Investigation of implementing STEM projects in a selective school in the United Arab Emirates

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Date
2017-09
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Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
STEM education is trending nowadays due to the high demand for STEM careers. A range of countries are developing their educational systems to be capable of producing the required highly qualified future degree holders. It is critical that educational systems adapt to this change. The UAE is one such country with a high demand for engineers, scientists, mathematicians and technicians. Consequently, the focus of key decision-makers and stakeholders is to put the latest educational theories into practice. As a result, this study aims to investigate the implementation of STEM projects in one selective school. The study will focus on six main factors: group formation, differentiation, achievement, motivation, assessment and to identify any gender differences. To ensure the effectiveness of the study, a mixed method was used, including questionnaires being issued to both students and teachers. After analyzing the quantitative data, some interviews with teachers and students were conducted to provide further insights and to address any gaps in the data. The results show that STEM initiatives have a positive effect on the motivation and achievement of students. Students are satisfied with the assessment and group-building procedure. STEM projects are pedagogies that suit students with different abilities. The results show a significant difference in attitudes between males and females toward STEM projects and STEM careers.
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Keywords
STEM PBL, STEM projects, gender differences, United Arab Emirates (UAE), STEM education
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