On February 11th, Women in Science Day is celebrated. Both the day and the decades-long career of a scientist consist of moments. Tiia Rüütmann, the Head of the Estonian Centre for Engineering Pedagogy and an Associate Professor, shares significant moments from her life.
- A moment of choices – In 2002, I faced the choice of whether to continue teaching engineering at the university or shift to the field of engineering pedagogy. I sensed that the foundational knowledge of our incoming students in STEM subjects was lacking, largely due to deficiencies in teaching these subjects in general education. I wanted to contribute to the research-based training of STEM teachers.
- A moment of clarity – Unexpectedly, an opportunity for doctoral studies in engineering pedagogy opened up in the Czech Republic, and I made the decision to start my doctoral studies. This provided an opportunity to fulfill my future goals, and I seized the opportunity immediately.
- A moment of doubt – Could I manage doctoral studies at a foreign university alongside my family and three children? Fortunately, my support system was strong, and any doubts were quickly alleviated.
- A moment for fight – The prevailing opinion was that STEM subjects should be taught exactly the same way as all other subjects, but that's not true – subject-specific didactics are quite different. In Estonia, there was a lack of understanding that engineering is a knowledge-based, not opinion-based, field. Clarifying this was a struggle in itself – emphasizing that a STEM field teacher must be a specialist in their field and have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.
- A moment of joy – When I was elected President of the International Society for Engineering Pedagogy (IGIP) and received the global engineering education award in Singapore, I realized that I needed to continue contributing to the field of engineering pedagogy. I was very happy that my contributions were recognized.