Promoting school-industry collaborations in STEM

Insights and implications from two case studies

Abstract

As STEM education evolves to address the complexity of real-world problems, collaboration between schools and industry is increasingly recognised as a powerful yet underutilised strategy. While school-industry partnerships offer rich opportunities for contextualised, authentic learning, their implementation remains limited due to logistical and pedagogical barriers. This paper presents a conceptual synthesis contributing to the field by offering a comparative analysis of how industry partnerships promoted through problem-based learning (PBL) can function as a complex adaptive system to STEM learning. Drawing on two case studies led by the authors, we provide valuable insights into three interrelated dimensions of school-industry partnerships: authenticity and industry relevance; feedback and iterative learning; and equity, agency, and pathways. We conclude by acknowledging the importance of boundary brokers, sustained teacher support, innovative feedback mechanisms, and alternative pedagogical models in fostering authentic, equitable, and future-focused STEM learning.