Stem-festivals: school-university co-operation in the name of science

On 14 April 2025, within the framework of dual cooperation with basic schools, STEM-festivals were successfully held for 3rd grade students in the schools Yrker and Prometeus.

The events were organised by 1st and 2nd year students of the specialties Primary Education with Polylingualism and Primary Education with Business Innovations of the Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abay. The festival was the result of studying the discipline of Professor Assel Akpayeva Methods and technologies of teaching younger schoolchildren and an important stage of practice-oriented training of future teachers.

Primary school students took part in interactive master-classes, entertaining experiments, STEAM-games, robotics and creative tasks. The events were accompanied by lively interest and active participation of children.

The festivals were visited by teachers of the Department of Primary Education - Professor Assel Akpayeva, Master of Pedagogy, Senior Lecturer Maryam Bekbaeva and Master of Pedagogy, Lecturer Dinara Sambet, as well as by Akgul Sikhaeva, the educational adviser of the `Primary Education` educational programme, who studied the organisation and content of practical activities at the sites of partner schools.

Prometeus School is a dual partner of the Department of Elementary Education, where 1st year students have been studying since the beginning of the academic year. They regularly study the experience of teachers, participate in teaching and educational processes of the school.

The school `Yirker` acts as a base for pedagogical practice, where 2nd year students have practice in organising educational and extracurricular activities in accordance with the curriculum.

Also, as part of the assignments in the discipline `ICT in teaching school subjects`, the second-year students of the three-year course, under the guidance of teacher Dinara Bakhtiyarovna Sambet, filmed and edited video materials from the events. This became a practical realisation of digital skills in pedagogical activity.

Organisational support of the first year dual training students was provided by the professor of the department, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Larisa Lebedeva.

STEM-festivals became an example of successful interaction between the university and partner schools, allowing students to put their knowledge into practice, and schoolchildren to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of science.

We would like to thank Prometeus School as a dual partner and Yirker School as a practice base for providing the venues and supporting the educational initiative!