Gimnazija Matija Mesić

On 23rd October, 2015 a ceremony was held in the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports whereby grant agreements for grants awarded for projects within the call for applications for Promoting quality and upgrading the system of education on secondary school level from the European Social Fund, Operational programme: Developing human potential 2007-2013, were handed to grantees. Goran Zavor, the headmaster and Ines Martinović, ICT teacher were present as representatives of our school. Our school is the holder of the STEM geniuses project which was developed by Mirta Matanić, Mirjana Stanić, Tomislava Benić, Marija Radovanović, Marina Gojković, Ana Pejić, Goran Knežević and Ines Martinović, teachers in our school. This is the first call for applications financed by the European Social Fund that aims exclusively at grammar schools.

Project title: STEM geniuses

Grantee: Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” grammar school

Project partners: Gimnazija Nova Gradiška grammar school, Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod

The purpose of the project and justification: In the EU, there is a growing gap between unemployment (youth unemployment rate in Croatia is currently 35,6%; www.hzz.hr) and the number of unfilled job positions in the sector of technology owing to the lack of experts within the area of STEM (a shortage of 800,000 job positions by 2020 is estimated). A higher level of knowledge within STEM is expected to be required even for lower level job positions. The results of the PISA project show that Croatian 15-year-olds lag behind their peers in the rest of the world (www.oecd.org/edu/pisa). A very small percentage of students enrol at STEM programmes at university with as many as 41% of first year university students failing their exams in STEM subjects and they therefore do not continue their studies. In school year 2012/2013 only 30% of students graduating from Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” grammar school opted for studying STEM subjects at university. Very few students who do go on to study STEM subjects at university progress past the first year and get a degree. Some of the causes or specific problems are dated, content-oriented curriculums (instead of student-oriented); lack of modern equipment; lack of professional development for teachers which would enable them to implement contemporary tools of pedagogy and not enough promotion of STEM competencies and competitive advantage of STEM experts on the job market.This is especially important in Brod-Posavina County which is one of the 4 counties with the highest unemployment rate in Croatia (29,1% 12/2014, www.hzz.hr). By developing innovative, competence-oriented curriculums within the areas of STEM and ICT, ensuring the conditions for implementing these curriculums in the system of education in Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” and Nova Gradiška grammar schools and promoting the importance of STEM competencies, this project will not only contribute to the increase in the number of students who enrol at STEM university programmes but also increase both their academic success and competitiveness on the job market. The project aims at grammar school students whose competencies within STEM currently fail to meet the requirements of higher education which, in turn, makes it difficult for them to obtain a degree and consequently makes them less competitive on the job market. By further development of their STEM knowledge and skills, students will be motivated to enrol at STEM programmes at university and in that way increase their employability. Teachers do not have the opportunity to implement new technology and innovative methods in teaching either. In-service training and modern equipment acquired through this project, will make teachers more competent and increase the quality of education. Head teachers, pedagogues and the dean as decision makers will become acquainted with trends in technology, which will help them to create educational strategies for their institutions.

Summary: The STEM geniuses project by applicant Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” grammar school aims to contribute to the increase in the number of students who enrol at STEM university programmes and raise their academic achievements through acquiring additional competencies in the areas of STEM and ICT. The project will increase the competencies of students, teachers and pedagogues of Gimnazija "Matija Mesić" and Nova Gradiška grammar schools, professors at the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod and decision makers in education (head teachers and the dean). Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” grammar school will improve the capacities of its facilities by obtaining the necessary equipment for STEM subject labs.

Expected results:

1) 5 developed curriculums for elective subjects in the areas of STEM and ICT (interdisciplinary – Mathematics and ICT; Physics; Chemistry; Biology; interdisciplinary - sustainable sources of energy).

2) Improved staff and material capacities of Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” and Nova Gradiška grammar schools for the purposes of implementing STEM curriculums and contemporary teaching methods.

3) Raised awareness of students, parents and general public about the significance of STEM competencies for competitiveness on the job market.

Total value of the project: 2 474 286, 40 HRK

Non-refundable: 2 474 286, 40 HRK

Duration of the project: 12 months

Note: The content of this article is the sole responsibility of Gimnazija “Matija Mesić” grammar school.

Translated into English by:

Nataša Blažić, prof.

Coordinator for dissemination of project results and promotion of STEM competencies

The project was co-funded by the European Union from the European Social Fund.

European Union – investing in the future