In recent years STEM education has been promoted and fuelled without clear guidance on its content or means of incorporation in the exam-oriented environment of local schools. Many schools have resorted to fast-food style STEM activities such as programming and robotic competitions with much money spent purely on hardware and software. Instead of learning about the science behind, students spend their time on creating “innovative” products that may either be unrealistic or just copying ideas they found on the web or from their teachers. These STEM activities often fail to demonstrate any connection with or extension to their learning of these science subjects in their main curriculum.

The team is providing a prototype for local universities to take part in and support STEM education in secondary schools using Physics, one of the most essential fundamental sciences. Through learning and applying physics principles to real-life situations, students can appreciate the predictive power of science and how it helps them to achieve technological innovations and improve engineering methods. The programme kicks off with a series of popular science talks with games and demonstrations. Enthusiastic participants are recommended by teachers to take an introductory course on medical physics and take part in lab tests. The team then takes outstanding students to visit a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) company, who are given the opportunity to operate a real MRI scanner and witness physical principles at work in real life.

Curiosity and the desire for knowledge drive innovation and technological advancement. With a new way of learning students will discover the fun of science, supplementing their routine education, and even inspiring them to pursue further studies in science and engineering-related subjects. Meanwhile, teachers are encouraged to think more perspectively when designing STEM activities in school. Promoting the use of innovative methods with common materials rather than expensive equipment would transform science education in Hong Kong in the long run.

– 1500-3000 secondary school students– 20 teachers

2019

Education, STEM