In a highly specialized and technologized world, a critical and competent citizenship in science and technology is more needed than ever. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) could be addressed since early childhood promoting an active and participative methodology, focused on inquiry-based learning and collaborative projects. Also, Educational Technology – such as robotics and code-learning – brings new opportunities for designing attractive approaches and tools to improve the engagement of kids, enhancing the academic outcomes in Science, Maths and Technology subjects and increase the scientific vocations.

Although STEM programmes increase rapidly, these are focused on high schools and after-school activities. While these approaches are being considered by policy makers, still remains a lack of research in this field and its adaptation to Childhood and Primary Education. These stages are a crucial period for enhancing future careers and changing the societal misconceptions and prejudices against science and technology.

The objective of BOTSTEM is to develop new tools by means of inquiry teaching, open robotics and code-learning for enhancing current didactics of STEM subjects. BOTSTEM is aimed and fully in-line with the formal education curricula and its purposes for childhood and primary schools.

Specifically, BOTSTEM aims at:

  1. improving the acquisition and competencies and, thus, potential students’ achievement in STEM, particularly in Natural Sciences and Maths, through innovative methodologies and resources, open source software/hardware, inquiry-based projects and code languages (IOs)
  2. developing tools more appealing for pupils (educational games, open robots, playable code-learning and suitable methods for implementing them)
  3. enhancing the quality and integration of Long-life training aimed at teachers through VLEs which allow a peer-learning more flexible and cost-effective
  4. optimising the public image and perception of Science and Technology, overcoming the prejudices that kids assume in their early childhood leading an early intervention in STEM integrated with a gender-based approach.

The following Intellectual Outputs will be produced, sustained by an intensive dissemination activity and designed through a systematic and participatory research.

  1. Toolkit for early STEM education by means of robotics and coding
  2. Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Knowledge Transfer Platform (KTP) aimed at teachers on STEM subjects for childhood and primary education
  3. Guidelines for policy makers: How to encourage scientific and technological vocations since early childhood.