Strategies & Tips for Helping Students Who Struggle with STEM

Table of Contents

Identifying the Challenges
Building a Strong Foundation
- Knowledge Gap Identification Tactics:
- Ways to Address Knowledge Gaps:
Making STEM Relevant and Engaging
Differentiating Instruction
Encouraging a Growth Mindset
Providing Additional Support and Resources
Utilizing Technology and Tools
Collaborative Learning and Peer Support
Empowering Students to Succeed with STEM Sports®

It is a marathon, not a sprint. This widely known, and perhaps overused phrase aligns closely with the mindset and mentality that educators, parents, and school administrators should have when thinking about a student’s education. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are often seen as more difficult than other subjects, leading to students’ varying skill levels and comprehension of these complex concepts.

The knowledge and skill gap between students in STEM education poses a unique challenge for educators as they create their classroom curriculum plan. That is where this phase comes into play. The goal of educators is to create confident, lifelong learners throughout their educational journey. Students spend the first 18, or more, years of their life in some form of formal education. It is not about students comprehending all subject matter right away, but rather about their long-term understanding, teachability, and preparedness to enter into whatever career field they choose.

In this article, we will review strategies and tips for helping students who struggle in STEM subjects. These strategies were created with the mindset of helping students improve their STEM literacy over time, creating a more confident learner.

Identifying the Challenges

When figuring out how to combat student struggles in STEM learning, it is beneficial to understand why they are running into these difficulties. There can be countless reasons why students may be struggling in a given subject. But, here is a list of some of the common challenges students face with STEM subjects:

Abstract Concepts: Students can often struggle with understanding high-level, abstract ideas. This lack of understanding can lead to a disinterest in the subject matter, which decreases student comprehension and retention.
Lack of Confidence: STEM subjects have been deemed hard by students. They are often seen as more difficult overall, which can be intimidating for students. If this common misconception is not properly addressed, it can negatively impact student confidence in these areas.
Foundational Gaps: Not all education backgrounds are equal, and these foundational years directly impact a student’s preparedness for future, complex subject matter. When students are missing crucial, foundational skills, it can inhibit their ability to advance in STEM.

Building a Strong Foundation

Creating a strong STEM foundation is critical for student success in these subjects throughout primary, secondary, and higher education. While it is always preferred to create this foundation during a student’s early education, that is not always a possibility.

Regardless of when a student is starting their STEM learning journey, they must have a strong foundation and a deep comprehension of the basics of STEM, which more complex concepts derive.

Here is a list of how to identify and address knowledge gaps in foundational STEM concepts:

Knowledge Gap Identification Tactics:

Classroom Diagnostic Assessments: Use assessments to identify gaps in foundational knowledge before starting lessons.
Leverage Standardized Tests: Standardized tests allow educators to see where there may be knowledge and comprehension gaps in specific subjects. Through reviewing these tests, educators can better tailor their lesson plans to areas their students need to improve.
Student Self-Reflection Questionnaires: Sometimes the best way to see where a student is struggling is to ask them. Through thoughtfully created questionnaires, educators can get insights into where students feel they are weaker and where they lack the confidence needed to excel.

Ways to Address Knowledge Gaps:

Reinforcement Activities: Rather than rushing through foundational STEM lessons to get to more complex activities, educators can spend more time with students practicing basic concepts. Whether students are just learning these skills or brushing up on old skills, reinforcement activities to set students up for success in future lessons.
Scaffolded Learning: Gradually increase the complexity of tasks to build confidence and competence.

Making STEM Relevant and Engaging

The abstract nature of STEM concepts can often make getting students interested and engaged in lessons a difficult task for educators. This is best combated by providing students with real-world experiences and examples that connect to what they are learning. This connection to the world around them and situations they have personally experienced creates a deeper interest and understanding of what students are learning.

Another effective way to make STEM learning engaging, and increase student success, is through hands-on activities. Project-based learning opportunities that allow students to engage on a deeper level with their curricula have been proven to increase student success in lessons. This is especially true for students who have struggled with STEM learning in the past and need to spend more time thoughtfully thinking about the lesson takeaways.

Differentiating Instruction

Every student has their own unique learning style and current skill set. This creates a challenge for teachers, who are tasked with finding a way to engage and effectively teach all students, regardless of current skill, confidence level, and preferred learning style. This is often referred to as differentiated instruction, which focuses on tailoring teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of each student.

Here are effective ways to implement differentiated instruction to benefit the classroom:

- Create Learning Stations: Throughout the classroom, educators can have learning stations that facilitate the lesson in a variety of ways. Each station, while teaching the same material, can cater to a different learning style – interactive, reading, audio, and more.
- Alternate Assessment Types: Oftentimes assessments are thought of as pen-and-paper tests to gauge a student’s success in a given subject. While traditional assessments are a great tool for educators, they are not the only option. Educators can rotate between written assessments, talking assessments, activities, and other methods to gauge student success. This variety will allow left and right-brained students to show off their skills.

Implement the Think-Pair-Share Method: In the Think-Pair-Share Method, students think about a question on their own. Then, once they have had time to thoughtfully approach the question, they are paired with another student to talk about it and share their unique opinions. To finish, students share their thoughts with the larger group, creating an open forum for discussion. This approach allows all students to get involved, regardless of their current confidence or skill level.

Encouraging a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the idea that skills and knowledge can be learned and strengthened over time through hard work and dedication. This is the mindset students need to excel in their education and future careers. Educators promoting a growth mindset in students is especially important for those who are currently struggling in STEM subjects. By adopting this mindset, students will understand through determination, effort, and not giving up, they can improve their STEM literacy and transcend in these subjects.

Providing Additional Support and Resources

Some students who are struggling in STEM may require additional support and resources in order to improve their STEM literacy. Here are some additional resources for educators and school administrators that may help students catch up and/or get ahead.

Tutoring and Mentoring: Offer one-on-one support through tutoring or mentoring programs.
Supplemental Materials: Provide additional resources, such as books, websites, and apps, for extra practice.
Parental Involvement: Encourage parents to support their child’s learning at home. This can be through school newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, or through take-home STEM assignments targeted toward family collaboration.

Utilizing Technology and Tools

The technology landscape is rapidly changing and it is impacting the way the education system and workforce are functioning. As students enter the workforce, it is going to be essential that students are technology fluent. Aside from the long-term benefits to students by incorporating technology into the classroom, these online tools can also help students who are struggling get the extra assistance they need to get back on track. Whether it is educational apps, online tutorials, interactive lessons, or peer chat rooms, these tools can be leveraged both in the classroom and at home to help students.

Collaborative Learning and Peer Support

Students should be encouraged to use each other as a resource both in the classroom and outside of school. Collaborative learning environments help students learn from each other and gain teamwork skills. It is also proven that teaching is the best way to learn something. So, if students are working together on complex STEM lessons and walking through their thought processes with classmates, they are not only helping those around them who may be struggling but creating a stronger understanding of the lesson for themselves.

Empowering Students to Succeed with STEM Sports®

STEM learning is a lifelong process that does not start or end at a particular age. Throughout this article, we highlight a variety of strategies and tips for helping students who are struggling in STEM get back on track. Whether students are 10 or 20, these strategies will help them to improve their STEM literacy and gain confidence in these subjects.

Are you an educator or school administrator looking for STEM curricula to engage K-8 students in STEM learning? Click here to explore the STEM Sports® curriculum, which offers hands-on, real-world STEM lessons facilitated through sports activities.

Lauren Chiangpradit