ERIC Number: EJ898909
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Sep
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2158-0502
EISSN: N/A
Advancing STEM Education: A 2020 Vision
Bybee, Rodger W.
Technology and Engineering Teacher, v70 n1 p30-35 Sep 2010
STEM (an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) had its origins in the 1990s at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been used as a generic label for any event, policy, program, or practice that involves one or several of the STEM disciplines. However, a recent survey on the "perception of STEM" found that most professionals in STEM-related fields lacked an understanding of the acronym STEM. Most respondents linked the acronym to "stem cell research" or to plants (Keefe, 2010). Once again, the education community has embraced a slogan without really taking the time to clarify what the term might mean when applied beyond a general label. When most individuals use the term STEM, they mean whatever they meant in the past. So STEM is usually interpreted to mean science or math. Seldom does it refer to technology or engineering, and this is an issue that must be remedied. If STEM education is going to advance beyond a slogan, educators in the STEM community will have to clarify what the acronym actually means for educational policies, programs, and practices. In this article, the author presents several things that STEM might mean for contemporary education. He suggests that clarifying STEM literacy and establishing this as a fundamental purpose of school programs is a first step in advancing STEM education. He also discusses the challenges to advancing STEM education and how to address them. He concludes that advancing STEM education with a 2020 vision could respond to myriad contemporary challenges the nation now faces. (Contains 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Educational Research, Memory, Engineering, Science Education, Technology Education, Engineering Education, Mathematics Education, Models, Evaluation, Instructional Materials, Educational Change, Faculty Development
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. 1914 Association Drive Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539. Tel: 703-860-2100; Fax: 703-860-0353; e-mail: itea@iteaconnect.org; Web site: http://www.iteaconnect.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A