Sub-Theme 2: Prospects and Possibilities for Enhancing Science and Technology Education

Track 3: Collaboration, Linkages and Partnerships (CLP)

MAKING STEM EDUCATION WORK: EXPLORING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN

SEAMEO RECSAM AND MOE MALAYSIA

Dr Suhaidah Tahir, Deputy Director, Research and Development,

Mr Dominador D. Mangao, Specialist, and Dr Nur Jahan Ahmad, Specialist,
SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, Malaysia

STEM is a catch-word in the 21st century in the field of education world-wide and
governments with their educational leaders plan to implement or improve STEM
education in their respective countries. STEM Education brings varying goals and
objectives such as to improve the overall students mathematics, science and
technological literacies, increase the interest of students to pursue careers in STEM
related disciplines, and develop highly literate 21st century workforce and eventually
would create economic benefit to the country. As such educational institutions need to
provide young people opportunities to engage in inquiry, logical reasoning and
collaboration so that they can adapt and respond to their-fast changing world,
participate actively in shaping a better future for themselves, their families and
communities where they live. SEAMEO RECSAM is a regional center that enhances
competencies of science and mathematics teachers in the Southeast Asian region.
RECSAM plays a significant role in promoting STEM Education through research and
training teachers and educators from SEAMEO member countries. Recently in
RECSAM regular course in May 2014 STEM Education was introduced to 20 teachers
from SEAMEO member countries. Findings show that teachers had increased
understanding of STEM education after the four- week course. For research in STEM
Education, RECSAM will collaborate with the Ministry of Education Malaysia and local
universities on the framework of STEM education. This paper discusses the partnership
evolving between SEAMEO RECSAM and the Ministry of Education Malaysia towards
steps in preparing Malaysian teachers for the eventual implementation of STEM
Education in Malaysian schools.

Key words: STEM, STEM Education, partnership, collaboration, training