STEM – open the doors to the future!

STEM – a four-letter abbreviation that is not given the priority it always deserves. It is important to firstly understand what STEM refers to – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – and this is something that impacts almost every aspect of our lives. The various disciplines have an enormous potential for opportunities in professions and careers in later life – anything from designers and physicists, to architects and programmers.

Unfortunately, countries all around the world are currently facing a big gap in skills when it comes to jobs that are STEM-based. More and more learners choose to specialise in more creative subjects, such as art, drama, music and languages. At the rapid rate that technology is changing and advancing, there is a massive demand for graduates in STEM-based subjects.

Five STEM experts around the world have commented extensively on this topic and shared a single skill that they think will be most important for current and future learning and careers.

1. Statistics

“If I were to choose one specific discipline for students to study, it would be statistics, a course that can be applied across all STEM fields. You don’t need higher levels of calculus or physics for all STEM careers, but you do need statistics.” – Gregg Fleisher, president, National Math and Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas.

2. Problem-solving

“What binds together the STEM movement is the notion of modern skills. Employers talk about problem-solving. Society requires problem-solving. Doing your taxes requires problem-solving. Those are the types of skills that really matter.” – James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition in Washington, D.C., and a nuclear engineer by training.

3. Creativity

“Creativity can be simple and complex at the same time.We don’t always teach to think outside of the box. You’ve got to look at a problem from a different perspective sometimes. Teachers can nurture this by asking open-ended questions. In math and science, you can show different models so students get varying ideas of how it might look to bring together one idea. Or don’t show a model at all and leave it a little open-ended so they have to come up with a solution on their own.” – Jenny Nash, education specialist with the Lego Foundation in Boston, former middle school teacher and teacher-preparation instructor.

4. Argumentation

“The act of arguing is using evidence to support a claim. In the STEM fields, this means using analytical and critical-thinking skills to look for patterns in data, trying to determine what those patterns mean, and then using that data to support a claim. This skill transfers across all disciplines. In an elementary school science class, for example, if you give students a lot of different experiences with noisemakers—everything from tuning forks to speakers to whoopee cushions—they have the experience of collecting data.” – Eric Brunsell, associate professor of science education and director of the teacher education program at University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

5. Intellectual Curiosity

“The days of coming into an organisation and having the same role forever are over. Many people will have two-year stints and then are moved into a different role. That’s the nature of modern career paths. Beyond mastering content, individuals need to be innovators, learn from failures and keep moving on. You need to cut across disciplines and be able to ask the questions that help build connections.” – Ted Wells, vice president and chief strategy officer at STEMconnector®, in Washington, D.C.

Delivering relevant and interesting content in the classroom helps to develop and nurture younger learners’ natural curiosity and engagement with the world around them. By making education fun, relevant and hands-on, you encourage learners to explore different options of career paths and show them that truly can be anything they want to be.