STEM APPROACH TO DEVELOPING 21ST CENTURY COMPETENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS APPLIED WITH PRIMARY EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

Teaching, learning and instruction are a dynamic and continuous process. Every subject in teaching encounters the challenges of today's technical and technological changes every day. Looking for a way to keep up with the times, we create approaches and ways of learning in which we insert modern techniques, technical and information resources, but at the same time maintain the authenticity of the lessons from the natural group of subjects in which, in addition to the defined subject objectives, we promote care for nature, environmental protection and sustainable living. The application of interdisciplinary learning enables the connection of knowledge, methods and perspectives from different subjects for a better understanding of certain topics. Interdisciplinarity creates bridges between subjects, encouraging students to think in an integrated and creative way. The application of the STEM approach in teaching has its effects on the development of cognitive and practical competencies in students, but also on motivation, problem solving and critical thinking. STEM-oriented teaching significantly contributes to increased student engagement and enables the development of competencies for life in the 21st century.
Тherefore, we implemented a school project in which the main goal is to develop awareness and responsibility for the reuse of textile waste (from old clothes or textile garments) among students and the wider community. The very fact that the textile industry is the most developed in the immediate vicinity of our school, which in turn produces huge quantities of textile waste, gave rise to the motivation for the implementation of this project “From textile waste to new product”. The project corresponds to the teaching content of the natural group of subjects - mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography. Within the framework of the project, these contents are deepened, the students learned in the context of a real problem - the problem of textile waste. Within the project, students conducted statistical research and surveys on the amount of textile waste generated by the textile industry in the community, experimental research on the different types of textile waste and their properties, and experimental research on the process of decomposition of different types of textile waste in nature. According to the results of these researches, we implemented activities related to creative reuse and creation of new products from textile waste. Through the planned activities within the project, students gained knowledge about textile waste, different types of textiles and their properties, as well as skills for their reuse. Through involvement in the activities, they gained knowledge and skills for statistical and scientific research, but also skills for creativity, entrepreneurship and the application of new technologies.
In this paper, we will present the course of the project and the applied approaches in teaching, as well as the benefits and challenges we faced as teachers implementing the project activities and teaching.