EPALE ambassadors ,Jackie Howie and Alison Mclachlan from Learning Link Scotland have been successfully funded through Erasmus + to develop and deliver a STEM engagement with adult learning project.

This project will develop relationships with key creative and scientific centres in Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland.

We are currently planning trips to chosen sites and will organise sharing sessions with our hosts to discuss practice and methods.

The Scottish participants of the project will disseminate findings from trips via a variety of methods when they return, including presenting research findings at an event hosted by Glasgow Science Centre and also writing blogs, social media, workshops and writing training materials.

Scotland will offer to host return visits with guided trips to a variety of sites.

The project is founded on the development of key competencies and skills of staff and learners. The knowledge, understanding and skills that the practitioners gain on the project will be utilised back home in Scotland to improve their teaching practice and improve the competencies of learners. They will also share their knew knowledge with local and national networks as well as contributing to the

international Community of Practice for STEM educators supported on EPALE.

Identified need

There is a need in Scotland for adult educators to engage in STEM education, as identified in the STEM Strategy. Learning Link Scotland conducted a national survey and a focus group for adult educators in Scotland asking them about their confidence in delivering STEM subjects. The consultations found that the confidence of practitioners to deliver STEM topics is low and the following areas were suggested as ways to help:

• Help from a science expert

• Help from an adult educator who may not be a science expert but who has worked in science education

• Assistance in recruiting learners to study science

• Understanding what and how science is taught in schools

• Understanding how to engage adults in science subjects

• Resources designed to use with adults

This project, designed at improving practitioners confidence in engaging others in STEM can help work towards meeting the needs.

Goals

The goals of the project are for practitioners to express increased confidence in their ability to deliver STEM subjects and for the development of an international network of STEM practitioners on EPALE.-already in progress in communities of practice   science and environment themed group

Method

Practitioner researchers from Scotland will visit 3 European science/cultural space destinations. We are planning these to be in Dublin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

During the visits the practitioners will meet host practitioners and share information on engaging adults in STEM learning.

The practitioners will keep a reflective journal of their visit and share their experiences with the community of practice on EPALE.

Key areas of improvement as a result of this project would be an increase in confidence of practitioners to engage adults in STEM learning and subsequently an increase in the numbers of adults accessing STEM learning.