When a new curriculum is added to an education system that is already in place, there are always going to be pros and cons. When new ways of teaching are introduced, there is usually a steep learning curve, and sometimes there are extra costs for training and resources.
On the other hand, the pros of said curriculum change usually outweigh the cons, which usually become less important as the program goes on.
Taking a close look at STEM education and thinking about its pros and cons can really help you see why it’s important to think about adding this way of teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to your curriculum.
Even though these subjects are covered in some way in traditional schooling, the unique way that STEM learning approaches them gives students a set of skills that are worth a lot.
On your list of the pros and cons of STEM education, which side will be longer? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Education in the STEM courses in Singapore—that is, science, technology, engineering, and math—offers this chance to look at things in more detail. STEM doesn’t ignore the other fields, and it often uses them to help people learn more about the subjects that fall under the STEM umbrella.
This more in-depth look could get students interested in STEM careers and make them more aware of the different job options they may have in the future. But it all starts with adding STEM education to the way schools are usually set up.
What is STEM Education?
STEM is a form of education that brings together science, technology, engineering, and math in a new way (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). To be more specific, STEM education puts most of its focus on hands-on and problem-based ways to learn.
Students have the chance to learn and understand things from the point of view of the real world. This puts a lot of emphasis on developing logical and critical thinking skills.
Students who learned about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) had the skills they needed to do well in their chosen careers, whether they wanted to work for someone else, start their own businesses, or do something else.
The pros of teaching STEM
The pros of teaching STEM in school, over a student’s whole academic career, all point toward pupils gaining important abilities they can use throughout their whole life.
While instructors are instructing students in the specifics of these subjects, students are also developing more broad skills that will be beneficial to them in their professional lives.
Develop skills students can’t do without
A kid can only get so far in school and in life by learning by heart and knowing all the “facts.” They also need to be able to understand how to use this information.
STEM education helps make this a possibility because it is what it is. Students learn skills they might not even know they need because of the focus on higher-order thinking exercises that include real-world problems and require them to work together as a group.
GRIT is one of the most important skills that students learn by accident when they take STEM classes in Singapore. This means that a student can try something, fail, and then get back up and try it again.
A trait of a successful person is the ability to keep trying until they find a solution to a problem, no matter how many times they have to try.
Provide for future professional opportunities
With the skills they’ve learned in a STEM-based education, a person can always sell themselves, even if there are trends in the field or different jobs that come in and out of style.
This is because companies in every industry are looking for new hires with the skills we talked about earlier in this paragraph.
There is a better understanding of how valuable these skills are, and when they are combined with a background in real STEM fields, they can often lead to jobs that pay much more than average.
A background in science, technology, engineering, or math can really set a person apart from other candidates for a wide range of different jobs.
Promote gender equality and equity
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education helps students understand and get involved in a wide range of academic fields.
Also, the younger a student is when they start learning about STEM, the more likely it is that they will choose a job in a STEM-related field when they grow up. It’s possible that this will help close the big gap between men and women in many STEM jobs.
Also, STEM education is based on a framework that is very open. Both boys and girls get the same opportunities and training, which helps create a more level playing field starting in kindergarten and, more importantly, as the kids move up in school.
Enhance Critical Thinking
STEM education is a very important part of a student’s overall education because it teaches them how to solve problems quickly and effectively.
When STEM is taught to students at a young age, they learn how to think about problems and come up with ways to solve them.
Motivates Experimenting
People have realized in the last few decades that education in the STEM fields provides a healthy environment for students and encourages them to try new things.
Children who take part in STEM education learn how to learn from their mistakes and move on without letting them affect them emotionally.
Teamwork
STEM education is perfect for team-building activities and teaches students of all skill levels how to work well together.
They work together to solve the problem. They talk to each other about it, record data, make presentations, write reports, and do many other things.
In the end, they see how important it is to work together and thrive in an environment that focuses on building teams from the ground up.
Boosts Curiosity
This is one of the most important things that a STEM classroom should teach. Students who are taught this way from a young age tend to be naturally curious and creative.
This kind of education helps students think in a more analytical way and gives them the courage to ask questions.
Enhances Problem Solving Skills
Students get better at solving problems at the same time they get better at thinking critically. Early on in their education, kids who focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learn skills that help them analyze and solve problems.
Children can also come up with brilliant ways to solve problems. Students would also do well to look at the situation from a more macro level instead of a more micro level.
Cons of STEM Education:
No clear-cut guidelines or standards.
The biggest problem with STEM education is that there are no set rules about what subjects kids should learn or how qualified their teachers need to be.
Because every program at every school is different and focuses on a different set of subjects, there is a chance that some programs don’t prepare kids for college as well as they could.
There is also a chance that some teachers don’t know much about the subjects they are trying to teach because there are no qualifications needed to teach STEM courses for kids.
Starts too late in life
Many experts in the field think that starting STEM education in middle school is too late to make a real difference in the lives of students. This is another problem with most STEM programs.
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) should be emphasized while students are still in elementary school. This will help them develop an interest in these fields and give them the drive to do well in them.
If that’s the case, these students may not have the basic skills they need to learn more complex ideas through the STEM program.
Under-performing students can get left out.
One argument against STEM programs is that they might seem like they are only for a select few. Students who are well-prepared and motivated on their own will do well, while those who don’t have these qualities will usually fall behind.
In general, these programs don’t help kids who aren’t as good in school, even if they could be just as successful with a little extra help.
