ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses learning in the Science, Technology & Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects as more than one-off events such as competitions and career initiatives, fun and interesting though they are. It describes creating an environment that will sustain the contributory subjects of STEM, where their place in the school is explicit and valued, where teachers are supporting each other and working together, and where pupils see the links between the subjects to help their learning. The chapter looks at the physical environment; the pupils’ learning environment – for both girls and boys; and the teachers’ professional environment. Teachers of STEM subjects are first and foremost teachers of young people, but they are also a teacher of a subject and feel responsible for keeping up to date as knowledge and processes expand exponentially.
