Jialu Fan

The complex global challenges we face have led to the development of STEM education and the recognition of the need for individuals to possess 21st-century skills (Ankerson et al., 2018; Bybee, 2013). STEM education has evolved over the past few decades in response to the ever-changing global society we live in (Kelly & Knowles, 2016; Gunckel & Tolbert, 2018). However, STEM is often seen as a detached technical field and is sometimes criticized for lacking empathy and compassion (Walther, Miller, & Sochacka, 2017). Professionals in STEM fields have the potential to address societal problems by promoting social responsibility and social justice (Pleasants, 2020; Hess et al., 2012). Social empathy is the ability to understand and gain insight into structural inequalities or disparities by perceiving or experiencing the life situations of others (Gunckel & Tolbert, 2018, p.952). By incorporating social empathy and compassion into STEM education, students can better understand that knowledge is constructed within sociocultural contexts in a post-structuralist world (Gunckel & Tolbert, 2018). One example of this innovative approach is Yungu School in China. Yungu School is an internationalized school that aims to cultivate "innovators for social good" (Yungu School). This conceptual paper explores how the innovative Capstone Program at Yungu School reflects classical poststructural feminism by integrating STEM, design, social issues, and entrepreneurship. Poststructuralism can be employed to examine everyday occurrences and challenges, prompting researchers to think differently. It emphasizes the importance of not blaming external factors for perpetuating social injustice, but instead encourages introspection to recognize our role in upholding these injustices in our daily lives (Pierre, 2000). The Yungu Capstone Program encourages students to analyze real-life environmental and societal challenges, rethink school policies, and develop solutions that benefit the school community. For example, one student aims to enhance existing privacy algorithms and create a more secure system to protect information about Yungu students. Another student wishes to study ecological fertilizers and the recycling of excess food to establish a green recycling mechanism. Feminist conceptions view empathy as a contextualized tool and a "transformative ethos" that promotes thoughtful consideration and action with regards to integrality (Gunckel & Tolbert, 2017, p.953). Empathy is closely tied to social interaction, which plays a crucial role in education. Through the Capstone Program at Yungu School, students are able to foster cultural reciprocity and deep empathy by making positive changes within their school community. I aim to provide a lens of an innovative and humanized approach to STEM education in China that values the holistic development of individuals. Ultimately, this paper aims to contribute to the broader discussion on educational system changes in Eastern and Western countries.

References: 

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Bybee, R. W. (2013). The case for STEM education: Challenges and opportunities.

Gunckel, K. L., & Tolbert, S. (2018). The imperative to move toward a dimension of care in engineering education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 55(7), 938-961.

Hess, J. L., Sprowl, J. E., Pan, R., Dyehouse, M., Morris, C. A. W., & Strobel, J. (2012, June). Empathy and caring as conceptualized inside and outside of engineering: Extensive literature review and faculty focus group analyses. In 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (pp. 25-520).

“High School.” Www.yungu.org, Yungu School , www.yungu.org/senior?lang=en. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.

Kelley, T. R., & Knowles, J. G. (2016). A conceptual framework for integrated STEM education. International Journal of STEM education, 3, 1-11.

Pleasants, J. (2020). Inquiring into the nature of STEM problems: Implications for pre-college education. Science & Education, 29(4), 831-855.

St. Pierre, E. A. (2000). Poststructural feminism in education: An overview. International journal of qualitative studies in education, 13(5), 477-515.