STEM in lower secondary schools: strategic approach to linking general and vocational education

In recent years, STEM education has been identified as a key solution for developing scientific thinking, technological competence, and creative skills among students in general education. In this spirit, Mien Dong College has taken the initiative to collaborate with lower secondary schools in the province to organize and deliver STEM lessons directly on campus, gradually integrating STEM education more deeply into local educational practice.

The college has identified this activity as a long-term task aligned with its development strategy and social responsibility as a vocational education institution. Through close coordination with secondary schools, lecturers from Mien Dong College are directly involved in developing content and delivering STEM lessons that align with the general education curriculum, are appropriate to students’ age-specific psychological traits, and are tailored to each school's actual conditions.

To date, the coordinated STEM teaching program has been implemented at six lower secondary schools, with 20 classes involving more than 700 students. The topics are designed with an interdisciplinary approach, integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and are closely connected to real-life and production-related issues. This experience enables students to engage with knowledge in a vivid and hands-on way, gradually developing scientific thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in practice.

A notable feature of this initiative is its emphasis on experiential learning. Students participate in group work, conduct experiments, assemble models, solve practical problems, and present their learning outcomes. The direct participation of Mien Dong College lecturers not only enhances the technical and academic quality of STEM lessons but also creates opportunities for secondary school teachers to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and explore new teaching methods.

In practice, many students have shown strong interest in the lessons, actively engaging in activities and confidently contributing their own ideas. Initial feedback suggests that participating students feel the STEM lessons help them understand the material more deeply and increase their motivation to study science and technology subjects.

From a broader development perspective, the leadership of Mien Dong College considers its collaboration with lower secondary schools in STEM education not merely as support for general education, but as a strategic step toward strengthening linkages between vocational education and general education.

According to Bui Dinh Ninh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Rector of Mien Dong College, STEM education should be implemented practically and effectively, placing learners at the center and aligning with early student streaming and career orientation from the secondary level onward.

In the coming period, Mien Dong College plans to further expand the scale of its STEM teaching collaboration with secondary schools, diversify content and delivery formats, and increase investment in teaching staff, learning materials, and teaching means. In line with the school leadership’s orientation, STEM education will be regarded as one of the key solutions to improving overall education quality, strengthening career guidance, and developing human resources that meet local development needs.

Students show enthusiasm during STEM lessons delivered by a lecturer from Mien Dong College. Photo: Thu Ha – Huy Khanh

By Thu Ha, Duy Khanh – Translated by Thu Hien, Minho