Astronomy in Greece’s secondary education: The STEM4you(th) project

In the framework of the European Project STEM4you(th) a course of astronomy consisting of 10 lessons has been designed for secondary school students. Methodologically the course is based on a combination of constructivism principles with the inquiry-based teaching and learning method. Students meet astronomy for the first time through their engagement in the STEM content approach. Astronomical concepts and scientific processes are taught using the storytelling technique and through STEM activities. The objectives focus on students’ engagement in STEM activities, so they will become more creative and develop necessary skills for the competitive European labor market. The astronomy course and the developed material is available on the OLCMS (Open Learning Content Management System) platform, designed within the framework of the program, to make the material freely accessible to every user. In the present work the first results of the pilot phase of the program, which has been implemented in secondary schools in Greece, are discussed.