Recently, at a family gathering, I was asked, why homeschooling parents, who technically have the option to choose the topics they teach, would purposely include STEM education as a required component their Homeschool curriculum? In other words, why not pick subjects more easily conquered to assure higher success?
So why make STEM education and activities part of your Homeschool curriculum? In short, a STEM education is becoming increasingly recognized as a key driver of opportunity, and data show the need for STEM knowledge and skills will grow and continue into the future. The learning and doing of STEM helps develop these skills and prepare students, homeschooled and otherwise, for a workforce where success results not just from what one knows, but what one is able to do with that knowledge.
As a former Aerospace Engineer, integrating a STEM education to our homeschool curriculum, was a natural choice. To assist others in hopefully feeling the same, I did some research to help explain the components of a solid STEM program and further answer why STEM education is needed now more than ever.
Understanding the Need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education for Lifelong Learning
STEM is a crucial component of a well-rounded education for all students. The process of learning and practicing the STEM disciplines can instill in students a passion for inquiry and discovery and fosters skills such as persistence, teamwork, and the application of gained knowledge to new situations. According to the “experts,” these are the types of growth mindsets and habits that demonstrate one’s capacity for academic tenacity and lifelong learning in a rapidly changing world.
A strong STEM education – one that results in the skills and mindsets just described and opens the door for lifelong learning – starts as early as preschool, employs problem inquiry-based approaches, and engages students in hands-on activities that offer opportunities to interact with STEM professionals. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the STEM fields “are the gateway to America’s continued economic competitiveness and national security, and the price of admission to higher education and higher standards of living.
What’s to Come for STEM?
Recent analyses indicate that during the next five years, major American employers will need to add a total of nearly 1.6 million employees to their workforce: 945,000 who possess basic STEM literacy and 635,000 who demonstrate advanced STEM knowledge.
According to economist Jonathan Rothwell, some data suggest that at least 20 percent of U.S. jobs require a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field. Even outside of the traditional STEM job sector, there is a need for STEM competencies and skills. Data show that the set of core cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities that are associated with a STEM education are in demand in nearly all job sectors and occupations.
Not all STEM Education is Created Equal
Presently, policies and practices that ensure equitable access to the best STEM teaching and learning are not widespread. States, districts, and schools struggle to provide all students with the STEM experiences required for the 21st century, regardless of college and career aspirations. In particular, state and local education agencies and school-level educators struggle to close persistent achievement gaps in core subjects like mathematics and science. This is looking at the public sector where education is funded by the taxpayer. The gap is even greater for private or homeschool children where funds are not always available to provide the settings, materials, and the core components that make up a solid STEM foundation.
If we break it down further by race, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), results, show that, compared with 43 percent of White students and 61 percent of Asian students, just 13 percent and 19 percent of Black and Hispanic students, respectively, are scoring at or above proficiency in eighth-grade mathematics.
Engaged and networked communities of practice
All schools, early learning programs, communities, and students engage in CoP that draw on the knowledge, tools, resources, and expertise needed to effectively engage in STEM teaching and learning experiences, in and outside of formal school settings. These collaborative networks of STEM learning foster the skills and growth mindsets among all students that lead to lifelong learning and opportunities for postsecondary and career success, while expanding access to rigorous STEM courses, including computer science.