Improving STEM teaching in higher education: a collaboration between Europe and South Africa

This paper focuses on an innovative training programme about STEM education carried out within the context of the Erasmus Project “Transforming STEM teacher education in South Africa through Self- Directed Open Educational Practices” (TED-SOEP 2025-27). STEM teaching in South African higher institutions is facing challenges which require new pedagogical approaches. The purpose of TED-SOEP is to support STEM education improvement through the collaboration between South African and Europe Higher Education Institutes. Specifically, the innovative training programme for South African Higher Education lecturers and professors has been organized by the University of Florence from 26th to 30th May 2025 and provided participants with new pedagogical strategies for STEM education, integrating Open Educational Resources (OERs) and self-directed Open Educational Practices (OEPs) into STEM teacher education programmes. The course was structured into 5 modules: the morning sessions included expert-led lectures, demonstrations, and example analyses from UniFi professors, researchers and research fellows. The results of the final questionnaire (evaluated with a score ranging from 1 to 10) confirmed the successful implementation of the training, which was perceived as highly engaging, as shown by the high scores reached in all dimensions of evaluation. Moreover, the possibility to learn innovative practices and tools was recognized as a strength, inspiring both teachers’ practice and their research direction. These findings underline the importance of sharing practices and know-how in STEM education in a multi-perspective approach, including theoretical explanation and practical application.