What Is STEM Education?

STEM is an acronym that comes from the terms Science , Technology , Engineering , and Mathematics . Thus, it can be said that STEM education is one that encompasses these four areas of knowledge, teaching them in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and realistic way.

Through this type of innovative education, it is intended to train, from the first years of schooling, future citizens capable of successfully facing the life of the 21st century.

What is STEM education?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education is based on the development of skills, knowledge and practices related to the field of:

1. Science : the study of the natural, social, physical environment, etc.
2. Technology : the creation of tools or products to satisfy people’s wants and needs.
3. Engineering : the process of designing and building objects and systems to solve problems.
4. Mathematics : the use of the language of numbers, shapes and quantities to tackle logic problems and mental challenges.
   

It should be noted that, according to STEM education, it is necessary to apply the learning acquired about these four disciplines, to problems, situations and challenges in the real world so that said learning is useful, relevant and meaningful.

Objectives of this innovative education

In this sense, the main objectives of STEM education are:

• Enhance, in children and young people, the skills and taste for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
• Encourage critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, collaboration, research, leadership and teamwork among students.
• Respond to the economic and labor challenges present today and in the near future, allowing the advancement of society. Thus, according to DigitalES, the Spanish Association for Digitization, today there are at least 10,000 job vacancies in the technology sector in Spain due to lack of qualification. In addition, it is estimated that between 2017 and 2022, digitization will be responsible for the creation of 1,250,000 jobs in our country.

• Scientifically, mathematically and digitally literate students, to face the need to solve the technological and environmental problems of today’s world, so that the new generations are trained to understand, get involved, make decisions and solve the scientific-technological challenges of our society.
• Breaking gender stereotypes and involving girls, to a greater extent, so that they develop an interest in STEM because, according to the UNESCO world report entitled “Cracking the code: Girls’ and women’s education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) “, only 35% of the students of STEM-related careers in higher education are women and, within this small group, only 3% decide to study in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT).
  

How to teach based on STEM education?

According to STEM education, the lessons must be taught from a theoretical and practical point of view, so that students assimilate the basic concepts and contents of the different disciplines and then apply them in solving real and everyday problems. In addition, it should include conducting research and explorations on the different STEM fields.

Thus, to successfully carry out these tasks or challenges, creativity (flexibility, originality and fluidity) is needed, which leads to innovation. And, of course, you have to convey the idea that failure and error are part of the teaching-learning process.

Likewise, it is important to use a methodology that is based on teamwork, since this is a highly demanded skill today.