathematical models of classes of

3.3. Mathematics curricula

- probabilities and statistics;