Cath Gladding
Evaluation Manager, EngineeringUK
The Evaluation Team at EngineeringUK works to understand the reach, quality, and impact of our programmes and activities. Through feedback from young people, educators and partners, we help shape the design and delivery of future initiatives. Our work also supports the wider STEM outreach sector by sharing insights and developing resources to strengthen evaluation practice.
How evaluation can help empower educators
Cath Gladding, Evaluation Manager, EngineeringUK
We know educators constantly seek innovative ways to inspire and engage your students, especially in the ever-evolving fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Our recent evaluations of our STEM outreach programmes have uncovered valuable insights that can enhance your teaching strategies and better support students' learning journeys.
We're sharing insights from the evaluations of all our programmes over the past 3 years. That includes Energy Quest, the Climate Schools Programme and the Big Bang suite of activities. From understanding the pivotal role of teacher leadership to recognising the benefits of both teacher- and facilitator-led approaches, these findings offer practical tips and fresh perspectives. Join us as we delve into these key lessons and explore how they can empower you to make a lasting impact in your classrooms.
The role of teacher leadership
Teachers are at the heart of all successful STEM outreach programmes for schools. Our evaluations have highlighted the importance of the role of teachers’ leadership and management of STEM outreach programmes and activities, not just their delivery in the classroom. Teachers who seek out new STEM ideas and persuade colleagues of their benefits said that they were able to:
- effectively integrate STEM activities into their curriculum
- bring fresh teaching and learning ideas into their schools
- foster a culture of innovation and curiosity among students
By empowering classroom teachers to take the lead in organising appropriate STEM visitors and activities supplied by expert STEM outreach organisations, we can ensure that STEM education is both impactful and sustainable.
Inspiring students to pursue STEM careers
Embedding careers content into these teacher-led lessons and activities allowed them to enrich their STEM curriculum and inspire students to pursue their interests in these fields. As a result of doing our lessons, programmes and activities, many students wanted to do more STEM activities and find out more about STEM jobs, with greater enthusiasm.
What makes high quality STEM outreach for teachers?
The evaluations revealed several key reasons why STEM outreach programmes work well for teachers.
Content that teachers value highly but are less familiar with tended to be in demand and successful. For instance, topics like climate solutions and engineering. Further, our STEM outreach gave students opportunities to develop important career skills, such as creativity and problem-solving. These particular topics and skills were relatable and relevant for students. Teachers often said that more students than usual actively participated in lessons designed by EUK Education. This increase in engagement was due to the strength of the lessons – with skills, careers, practicals and applied elements embedded throughout.
Benefits of teacher-led approaches to STEM outreach
Teacher-led STEM outreach is where teachers deliver lessons or activities designed by STEM outreach experts. Typically, a member of school staff downloads teaching and learning materials (for example, lesson plans and slide decks) and, sometimes, kit boxes are sent to their school.
Teacher-led delivery is not necessarily always better than facilitator-led STEM outreach, it depends on the teacher and circumstances. Teacher-led STEM outreach approaches have proven to be highly effective when delivered by experienced educators who are confident in trying new things. As teachers themselves doing the delivery, the STEM outreach materials can be seamlessly integrated into lessons and used at appropriate times of the year.
Crucially, EUK Education's resources were praised by teachers for being fully developed but also easily adapted. High quality teacher-led initiatives should inject fresh STEM expertise and opportunities into schools and allow educators to tailor the content to their students' needs. Time efficiency is very important for teachers. STEM outreach providers that offer time-efficient, fully developed and adaptable resources with concise guidance can significantly improve the effectiveness of STEM outreach. Our resources saved teachers time and effort, allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality education.
Facilitator-led approaches to STEM outreach
While teacher-led approaches have their advantages, facilitator-led approaches also offer unique benefits. Many of the teachers and students we talked to appreciate the industry expertise that external facilitators bring and their ability to give real-world examples. Facilitators brought with them the necessary resources, which added convenience. Teachers who stayed to observe could envisage delivering these lessons themselves in future. Students enjoyed having a visitor and the novel experiences they brought.
A surprisingly high proportion of students – approximately half, depending on the activity or programme – said that taking part had directly influenced them towards considering STEM careers. However, external facilitators can be expensive, especially when teacher-led delivery is thought of as cost-free to schools. Tight educational budgets means that schools are often reliant on corporate sponsorship of programmes or activity bursaries if they are to take part in facilitator-led STEM outreach. A number of such bursaries are available annually to eligible schools across the UK.
Conclusion
Our evaluations offer valuable lessons for schools and outreach providers looking to ensure the fitness-for-purpose and quality of their STEM provision. By leveraging these insights, we can empower classroom teachers to participate, enhance student engagement, and create a lasting impact in the field of STEM.
