Short overview of the topic:

Even though STEM education is trying to implement experiential, hands-on learning to engage students with real world content and more authentic contexts for problem solving, some inequities within STEM curricula are increasing barriers to inclusion and perpetuate a lack of women, minorities, and other underrepresented populations entering STEM fields.

Ensuring that each individual has an equal opportunity for educational progress remains a challenge worldwide. Educational attainment and achievement should be decoupled from social, economic and cultural status, to ensure that education and training systems boost the abilities of every individual and enable upward social mobility (Council of Europe).

A STEAM learning approach, especially in cross-disciplinary experiential learning contexts, differentiates the learning in ways that are highly individualised, that foster creative thinking and innovative practice with course content, and that create an environment that is inclusive and equitable. (STEAM: Creating an Environment of Inclusion and Innovation, Ren Hullender, PhD Holly Hoffman, PhD Julie Cunningham, MA March 2016).

Duration of the module: 6/8 hours

Learning Outcomes:

The participants will be able to:

- describe the meaning of inclusive education and the different kinds of inclusion

- define the key elements and dynamics of inclusive education in STEM

- describe the key elements of STEAM methodology that support inclusive education in STEM

- plan a STEAM-based activity in order to improve inclusion in STEM for primary students

- observe and evaluate the effectiveness of inclusivity of a STEAM-based activity

Activity overview suggested and the steps to implement it:

This module aims at introducing the basic concepts of inclusive education and its implementation through STEM subjects. We will answer some questions about why and how to create an inclusive environment for STEM subjects and the potential for using a STEAM approach to support this process.

Participants will learn how to integrate STEAM-based activities into their teaching in order to improve students’ inclusion and motivation towards engaging with STEM subjects.

Step 1: Introduction to the topic

The trainer will show a video to inspire teachers and initiate reflection on the topic. The following videos can be used:

The trainer asks the participants to add up to 5 words that come to mind when they think of inclusive education to a word cloud generator (like Google Wordcloud or Mentimeter).

From the results of the ‘inclusive education’ word cloud, the trainer starts an open discussion with participants based on the following questions: what does inclusive education mean to you/for you? What different kinds of Inclusive education are you dealing with? What about inclusion in STEM subjects? Does your school have strategies for promoting inclusion in STEM, and how well are they working?

This activity can be carried out in online environments using a forum, Padlet or Dotstorming

At the end of the session, the trainer summarises the results in a document.

The trainer presents a definition of Inclusive education using the following presentation: “Definition of Inclusive education”.

Step 2: Inclusive education in STEM

Following the results of the open discussion, the trainer presents the common key elements of inclusive education in STEM. Here is a framework that can support this activity.

Using Tricider the participants can vote on which of the elements presented they are using in their daily practice.

Group Activity (open discussion): the trainer will encourage analysis and reflection on the key elements used by the participants.

Step 3: How a STEAM methodology can support inclusive education in STEM for primary students

In this step, the trainer will focus on the main aspects of STEAM methodology that can support inclusive education in STEM. Here is a summary.

The trainer can also use the following resource for inspiring participants:

Inclusive Teaching Strategies to Make STEAM Projects Accessible to All Learners

Step 4: Case Studies

The trainer presents how schools plan their inclusive programmes through a collection of case studies (Case study - STEAM - Creating an Environment of Inclusion and Innovation and Case study - Fostering Critical Reflection in Primary Education through STEAM Approaches).

Step 5: How to do it: Planning and Evaluating an Inclusive Practical STEAM activity

The trainer invites participants to adopt and adapt their own planning tool/support system for integrating STEAM based inclusive activities into their primary teaching.

The trainer provides participants with a Template for the activity description and a rubric or set of instructions to follow. The participants, divided into groups, will plan a STEAM-based activity for improving inclusion in STEM.