Rationale
STEM occupations are growing fast, in fact at a rate of 17% and this rate is higher than other jobs. Further, STEM graduates have a higher income compared to non-STEM careers. It goes without saying that STEM workers play a key role in the sustained growth of the economy; these same workers are needed to maintain our economic stability. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), there is a clamoring need for more scientific and technological literacy as every person is confronted with both the benefits and challenges of globalization and a knowledge-based economy.
STEM education creates meaningful learning opportunities that integrate content and skills needed for STEM careers and college readiness. It develops critical thinkers and increases problem solving skills that enable the next generation of innovators and inventors to apply content knowledge while promoting reasoning. This depends on a solid knowledge base in the STEM content areas, as it is clear that most jobs of the future will require an understanding of their connectedness. And yet, a noticeable number of students are lagging behind other developing countries in school performance and in building STEM careers.
Furthermore, STEM education encourages students to find creative solutions to complex problems that utilize tasks arising from life in the 21st century. This helps break the ethnic and gender barriers sometimes found in some academic fields. These marginalized groups are given opportunities to shine and be given the platform to demonstrate alternate views of thinking and excelling.
However, instilling the love and passion for STEM does not begin in middle school or high school. It begins way earlier, as early as preschool years. We need to have our students be exposed to STEM education more so when they are in elementary school. This is when their curiosities, passion and yearn for learning, and imagination are boundless, unfiltered and natural. But this often is not the situation. Many times, the emphasis and focus of STEM education are in upper grades, leaving those who need it most unattended. If a change is really wanted, this scenario has to be transformed.
And yet, this step is not complete without the restructure of teacher preparation programs. The training of elementary teachers traditionally focuses on reading and literacy skills. While teaching reading is a critical skill at the elementary level, research shows that early mathematics and science skills are a greater predictor of future school success. According to the report “Doing the Math” (2019), “too few elementary teachers receive the training and support they need to deliver joyful and authentic instruction to their students.”
Per the report from CME Group Foundation titled, “Early Childhood Teacher Preparation in Mathematics” (2016), the following recommendations indicate essential steps imperative in building a strong, high-quality and competent workforce in elementary teaching. The group believes that early childhood educators acquire instructional and assessment strategies that are informed by research on child development and early learning. These same educators also need to learn how to provide experiences specific to particular content areas while integrating this content into curricula and teaching practices. Finally, these educators should have high-quality fieldwork placements to develop gainful experience in working with diverse populations of children and families.
Teaching STEM in elementary grades serves as a gateway for students and teachers to become tomorrow’s leaders and catalysts for change. Young children with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will surely go on to secure an integral part in our nation’s economic, social, and global strength competitiveness. Elementary school teachers can cultivate the critical thinking and reasoning skills through problem solving in STEM education and provide their students with that extra edge academically, socially, and universally.