Sixty-five children aged eight to 13 took part in Xjenza Mania, a summer school organised by the University of Malta’s Cottonera Resource Center (CRC). The intensive six-week programme was designed specifically around science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (Steam), with intriguing topics from biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
The various programmes were designed to help the children become junior scientists for the summer and embark on a series of educational adventures that trigger scientific curiosity in them.
Inquisitive thinking was triggered by mathematical trails, developing engineering solutions and programming through robotics, game design using Minecraft portal for schools and understanding various physical concepts using physics science kits as well as experiments. This was done to get the participants fascinated and curious about how the world around us works.
Graduate students from the Biology, Chemistry and Physics departments of the University’s Faculty of Science volunteered to give demonstrations and hands-on sessions on the topics discussed in class, ranging from environmental conservation to health. Learning took place through hands-on experiments, role-play, cooking sessions and games.
This innovative way of teaching science was supported by visits to educational and cultural institutions as well as to potential places of employment. These included the research laboratories at the University, Junior College, and the Life Sciences Centre.
The nine- to 12-year-old window is crucial to attract more students into Steam-related fields
These visits helped the pupils put all their learning activities into perspective.
Xjenza Mania was an initiative intended to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a hands-on manner while linking these subjects with the arts. Much has been written on how Steam workers are crucial drivers of long-term, sustainable economic growth. Jobs in this field are growing at a faster rate and have lower of unemployment than other occupations. Wages in Steam-related jobs are also higher than those in non-Steam jobs.
Experts say that the nine- to 12-year-old window is crucial to attract more students into Steam-related fields. One objective of Xjenza Mania was to ensure that pupils see opportunities for themselves in science, technology, engineering and maths. The programme exposed the participants to potential role-models, thereby encouraging them to opt for Steam-related careers, especially when the pupils come from non-academic and non-scientific family backgrounds.
During the summer school a ‘growth mindset’ – as opposed to a fixed mindset – was adopted. Stanford researcher Jo Boaler maintains that when children develop a ‘growth mindset’ they believe that intelligence can be learned and grown from exercise. The organisers did this by encouraging teamwork and exposing pupils to creative possibilities within Steam.
Exposure to practical uses of Steam helped the pupils realise that mathematics, science, technology or engineering are not complicated or hard but interesting and within their reach, and they could opt for Steam-related fields in their careers.
Some of the activities conducted at CRC will be featured in Science in the City science and arts festival to be held in Valletta on Friday.
CRC is currently looking for volunteers to assist in its various other projects.