Strategies for STEM Education in Secondary Schools

A modem, sustainable, based on knowledge society needs adults ready to integrate professionally into science and technology fields. One of the most difficult tasks of Physics teacher faced in the classroom is to keep students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). To increase students' motivation for STEM, they are looking for the most appropriate strategies. Pedagogical research and formal or informal educational practice have shown that there may be two solutions. The first is introducing into the lessons, part of the formal education, of elements related to the future profession in the field of STEM. The second option is to build students' competences for STEM by informal education activities in order to ensure the insertion of future adults in real economy. Establishing a robotics club in school is the shortest way to educate young people for a future job very solicited by labor market. The club activities can help students to integrate acquired knowledge in order to achieve a genuine process of solving a real problem. The activities should promote reflection, scientific research, detection, application and communication, according to modern standards. Modem technology involving sensors, actuators, robots or / and drones can be used creatively, so that all activities become interesting, involving and motivating to students. The paper presents the steps of the establishing of La Salle Electronics Club NanoTechFun club. Firstly, the initiative was discussed in details with stakeholders and experts in the field of STEM informal education and was decided in the following step to identify the needs, expectations and previous experience of students in clubs. The analysis of pupils' responses mirrored the general level of information about new technology, sensors, actuators and robots of students is low. Tacking in to account also, the previous experience of students in clubs was decided in the third step to organize the club by settling a statute, regulation and plan for activities by involving students, instructors and volunteers. The involvement and responsibility of the students of 16 to 18 years old in the establishment and activity of the club demonstrate that the strategy was successful. Good practices in robotics education in school clubs can be used in activities with adults who are in the process of professional reconversion.