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STEM is a commonly used acronym to describe science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects. This term is popularly used throughout the education system and workforce, emphasizing the connected, shared nature of these four core disciplines. In recent years, the importance of STEM education has become increasingly known, resulting in school administrators, educators, and parents putting an additional emphasis on students’ need to have STEM literacy as they head into higher education and adulthood.
In this article, we explore the history of STEM and its evolution into the critical education and societal powerhouse it is today.
The Origins of STEM Education
Science and mathematics have always been core school subjects that teachers included in their classroom curriculum maps. These were traditionally taught during separate lessons and, typically, by different teachers. Some accredit the rising importance and addition of engineering to the STEM acronym to the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th century. During this time, the innovative minds of engineers led to the development and creation of key inventions – all of which changed the trajectory of society.
However, since the full STEM acronym did not gain popularity and become commonly used until the 2000s, it is unlikely this single instance alone caused engineering to be included in the STEM curriculum and workforce. It is more plausible that, through many instances over the years, engineering and technology have had major impacts and influence on society, changing the way we view and conduct daily life. And, in turn, people have seen the importance of preparing students for careers in engineering and technology, to allow for continued advancements in these areas, especially in today’s radically changing world.
The Space Race and the Rise of STEM in Schools
The beginning of the space age occurred in October 1957, when the Sputnik space launch happened. This launch marked the start of a race between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. The competition between these two countries pushed the United States into action, leading President Dwight D. Eisenhower to pass the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), which provided funding to improve the American education system. Among these improvements was the increased curriculum around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, although the term STEM was still not commonly used.
This period was the start of educators intentionally and consistently adding STEM lessons in the classroom curriculum, something that continued to gain traction from there into the current day where there are STEM schools who focus heavily on the STEM literacy of their students.
The Shift to a Hands-On, Inquiry-Based Approach
When STEM learning was first introduced to the classroom, it focused heavily on rote learning methods, where students needed to memorize content through repetition. While this approach was successful for standardized testing and the reciting of information, there was a lack of deep, true understanding of the STEM concepts. This approach to teaching STEM has since progressed, shifting to a hands-on approach to lessons, which makes students active participants in the learning process. This inquiry-based teaching method leads to improved learning as applied knowledge to the real world.
The Introduction of Technology in STEM Learning
In what seemed like an instant, the creation of desktop (and eventually portable) computers and the rise of the internet changed the way people were living their daily lives, and how educators were conducting lessons in the classroom. Since the late 20th century, we have seen rapid technological advances, each providing a new, impactful addition to society. With these constant changes, it has become increasingly important for students to be prepared to enter the workforce with technological literacy, ready to leverage these tools to create more effective and efficient outcomes. With that, the ‘T’ in STEM has become irreplaceable – a key portion of the STEM acronym and the classroom curricula.
Government and Industry Support for STEM Education
STEM education could not have gotten to where it is now without the key government and private partners, who have focused their efforts on providing quality, accessible education to students at the primary and secondary level. These groups help to create standards and promote thoughtful, group thinking that allows us to continue to provide the best and most relevant STEM lessons with students. These groups include but are not limited to the STEM for All Foundation, Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards, and Girls Who Code.
Modern STEM Education: Where Are We Now?
With STEM careers rising faster than any other workforce, a projected 11% increase by 2033, there is a continued need for qualified, passionate STEM individuals. This starts in the classroom, where educators have the critical role of implementing STEM and STEAM curricula with students that focus on their STEM literacy and preparing them to transfer their knowledge to real world scenarios.
The Future of STEM Education
The STEM landscape is constantly changing and pivoting to meet the needs of society, and the new technology and knowledge at our fingertips. It is important these changes and advancements continue to happen, since they are key to educators giving students the tangible and transferable skills they need to enter the STEM workforce-ready to make a difference.
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