Perhaps you are wondering: What does STEM stand for in relation to education?
STEM can be defined just by expanding the acronym: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. But, this is an extremely simple way to explain it and perhaps you have already read about it multiple times. In reality, it is an approach in which all these four components are used in a connected manner to help the learners understand a concept better. The students not just learn the concept but also get a detailed idea of how it can be applied in real time. The growing demand for this form of teaching and learning has encouraged students to join STEM Education classes in India that teach using hands-on approach with educational kits and robotics.
Let’s have a look at different aspects of this interdisciplinary approach.
Advantages of STEM education
The primary reason why STEM education is necessary for the present scenario is that it fosters creativity and innovation among kids. They don’t feel burdened when a new concept of science or technology is taught to them. In fact, they feel intrigued by such concepts, which gravitates them towards an in-depth learning approach.
After being a part of this form of education, a student finds it easier to solve the challenges of both personal and professional life. This boosts their confidence and makes it a breeze for them to communicate the challenges and their solutions.
And of course, there are various professions in which an individual can enter, something we have discussed in the next section.
Career in STEM
It is a common misconception that careers in the STEM are limited to engineering, research, or a related domain. Someone with dexterity in STEM education can become a management analyst, an industrial psychologist, information security analyst, a cartographer, an actuary, a statistician, a drone pilot, or a financial advisor.
If you think these roles don’t match your passion or personality, let’s tell you about some exciting professions you might haven’t heard of. The background in the STEM can empower you to become:
- ESPN Statistician
- Legoland Designer
- Ethical Hacker
- Molecular Gastronomist
- Music Data Journalist
- 3D printing materials manager
The best part about STEM education is that the learners evolve as the problem solvers and critical thinkers. This means even if they choose a profession that’s not directly related to STEM, they will still perform better than their counterparts due to the possession of these skills.
STEM Education in India
The learning approach involving the four branches of STEM became popular first in the US. After realizing its potential and witnessing the positive results, India has also adopted the similar approach for STEM Education. The schools are now installing Science and Math Labs in their premises even for the elementary grade to enhance the creativity and logical thinking skills of the kids.
The government of India has recognized how these skills can be beneficial for both the young generation and the nation. This is why the Indian Government is establishing Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the nation. The objective of these ATLs is to enhance creativity and innovation with the use of DIY kits. The students learn about the technologies like 3D printing, microcontrollers, programming, etc. through hands-on experience.
Even various startups are venturing into educational technology for promoting STEM education in institutions across India.
Did you know that 80% of the jobs in the upcoming decade will need some form of science and Math skills? This was predicted by the National Science Foundation. It is expected that growing interest of the government and educational institutions will aid in meeting these future requirements in the job market.
Benefits of Early STEM learning
In the traditional educational approach, the students often learn about the technology and engineering-related topics in their higher classes or during their college years. But, STEM begins during the fundamental stages of education.
When a kid acquires STEM skills, it becomes easier for them to handle the challenges and solve problems. This is something beneficial throughout their life, irrespective of which profession they choose. Even the learning a new language becomes easier if a child is exposed to this form of learning.
This is why the teachers must weave STEM concept into anything they are teaching. For inspiration, the teachers can learn about the IDEAS Project. It’s a model of teaching that combines literacy instruction with science by offering the learners with chances to
- Perform hands-on tasks
- Develop upon the existing knowledge
- Read & write about science
- Utilize different tools for better conceptual science understanding
- Building meaningful connections between different concepts
Women in STEM
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a number of women in STEM careers are quite less than men. If we specifically talk about India, around 14 per cent of females are part of professions associated with the STEM. Encouraging the women in these domains is not just limited to their empowerment. It is also crucial because more women in STEM will result in more innovations that can solve the common issues faced by them.
To increase their number in the field of technology and mathematics, it is necessary to spread awareness about gender equality. Well, this is the first step in this regard.
More often than not, it is believed that females don’t belong to Science and Technology, due to which they aren’t encouraged by parents or teachers. To get rid of such thinking, the education needs to become more interactive and fun. The use of educational kits can solve this issue. Also, the parents must ensure that their girl child is connected to someone who has already achieved success in STEM-related field.
Inclusion of Arts
The inclusion of Arts in the already existing STEM approach is a step ahead in the education. Using STEAM (‘A’ refers to Arts) methodology, a teacher connects critical areas of learning with art practices and design principles for holistic development. Such methodology exposes the students to new domains and removes limitations of innovation and creativity.
Put simply, the students start looking at the science and engineering problems from an artistic point-of-view and deliver the solution accordingly
Future of STEM
Now that you know, what does STEM stand for in relation to education, it’s time to learn about its future. With the science and technology becoming an integral part of our life, the demand for STEM professionals will increase at an accelerated rate. There are some professions which don’t exist yet but will be in huge demand in future. For example, there’s going to be a demand for space pilot in the near future. To be a part of this profession, one needs to attend aviation school. Learning about space-simulator laboratory of NASA can also help.
How NeoRobos is contributing:
NeoRobos, an educational technology firm, is contributing to the growth of STEM education in India through its multiple offerings. It has a tie-up with different schools from Delhi NCR. This is done through the use of multiple educational kits and robotics that offer immersive learning experience at their disposal. The team at NeoRobos also conducts its own workshops, training camps, competitions and assessments to spread the STEAM literacy.
You can learn more about the firm and its services by visiting the respective page on the website.