Abstract
School pupils often perceive STEM subjects to be challenging; thus, in this project, an interactive, nationwide STEM investigation was designed to stimulate their interest. The “Soils in Scottish Schools” project provided teachers with a flexible package of resources to allow them to enhance the profile and understanding of soil science of their pupils. This package included presentations, experimental procedures, activities, and monthly newsletters which could be adapted to the particular learning environment of their pupils. In the focal point of the project, teachers were supported to encourage their pupils to collect samples from their school ground which were then analyzed for copper, lead, and zinc levels. This year-long project also afforded teachers with the opportunity to develop the pupils’ investigative skills through engagement with experiments in their own classrooms where they could engage with real data.
Highlights
The UK is facing a well-documented STEM skills crisis with the supply of individuals intoSTEM careers not keeping pace with demand[1]
We provided a sampling record sheet for documenting the information relating to the sampling of their soil
Three desired outcomes were established at the outset of this project, and it is thought that this project satisfied these as follows: 1. To stimulate interest in environmental and wider STEM issues at the Broad General Education (BGE) phase of school learners by providing pupils with the opportunity to broaden their curriculum and explore chemistry within a local context, e.g. their own school
Summary
The UK is facing a well-documented STEM skills crisis with the supply of individuals intoSTEM careers not keeping pace with demand[1]. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills consistently reports that vacancies requiring STEM skills are more likely to be ‘hard to fill’ than vacancies overall[2]. This is a concern as the application of STEM contributes significantly to the UK economy. Over a number of years there have been efforts to enhance the STEM qualifications of young people and increase their interest in considering progress to a STEM career. Hoyles et al[4] believe that education research has an important role to play in supporting these efforts in developing approaches to teaching that increase pupils’ confidence in STEM
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