Abstract:

In recent years, industrialized nations have placed great educational emphasis on STEM engagement and enrichment as a means of increasing enthusiasm for STEM learning and attracting students into STEM professions. The positive impact of these efforts has sometimes been challenged as it is strongly dependent on coherence among programs and faithful implementation of better teaching practices. In this paper, we suggest that STEM enrichment programs can consistently employ better teaching practices and assume a central educational role defining and disseminating better practices by fostering regional STEM teaching community of practice models.

Case and point, a five day out-of-school STEM enrichment program in the United States has the ostensive goal of engaging and enriching elementary children in STEM learning through a variety of appealing learning activities. Using the program as a nucleus, a community of practice model centered on best practices in STEM learning was gradually implemented through a series of steps to engage and connect various community members.

Visiting classroom teachers were invited to participate in the STEM activities alongside their students and to observe the students taking on the same challenges. Team members of the program, who are themselves educators, prompted visiting teachers to indicate their confidence level with the subject matter as well as to share their perceptions of best practices and barriers to implementation. An internship program initiated with a local university brought pre-service teachers to the program and created opportunities for dialog between pre-service and practicing teachers. An online forum was designed to foster and broaden communication and collaboration among all teachers who visit the program and the university students who serve as interns.

Through these mechanisms, a unique, functioning community of practice of engaged professionals was created with the focus on defining and employing better practices in STEM education. The community members are from different schools, school districts and universities geographically separated by as much as 60 miles but are united by the unique experience of the out-of-school program and the ability to dialog with like-minded individuals. The community is self-motivated to share and communicate in ways that converge on defining better practices in STEM education and breaking down barriers to implementation.

Keywords:

STEM, enrichment, best practices, community of practice, teachers, pre-service.