STEM Education

Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are fundamental to a (post-)digital society. Associated competencies are not only crucial for success in many professions, they are also central to the development of well-grounded personal viewpoints and participation in societal discourse on an equal footing. Beyond skill acquisition, it is desirable for children and young people to develop a wide range of interests, and the sense of self-efficacy required to use digital technologies and pursue their own goals. In particular, we explore how children and young people can be encouraged to use digital technologies as a way of developing creative ideas and solving practical individual or societal problems. The non-formal education sector in particular holds great potential for digital empowerment, for example in the context of the ever-growing maker movement.

To get a comprehensive picture of what motivates young people to participate in STEM, we are also investigating the role of parents, peers and teachers in the development of relevant activities among children and adolescents. The insights gained in this way help to design low-threshold non-formal offerings and motivating settings for informal learning.

Our empirical studies on STEM education are part of a larger research program on education and empowerment in the post-digital age.

Fittkau, J., Uhing, S., Birnbaum, L., (2024). “Mädchen, MINT und Making” – Ein Erfahrungsaustausch zwischen Wissenschaft und Praxis [“Girls, STEM and Making” – an exchange of experiences between science and practice]. bildungsforschung. Vol. 30 (1). https://doi.org/10.25539/bildungsforschung.v30i1.1085  (open-access)

Smolarczyk, K., Mouratidis, M., Uhing, S., Becker, R., Kröner, S. (2024). Let’s get them on board: Focus group discussions with adolescents on empowering leisure engagement in Fab Labs and makerspaces. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction. Vol 41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100669  (open-access)

Smolarczyk, K., & Kröner, S. (2021): Two decades in the making: A scoping review on research on digital making and its potential for digital empowerment in non-formal settings. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1974987

EnvironMINT – Conditions for Successful Collaboration Between Children, Parents, Schools and FabLabs for Sustainable STEM-Related Maker Activities

The joint project EnvironMINT of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, University of Siegen and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences investigates the requirements and conditions for a successful collaboration of schools and Fab Labs with children, parents and peers for self-determined, sustainable and creative Making as a form of holistic STEM.