STEM Programme in Indonesia
This is a three-year programme that aims to co-develop STEM educational leadership capabilities of 720 Indonesian STEM educators and co-establish STEM professional learning communities within and between schools in Indonesia.
The Multi-centric Education, Research and Industry STEM Centre (meriSTEM@NIE) at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, was awarded a grant from Temasek Foundation to co-fund and co-implement this programme with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Indonesia) as the host community partner. The local implementing agencies involved in the programme implementation include Centre for Development and Empowerment of Teacher and Education Personnel (CDETEP) In Science, Centre for Development and Empowerment of Teacher and Education Personnel (CDETEP) In Mathematics, and Universiti Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI).
Master Teachers Workshop on STEM Leadership Theories and Practices
28 – 30 September 2021
Phase 1 (part 1) of the programme kicked off with a Workshop for Master Teachers on 28 – 30 September 2021 held remotely via zoom tele-conferencing between the meriSTEM@NIE team in Singapore and the 60 participants gathered in a hotel in Bandung.
And began at 10am (GMT+8) with two speeches by Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D, Director General of Teachers and Educational Personnel, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Indonesia and Mr. Benedict Cheong, Chief Executive, Temasek Foundation International, Singapore.
There were 4 lectures were organised on Day 1 of the workshop allowing for more hands-on activities and sharing sessions for the participants on the other two days. The workshop wrapped up on Day 3 with a guest lecture by an invited speaker.
STEM Teachers Workshops on cognitive and practical competencies in STEM
4 – 6 & 18 — 20 October 2021
Phase 1 (part 2) of the programme, STEM Teachers Workshop, to co-develop STEM teachers' cognitive and practical competencies in STEM curriculum theories, design, implementation and evaluation with Master Teachers in Phase 1, was held remotely via zoom tele-conferencing between the meriSTEM@NIE team in Singapore and participants gathered in a hotel in Bandung.
The workshops were organised around a series of lectures punctuated by group work, and sharing sessions.
There were 2 lectures and a guest talk organised on Day 1 of the workshops allowing for more hands-on activities and sharing sessions for the participants on the other two days. The workshops wrapped up on Day 3 with the 4th lecture and reflections on the hands-on activities.
On the last day of the workshops on 20th October, Dr. Eneng Susilawati representing the director of CDETEP Science made a closing speech.
Participants from 4 – 6 October 2021
Participants from 18 – 20 October 2021
Deepening competencies of Nuclei Schools
In phase 1 (part 3) of the programme, meriSTEM@NIE faculty and selected Master Teachers from phase 1 (part 1) participate in hybrid school-based STEM PLC sessions and STEM lessons to provide inputs on STEM curriculum work and PLCs conducted in exemplary 20 nuclei schools, with teachers from phase 1 (part 2), to deepen their STEM curriculum competencies through lesson study and a professional learning community.
The programme was recently mentioned in the Indonesian media, and the articles can be found here and here.
At the end of the Phase 1 programme, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Indonesia) hosted a working workshop for 10 nuclei school teachers who had participated in Phase 1 Part 3 to write 10 chapters that will be consolidated into a book that will be printed and disseminated to all public Indonesian schools. Click here to access some of the lesson packages that were developed.
Co-enculturation of STEM Expertise in Singapore
25 – 29 October 2022
Phase 2 of the programme titled, “Co-enculturation of STEM Expertise in Singapore”, which took place from 25th to 29th October 2022 in Singapore, comprised a series of STEM workshops and learning journeys. The programme was designed for participants to learn about the emerging technologies that have been used in Singapore to design integrated STEM lessons, acquire knowledge on how coding, computational thinking, and engineering design thinking could be used to design and implement integrated problem-centric, solution-centric, and user-centric STEM lessons, and gain insights about Singapore STEM teaching and learning during the school visits and lesson observations.
After the opening ceremony, the 32 participants attended an urban agriculture workshop which was held over two days. The workshop started were first introduced engineering designing thinking through the context of urban farming. The hands-on experience of constructing their vertical farm prototype allowed them to better understand the limitations and challenges related to vertical farm design. In the second part of the workshop, they were brought to Skygreen, a vertical farming facility in Singapore to help them connect their classroom experiences to what the industries are doing. The tour started with a lecture on sustainable food supply and what Skygreens technologies aimed to do. This is followed by a tour of the Skygreen facilities where the participants were introduced to aquaculture systems, vertical farming structures, and how wastes are recycled to ensure that the farming system is sustainable.
On the second day, the participants were split into three groups to visit three public schools in Singapore – Dunman Secondary School, Pierce Secondary School, and Westwood Primary School. They interacted with the school leaders and STEM teachers and observed lessons to obtain first-hand experience in learning how Singapore teachers teach, and students learn in STEM classrooms.
The last three days were filled with workshops where participants learnt about block coding, 3D printing, and created their virtual reality spaces through the Code to Sew, 3D printing, and Ripplecreate’s Co-spaces workshops respectively.
Code to Sew was a user-centric STEM curriculum by meriSTEM@NIE and BERNINA (Singapore) to teach digital design and sewing. The participants appreciated the ability of the programme to fully integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths into a curriculum. They were excited to apply what they learnt to create a sewn piece of souvenir to bring home.
The 3D printing workshop was designed by Professor Yeong Wai Yee from the Nanyang Technological University, who is well-known for her work in 3D printing. This emerging technology has gained traction in the last few decades; the field has moved from 3D printing of plastics to metals and food. Engineering design thinking is key to the process. Participants toured the 3D printing center and were given the opportunity to design and print a customised finger splint for themselves.
In the Ripplecreate’s Co-spaces workshop, participants were guided through the process of creating their own Virtual Reality space. They were taken through the steps to choose an avatar and explored the options for the avatar’s size, movement, and even speech. Most participants were thrilled and enjoyed the session. They asked many questions and were extremely engaged in creating their Virtual Reality realms.
The programme ended on 29 October 2022 with a reflection session led by Dr. Arif Hidayat and a presentation of certificates of appreciation by Associate Professor Teo Tang Wee to all the participants.
STEM Education Leadership Symposium and Workshop
18 – 20 May 2023
Phase 3 of the programme titled, “STEM Education Leadership Symposium and Workshop”, took place from 18th to 20th May 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Attended by 19 teacher representatives from nuclei schools, 10 facilitators, and approximately 200 online participants, the programme encapsulated the collective spirit of STEM, as practitioners from 20 Nuclei Schools in Indonesia gathered to share and learn from their experiences in implementing STEM lessons in their classrooms.
Phase 3 (part 1) began with a welcome address by Dr Rachmadi Widdiharto, Director of Primary Education Teachers at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MOECRT). In his opening speech, Dr Widdiharto embraced the theme of working collectively, shedding light on the importance of establishing sustainable, collaborative efforts and support frameworks, to facilitate the integration of STEM competencies and practices into the new Indonesian curriculum.
Welcome address by Dr Rachmadi Widdiharto, Director of Primary Education Teachers, MOECRT.
The evening was followed by a keynote address by A/P Teo Tang Wee, Co-head of meriSTEM@NIE, who highlighted the significance of building capacities in STEM curriculum and instruction as a community. She expressed that fostering STEM culture and identity emanates from instructional leadership that adopts the mindset of a global educator. A/P Teo was later joined by A/P Arif Hidayat, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, who gave a briefing on the guidelines and assessment rubric for the oral presentations the next day.
A/P Teo Tang Wee being introduced by Dr. Eka Danti as the keynote speaker.
All smiles on day one with members of MOECRT, meriSTEM@NIE, invited guests, and external consultants.
Day two commenced with a morning keynote address by A/P Tan Aik Ling, core member of meriSTEM@NIE, who motivated the participants to “INspire, INquire, INnovate for STEM”. Drawing from real-life examples and applications of STEM, A/P Tan raised awareness of the relevance, connectedness, and adaptability of STEM to various cultural and user contexts in everyday life.
Second keynote speech by A/P Tan Aik Ling, meriSTEM@NIE, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Two exciting presentation sessions from participants from 19 of the 20 Nuclei Schools then followed. Each presentation was paneled by two judges and a moderator. Participants were given 15 minutes to present, with a 5-minute Q&A session after each presentation.
Third keynote speech by A/P Arif Hidayat, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Two exciting presentation sessions from participants from 19 of the 20 Nuclei Schools then followed. Each presentation was paneled by two judges and a moderator. Participants were given 15 minutes to present, with a 5-minute Q&A session after each presentation.
Presentation of a STEM lesson enacted in one of the 20 Nuclei Schools.
The judges gathered thereafter to share and consolidate their feedback with each other before deciding on the winners. The STEM lessons were evaluated on criteria such as alignment with the disciplinary outcomes of the new Indonesian syllabus, opportunities for students to take ownership of and reflect on their learning experiences, and cross-disciplinary connections between content knowledge, skills, competencies, and practices.
This was followed by a feedback session from the judges, who summarised the strong points and areas of improvement for the STEM lessons presented. One of the highlights of the day was the appreciation ceremony, where the top three winners were awarded a prize, in celebration of their ideas and innovative teaching approaches.
The first prize was awarded to Wike Nur Febriani from SMP IT Al Jawahir, for her STEM lesson on replacing plastic with edible film. The prize for the first runner-up was Salindri Widatami from SMP IT Nur Al Rahman for her STEM lesson on designing and making a hydraulic bridge. Rounding up the top three winners was Gede Eka Juni Purwasila from SMP Kristen 1 Harapan, who was awarded the second runner-up prize for his STEM lesson on micro-hydro power plants. To top off the night, a special award of commendation was also presented to Lilis Kartika from SMP 42 Bandung, in recognition of her promising STEM lesson on designing a simple drone.
Day three marked the end of Phase 3 (part 1) of the programme, however, it was certainly not less STEM-infused! Led by Dr Mark Windale, an external consultant, and A/P Hidayat, participants immersed themselves in a full-day STEM workshop. During this workshop, participants were challenged to create a device that can help the visually impaired stay safe while preparing food for cooking. This activity provided participants with an opportunity to collaborate, share their solutions, and gain a better understanding of the different centricities of STEM.
The programme concluded with a closing ceremony led by members of the MOECRT, Dr. Nita Isaeni and Irmawati.
Closing ceremony by Dr. Nita Isaeni and Irmawati from MOECRT.
Co-enculturation of STEM Expertise in Singapore
23 – 27 October 2023
Phase 4 titled “Co-enculturation of STEM expertise in Singapore” took place from 23 to 27 October 2023. This phase of the programme provided opportunities for exchange of STEM curriculum insights among Singapore and Indonesia STEM educators responsible for STEM teacher education from STEM curriculum leadership, STEM PLCs and lesson study. The five-day programme was attended by 61 delegates from across Indonesia, which were participants from Phase 3.
The first day commenced with an opening ceremony graced by the following guests: Dr Nita Isaeni (Chair of the Learning Transformation Group, Directorate of Basic Education, MOECRT), Mr I Gusti Agung Ketut Satrya Wibawa (Education and Culture Attache, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore), Haji. Aep Syaepuloh, S.E. (Mayor of Karawang District, Indonesia), Ms Alina Chia (Associate Director, Temasek Foundation), Professor Low Ee Ling (Dean/Academic and Faculty Affairs; Chair, Advisory Board of meriSTEM@NIE) and Professor Rajdeep Singh Rawat (Head, Natural Sciences and Science Education).
There two opening addresses, first from Professor Low Ee Ling, who emphasised that governments and industries must work together to keep up with the ever-evolving digital transformation, and how this STEM co-enculturation programme can contribute to it. Second was Dr Nita Isaeni, who expressed her gratefulness for this partnership and how the biggest benefit will ultimately be preparing students for a better future. After the opening addresses, Dr Arif Hidayat, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia and Coordinator of the 2023 STEM Leadership Programme for MOECRT then addressed the participants with three key messages that set the tone for the programme.
Associate Professor Teo Tang Wee delivered the report card of the programme and the morning's programme then continued sharing by Assistant Professor Ong Yann Shiou on the integrated STEM classroom observation protocol (iSTEM protocol) developed by meriSTEM@NIE to improve the teaching and learning of worthy STEM competencies.
In the afternoon, the participants were divided into two groups and dived deep into a one-and-a-half-day workshop on building STEM digital literacy; one group worked with micro:bit led by Dr Timothy Tan, and the other with Halocode led by Mr Ng Yonh Sim. Participants were introduced about the role of technology in education and they got hands-on experience learning to use the two technologies. The workshops ended with the participants having the opportunity to apply the technology they had learnt on real world STEM problems.
The third day saw the participants venture out for a learning to gain exposure on how STEM is taught in Singapore. In the morning, they were split into three groups, each group visited one school, either Dunman High School, Westwood Primary School, or Compassvale Secondary School. The programmes at each school varied. At Compassvale Secondary, the participants experienced a hands-on experiment, observed students having a STEM lesson, and went on a tour of the school. The participants that visited Dunman High had sharing session of the school’s approaches and programmes, were showed the space where STEM lessons take place and got to experience a hands-on STEM activity. Westwood Primary arranged for a sharing session of their experiences, a prototype demonstration by the students, and a tour of the school for the participants. In the afternoon, all the participants visited the Singapore Science Centre. They were treated to a OMNIMAX movie, followed by a sharing on the STEM programmes conducted by Singapore Science Centre. The participants were then given time to visit the exhibitions.
On the fourth day, the participants attended an enjoyable full-day workshop conducted by Stick ’Em on building curricular competency. After learning how the technology works, the participants were exposed to three different challenges using the S-T-E-M Quartet Framework developed by meriSTEM@NIE. The problem-centric gave the participants an opportunity to view problems through different perspectives, and the solution-centric challenges got the participants to use the technology to build a structure and robot. The last challenge required the participants to come up with a teaching programme that focuses on humanistic outcomes through a user-centric approach.
To wrap up the weeklong co-enculturation programme, the last day focused solely on STEM pedagogical practices. The morning featured a lecture by Associate Professor Tan Aik Ling on the topic. The participants then broke out into teams for discussion session to come up with an integrated STEM lesson that is based on the theme of sustainable development. In the afternoon, the participants gathered again to present and share their ideas for meriSTEM@NIE consultants to give feedback. At the end of the sharing session, A/P Tan Aik Ling thanked everyone for their participation, and went on to emphasise that this is an important topic as it is a global issue that should not be taken lightly. At the end of the programme, A/P Tan AIk Ling was presented a gift from Dr. Hj. Cellica Nurrachadiana, from Karawang district of West Java Province. A/P Arif Hidayat then took over and addressed the participants. He tied the week’s learnings to Indonesia’s new Merdeka curriculum. He also shared what is upcoming in the new year for the programme before ending the day.
STEM Consultancy to Nuclei Schools
Indonesia STEM Lesson Packages
Access lesson packages here.
