As Uzbekistan continues making nationwide investments in modernizing science and know-how schooling, Illinois State University college are contributing to these efforts by means of worldwide collaboration. Dr. Do-Yong Park, professor of science schooling in the School of Teaching and Learning, was invited to the University of Science and Technology in Tashkent (USAT) to steer a STEM schooling workshop for college and college students.
The invitation adopted potential skilled exchanges with colleagues in Uzbekistan and aligned with Park’s work in inquiry-pushed and engineering-centered STEM schooling. He famous that Uzbekistan’s concentrate on advancing science and know-how schooling made the collaboration well timed.
During his go to, Park carried out a multi-day workshop centered on inquiry-based mostly STEM schooling and engineering design. The classes emphasised integrating science, arithmetic, and know-how by means of structured drawback-fixing and experimental inquiry actions.
“Engineering gives students a reason to apply knowledge to solve real-world challenges,” Park stated. “This approach fosters creativity, collaboration, and persistence while making learning more relevant and engaging.”
Workshop individuals explored methods to include inquiry-pushed instruction into classroom observe. Park noticed robust pupil curiosity in STEM fields, together with participation in robotics groups and specialised STEAM faculties. He additionally famous that whereas Uzbekistan has made seen investments in STEM schooling by means of curriculum reform, infrastructure growth, and worldwide partnerships, many educators have had restricted alternatives for skilled coaching in inquiry-pushed and engineering-centered approaches.
“Students are clearly interested in STEM fields, but many educators have had limited opportunities to train in inquiry-driven or engineering-focused methods,” he stated.
Park emphasised that strengthening STEM schooling requires constructing a robust foundational understanding of how science, arithmetic, know-how, and engineering could be built-in by means of significant drawback-fixing.
“Without a strong foundation, reforms risk becoming fragmented or dependent on short-term support,” he defined. “A true STEM foundation equips educators with the pedagogy to integrate disciplines in sustainable ways.”
The go to additionally served as a basis for future tutorial collaboration linked to his Fulbright U.S. Scholar proposal. During the go to, college management at USAT offered Park with a standard Uzbek coat in recognition of the partnership.
Park described the expertise as half of an ongoing effort to assist sustainable STEM schooling growth by means of collaboration and shared skilled studying.