Spatial Education and Learning Linked to STEM

The SellSTEM project aimed to address the gender gap in spatial ability and increase enrollment in STEM education among young people, especially girls. The project recruited a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) to develop knowledge about the spatial-STEM relationship and its interaction with gender. The researchers created STEAM education activities tailored for both girls and boys, trained teachers to deliver these activities, and informed European policy on STEM education.

The primary objective was to establish a Europe-wide network combining expertise in areas such as STEM education research, spatial cognition, visuospatial working memory, teacher training, art and graphics education, and gender studies. SellSTEM recruited fifteen high-caliber ESRs to work collaboratively, focusing on the spatial-STEM relationship, the integration of art and STEM (STEAM), and the development of spatial ability, visualization skills, STEM learning, and problem-solving.

Under the TU Dublin PhD program, ESRs developed competencies in original research, research planning, employability skills, and discipline knowledge. The project targeted those with low spatial ability, often overrepresented by girls, and aimed to support innovation and creativity in STEM fields.

The European Union's goal was to increase young people's recruitment to STEM and address the gender imbalance. SellSTEM worked within this framework, contributing to a ten-year plan initiated in Ireland in 2017 to boost enrollment in STEM courses. The project's goals aligned with targets to increase the number of girls in STEM, integrate arts education to promote creativity, and improve STEM performance.