Ejecución de Proyectos STEM Como Estrategia para Elevar los Estándares de Educación en Estudiantes de Nivel Superior

This paper highlights the importance of developing academic projects derived from research work within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) framework. This approach aims to empower students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to enhance diverse professional competencies, increasing their learning to address national problems and impacting strategic sectors of the country with viable proposals. By applying theory to practice and forming student groups from different academic backgrounds, advised by a diverse faculty with varied professional profiles, multidisciplinary projects with a broader problem-solving approach can be developed. This, in turn, leads to the development of professional competencies that facilitate students' entry into the workforce. Examples of project-based learning (PBL) projects carried out by students from various national and international HEIs, presented at academic innovation events, are presented. The findings regarding the instrumental, interpersonal, and systemic competencies developed and enhanced through scientific and technological research projects are also analyzed. Various instruments are used to measure the effectiveness of PBL, all of them methodologically rigorous. Pedagogical processes typically vary according to the project's implementation needs.