Abstract:

Developing effective STEM education in basic schooling requires not only innovative classroom practices but also structured teacher training initiatives grounded in interdisciplinary and experiential learning. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a hands-on teacher training workshop focused on practical STEM activities using the topic of volume as an integrative mathematical and engineering concept. The four-hour workshop, held at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) in Brazil, brought together in-service basic education teachers and pre-service mathematics teachers from different institutions. The event was structured through a multi-committee organization model, including pedagogical design, material preparation, monitoring, dissemination, and post-event evaluation. A didactic handbook developed under the Women in STEM2D Project served as the core instructional material and is openly available under a Creative Commons license. The workshop adopted an engineering-inspired framework structured around three approaches: implementation (constructing one-liter geometric solids), analysis (measuring and validating volumes of real containers using mathematical modeling), and real-world volume problems, including environmental and water consumption scenarios. Participants worked collaboratively using low-cost manipulatives such as cardboard geometric solids, measuring instruments, and water-based volume verification. The activities integrated mathematical reasoning, dimensional analysis, modeling, estimation, and real-world contextualization. A total of 27 participants completed an evaluation survey. Results indicate high satisfaction with the workshop format (over 90% rating 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) and strong willingness to incorporate practical STEM approaches into their own classrooms. Most participants reported increased motivation to adopt hands-on strategies after the training. However, reported challenges included concerns about available resources in public schools and the adaptation of activities to be applied with people with special needs, a very current problem, existing throughout the world. The experience highlights the importance of structured teacher preparation, interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and education faculties, and the development of ready-to-use, tested teaching materials. It also demonstrates how engineering methodologies (implementation, analysis, and design cycles) can be adapted to basic education contexts to enhance mathematical understanding and student engagement. This case study contributes to the discussion on in-service teacher training in STEM, active learning methodologies, and low-cost practical experimentation in mathematics education, offering a replicable model for teacher professional development aligned with 21st-century skills.

Keywords:

STEM education, hands-on, teacher training, basic education, mathematics.