STEM-EDUCATION AS A BASIS FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF NATURAL EDUCATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE NEW UKRAINIAN SCHOOL

Abstract

The article considers the problem and prospects of introducing the use of STEM-education as one of the main factors in improving the quality of natural education. Today, the ideas of the STEM approach to learning are supported by many educational systems around the world. Thus, according to the Concept of the New Ukrainian School, a school graduate must be an individual, a patriot and an innovator. To analyze the potential and degree of implementation of STEM education, we conducted a survey in September–November 2021, by surveying 99 teachers. Questionnaire for teachers, consisted of 2 thematic sections. The first thematic section included questions about the general information of the interviewer and his/her work environment. The second section included questions about STEM education and its impact on the interest of students in the learning process; comprehensive knowledge of natural processes and phenomena by students; for the development of general competencies by students, etc. The analysis of the questionnaires allows the authors to form two general trends of the study, the first one in the powerful potential of STEM technology to improve the quality of natural education. Thus, 92.2% of surveyed teachers believe that the involvement of STEM education will increase interest among students in natural sciences. The second trend is characterized by the slow accumulation of STEM didactics and teaching methodics. Only 18.18% of teachers were satisfied with the equipment of their classroom. Thus, seeing the potential of STEM-education in the promotion of natural education we can predict a significant expansion of STEM-didactics and the introduction of STEM-laboratories in the implementation of the Concept of the New Ukrainian School, which will further positively affect the quality of natural education.