Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education in Malaysia Percentage of University Graduates in STEM 70 61 60 51 50 37 40 30 20 10 0 Japan (2008) China (2008) Malaysia (2010) Percentage of University Graduates in STEM http://nms.org/Education/TheSTEMCrisis.aspx http://www.mohe.gov.my/web_statistik/ STEM Education: Importance in Malaysia • Malaysia needs 60% of school and university students pursuing STEM for strong socioeconomic development. • But, less than 40% of school students are pursuing STEM now. • Interest in STEM is declining in schools. http://www.nst.com.my/latest/number-of-science-stream-candidates-dip-1.167340 Higher ratio of engineers and scientists by 2020 In line with the aim to achieve Vision 2020, the government anticipates a ratio of 72 research scientists and engineers (RSE) for every 10,000 people in the workforce by 2020. The current ratio is 58.2 RSE for every 10,000 workers. - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, 03 October 2013. Higher ratio of engineers and scientists by 2020 - General - New Straits Times http://www2.nst.com.my/nation/general/higher-ratio-of-engineers-and-scientists-by-2020-1.367415#ixzz3B8AmwtbO Malaysia needs 250,000 engineers by 2020 Now, only 150,000 engineers www.klesf.net Enhance interest in STEM among school children Objective Programme KLESF Co-organized by: to Action Video Effective Approach for STEM Learning KLESF: Main Features • Complement school STEM curriculum. • No formal teaching. • Hands-on, project & discovery based, creative problem solving. • Industry participation. • Parent & public awareness on STEM. • Teacher support. • Professional & university volunteers. • International links. KLESF: Sub-Programmes • KLESF: The Fair • School Engineering and Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) Programme • KLESF STEM Educator Enhancement (KSEE) Programme • KLESF Mentor Development (KMD) Programme • Mobile KLESF, and • KLESF Design Hobby Club and Gallery KLESF: Activities in 2014 • KLESF: The Fair 2014 @ National Science Centre (25 – 27 Apr 2014) • School Engineering & Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) – pilot run @ 7 secondary schools (Cycle 1: Jan – Jun 14, Cycle 2: Jul – Dec 14) • KSEE: Symposium on Science Education 2014 (SOSE 2014) for STEM teachers / educators (23 Aug 2014) • KMD: Train-the-Mentor Workshop (Oct 2014) KLESF: The Fair 2014 •25 – 27 Apr 2014 @ Pusat Sains Negara •Components: • Science hands-on demos and experiments, • Mathematics and mental literacy activities, • School STEM project exhibition and demo, • Industry science, technology and engineering exhibition, • STEM poster and video exhibition, and • Fun in science: the science of magic. KLESF: The Fair 2014 Science hands-on demos and experiments Children taking part in a hands-on experiment in Physics Demonstrators explaining to children on an experiment in Chemistry KLESF: The Fair 2014 Science hands-on demos and experiments Students performing an experiment in Biology Children observing an experiment in chemistry KLESF: The Fair 2014 SESDM and School STEM project exhibition A school project team member explaining their system to visitors A school team setting up their project for exhibition KLESF: The Fair 2014 SESDM and School STEM project exhibition A school team of the SESDM Electronic Track participated in KLESF Fair Proud students and parent showing the Minister their winning robots KLESF: The Fair 2014 Industry science, technology and engineering exhibition A student playing with a game built on the technology by a company A design workshop session conducted by a company KLESF: The Fair 2014 Industry science, technology and engineering exhibition A company exhibitor explaining a system on demo to students A child standing on a floating concrete block exhibited by a university’s research commercialization team KLESF: The Fair 2014 Fun in science: the science of magic A magician performing a trick before explaining the science behind it KLESF: The Fair 2014 Officiating Ceremony Minister of Education II of Malaysia speaking and officiating KLESF Minister of Education II of Malaysia launching the KLESF banner together with Steering Committee members KLESF: The Fair 2014 Officiating Ceremony Students explaining their exhibits to the Minister KLESF: The Fair 2014 Visitors to KLESF School teachers leading students into the exhibition building Visitors queuing up to enter the KLESF exhibition zone KLESF: The Fair 2014 Visitors to KLESF Students queuing up to enter into the exhibition zone Students walking up to the second floor of exhibition centre Visitors to KLESF 2014 Busy traffics outside the exhibition centre Impact Study on KLESF: The Fair 2014 79% 74% primary school students secondary school students Rated KLESF Good / Excellent Impact Study on KLESF: The Fair 2014 68% 64% primary school students secondary school students STEM interest increased After visiting KLESF: The Fair 2014 KLESF: School Engineering and Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) Programme • Experiential learning - highly effective in learning STEM for children. • Guiding and mentoring students on STEM investigative and design activities and projects. • Mentoring by university academics, students, professionals, technologists, parents, teachers, etc. KLESF: School Engineering and Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) Programme • Pilot run started in Jan 2014. • No of schools: 7, • No of school students: 250, and • No of mentors: 25. • Three types of tracks developed thus far. • Electronic design track (7 schools), • Chemistry track (2 schools), and • Biology track (1 school). School Engineering and Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) Programme Fig. 12: Mentors explaining a showcase system to students at the initial stage of the SESDM Electronic Track Fig. 13: A mentor explaining electronic fundamentals to students under the SESDM Electronic Track School Engineering and Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) Programme Fig. 14: A mentor working with students on a project of extracting natural dyes from plants under the SESDM Chemistry Track KLESF: Future Plan • KLESF: The Fair annually organised (2015, 2016, …) • School Engineering & Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) – nationwide rollout for more schools. • KLESF STEM Educator Enhancement (KSEE) programme: activities, workshops, etc. • KLESF Mentors Development (KMD) programme: workshops, design contests, etc. • KLESF Design Hobby Club & Gallery @ Pusat Sains Negara and other sites. • Mobile KLESF • International Link (inbound & outbound)(ASEAN++) • Industrial Participation in STEM education. KLESF: Support Needed • Government • Funding, school participation, etc. • Industry • Funding, content, volunteers, etc. • Professionals, Technologists, Parents, Teachers, etc. • Participation (volunteers), content, etc. • Schools & Public • Participation, donation (parents/public), etc. KLSEF: A Tested Model • Massachusetts Region I Middle and High School Science Fairs • 350 students from western Massachusetts entered projects on science, math or engineering subjects. Students often spent months doing research before they presented their exhibit at the fairs. Top projects could advance to compete at the state, national and international fairs. • Survey after the fair: Significant increase in interest in STEM • 72% reported that they are planning on majoring in a STEM field in college and • 74%indicted they were considering a career in a STEM field. • Increasing Student Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM): Massachusetts STEM Pipeline Fund Programs Using Promising Practices • Reported by University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute Steering Committee on KLESF 2014. Datuk Ir Hong Lee Pee - President, ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET)(Chairman) Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman - President & CEO, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) (Co-chairman) Ir Choo Kok Beng - President, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) Professor Dr Lee Sze Wei - Vice President (R&D & Commercialisation), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Prof Madya Dr Irmawati Ramli - Director, National Science Centre Professor Dr Yong Hoi Sen - Fellow, AAET, ASM Professor Dr Ho Chee Cheong - Fellow, AAET, ASM Professor Dr Faidz Abdul Rahman - Director, Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research, UTAR More Photos of KLESF: The Fair 2014 and SESDM The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 The Fair 2014 School Engineering & Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) SMK Taman Melati, KL School Engineering & Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) SMK Taman Melati, KL School Engineering & Science Design Mentorship (SESDM) SMK Pei Yuan, Kampar Q&A