x Acquiring basic competencies – the fundament of key-competencies development for lifelong learning – will
have an essential role in improving the professional insertion capacity, the social inclusion and the personal
fulfilment. Consequently, measures must be taken in order to control the poor learning results and the social
exclusion;
x A good level of reading competencies and arithmetic knowledge, next to a solid understanding of the basic
principles of the natural world and of the fundamental scientific concepts, ensure the basis for acquiring
fundamental competencies for lifelong learning and, subsequently, they must be approached from an early age;
x In approaching the complex problematic referring to the improvement of the reading competencies and the
knowledge in MST attention must be granted to the following aspects:
1. Curriculum design. This could target: the acquiring from an early age of the basic competencies; the holistic
approach of education, a fact which assumes the development of each child’s abilities; the use of new evaluative
methods and their effect upon the school syllabus; the utilization of innovative pedagogic approaches as inquirybased
science education (IBSE) and problem-based learning (PBL), in Mathematics and Sciences; continuous
attention towards reading during all the obligatory school levels, and not only in the phases before and during
primary school, and more personalized approaches of teaching and learning.
2. Motivation for reading competencies and MST knowledge. The existence of a culture of home lecture (books,
newspapers, books for children) and reading in school, the activities of early alphabetization, before the beginning
of school, the parents’ readings and attitudes, the students’ interests, the self-efficaciousness and involving in lecture
activities both inside and outside school proved that they have a crucial impact on the improvement of reading level.
The methods of study should better exploit children's natural curiosity towards Mathematics and Sciences from an
early age. It is important to help children become autonomous and motivated lecturers, for whom lecture,
Mathematics skills and Science competencies will become an integrant part of everyday life.
3. The impact of the new technologies on the basic competencies and their utilization in supporting those who
study to become and remain motivated. The extended use of Internet and mobile technologies changed the nature
and perception of alphabetization in the 21st century. The influence of the new technologies on children’s lectures
and on their competencies in Mathematics and Sciences fields should be analysed, in order to ensure appropriate
methods of exploiting the potential of these technologies for new forms of study.
2. PBL Model
The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) (Duch et al., 2001), consists on valorising the problems of the "real world"
in the educational process, in order to facilitate the development of critical thinking and of students’ solving
abilities, and the assimilation of the fundamental concepts for the different study disciplines.
Using PBL in the instruction demarche, the teacher assumes the role of coach for his students, orienting them in
the research activity, stimulating their interest for an authentic and relevant learning.
The PBL model, proposed by the Academy of Sciences and Mathematics from Illinois, involves the following
stages and sub-stages:
1. Understanding of problem
a. Confrontation with the problem - an unstructured or poorly structured problem is provided to students (or they
propose it), which inspire their curiosity, interest and generate their need to know more;
b. Identification of detained knowledge which might be necessary for the problem approach (I know/I must know) -
the group of students complete lists structured thus: what we know, what we must know, what we have to do;
c. Definition of the situation-problem - students list the activities/tasks that must be effectuated and the factors
which ensure their finalization with success.
2. Curriculum exploring
a. Collection of information/documentation - students plan the way in which they will obtain/collect the
necessary information, valorising multiple and various resources;
b. Information exchange - students share/disseminate information they gathered in their group and it is discussed
their relevance for the investigated problem;