Dee Dee Whitaker
Product Content Specialist

August 2017

What is STEM?

STEM education is a curriculum used to educate students in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Two teaching approaches define STEM education: 

• STEM education is interdisciplinary.
• It uses a real-world approach to solving problems. 

STEM integrates all four disciplines into a blended learning environment. STEM education has its roots in the Science/Technology/Society (STS) movement that began in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. Dr. Robert Yager documented that STS found its way into many state science standards by the 1990s and noted that environmental issues were often the focus of real-world, problem-solving applications. 

Today, A Framework for K–12 Science Education and its sister publication Next Generation Science Standards specify two core ideas that relate science, technology, society, and the environment. Dimension 3: Core Ideas for Engineering, Technology, and the Applications of Science state the following as core content ideas:

• ETS2.A: Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology
• ETS2.B: Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World 

These core ideas are woven through the content of physical science, life science, and earth and space science. They integrate engineering and design solutions into the other disciplines, illustrating for students how the scientific method and engineering design cycle can be applied and integrated into everyday life.

Why STEM?

STEM careers are on the rise, and the rationale for relevant education is often couched in job statistics. Statistics on jobs, job outlooks, salaries, and education from US government and education agencies help make a strong case for STEM:

• By 2022, there will be 9 million STEM-related jobs in the United States.
• 30 of the fastest-growing job fields require STEM skills.
• STEM employment has risen more than 30% between 2000 and 2013.
• The median 2012 salary for science and engineering occupations was $74,380. For all occupations, the median 2012 salary was $34,750.
• The science and engineering workforce has shown sustained growth for over 50 years.
• The United States must produce approximately 1,000,000 more STEM professionals over the next 10 years to stay globally competitive.
• In 2014, only 43% of US high school graduates were ready for college-level math.
• In 2014, only 37% of US high school graduates were ready for college-level science.
• 589,330 bachelor’s degrees were awarded in science and engineering fields in 2012, and 14% of those degrees were in engineering.
• The average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment score for 12th grade students was below proficient for every ethnic group in 2009.
• On the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), in 2012, the US math score of 494 fell below average.
• On the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), in 2012, the US science score of 497 was not measurably different from the average of 501.

How do teachers teach STEM?

Teachers present STEM to students in two primary ways. The first way is through an integrated approach within the classroom. STEM lessons including an engineering component require students to solve a real-life problem while applying the math, science, and communication skills that they have previously learned. Not every activity in a STEM-integrated class will be a STEM activity, but where appropriate, these activities will be the activities of choice. 

The second STEM approach is a class or extracurricular setting in which STEM activities are the primary teaching strategy. There is no separate science or math instruction. All new and previous content is integrated into the STEM activity. The all-STEM approach can be found in engineering and technology classes and in extracurricular clubs, such as engineering and robotics clubs. Where STEM education takes place is not important—preparing students to think critically and solve problems is.

Sources

National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council. 2014. STEM Integration in K–12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18612.

National Research Council. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Appendix J. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18290.

National Science Foundation. 2012. “STEM Education Data and Trends.” https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/sei/edTool/explore.html.
U.S. Department of Education. 2015. “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership” (Archived Information). https://www.ed.gov/stem.