Abstract:

Declining student interest in science, documented by international assessments such as TIMSS and PISA, highlights a growing gap between formal science education and the authentic practice of scientific inquiry. Traditional classroom environments often provide limited opportunities for students to experience how scientific knowledge is produced through observation, measurement and interpretation.

This paper presents the pedagogical framework and implementation of STEAM-EXPERIENCE, a nationally funded project coordinated by the National Institute for Earth Physics (INCDFP) in partnership with the University of Bucharest and Babeș-Bolyai University. The project develops an experiential learning approach that connects formal education with real scientific contexts through two complementary environments: UNESCO Global Geoparks as natural laboratories, and research infrastructures and science campuses as scientific laboratories.

In geopark settings, students and teachers participate in place-based learning activities that include field observations, environmental monitoring and discussions of geological processes, natural hazards and climate change. These experiences are complemented by visits to research facilities where participants explore scientific instruments, monitoring technologies and basic data analysis used in geoscience investigations.

The approach has been implemented through teacher professional development activities, student field programmes and interdisciplinary summer schools organised in geopark environments. These activities promote inquiry-based learning by encouraging participants to ask questions, collect observations and interpret environmental data in relation to real-world phenomena.

A complementary component of the programme is the use of mobile STEAM kits (BIBLIOKITs) that schools can borrow, together with thematic learning scenarios designed to support project-based activities related to environmental quality, climate processes and natural hazards.

The paper discusses how combining natural laboratories, research infrastructures and teacher training can support more meaningful engagement with Earth science topics and provide educators with practical tools that can be adapted to both classroom and non-formal learning contexts.

Acknowledgement:
This work was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, through UEFISCDI, within the National Plan for Research, Development and Innovation (PNCDI IV), Science in Schools Programme, project no.PN-IV-P10-SS-SC-2024-0042 (STEAM-EXPERIENCE).

Keywords:

STEAM Education, Experiential Learning, UNESCO Global Geoparks, Earth Science Education, Inquiry-Based Learning.