Issue Brief: Reforming the Current STEM Educational System

In my issue brief topic I will be looking at the current system for STEM education primarily at the pre-collegiate level. Currently, STEM related subjects are taught in a way that don’t teach students skills that they will use on an everyday basis and are often disregarded if students do not continuing in a STEM related field.

 

I will frame the issue by posing that our current society has taken a form in which the most prosperous and powerful nations are the ones that are able to embrace and further science and technology. The world has grown to become dependent on science and technology, yet almost no one knows anything about these crucial areas of knowledge. Our politicians are making vital decisions based on funding and regulations, although most of them don’t have any more than a baseline scientific knowledge. If this continues as we begin to exponentially expand the boundaries of these fields and uncover new possibilities, it could potentially be very damaging to our country. I agree with these claims and also feel like the current educational system is not focussing on underlying critical thinking principles of STEM related subjects that are often lost by many disinterested students.

 

The policy actors that I will be addressing will primarily be the groups responsible for education in the United States. Additional policy makers that I am debating including are network providers who may be able to produce short televisions series based on STEM subjects which recently have been successful in reaching a wider audience by provide information in an accessible and entertaining manner.

 

Tentative Thesis: The current STEM related curriculum of the pre-collegiate educational system  in the United States is not efficient at providing citizens with a sufficient working knowledge of science and technology that is crucial in today’s age, and should be reformed in order to emphasize its importance, critical thinking skills, and relevant knowledge so that citizens can make educated decisions.

 

 

2 thoughts on “Issue Brief: Reforming the Current STEM Educational System

  1. ces5729

    Hey Tyler!
    This seems like a solid idea for an issue brief. There is such a great need for people in STEM fields right now, yet not as many people want to be involved because of the challenges it may face, as well as the fact that they may have been discouraged from the career. The education system certainly needs to see some reform. For other policy makers you could target people who are specifically in charge of STEM programs in the education system, and maybe members of the school boards who make decisions on which programs to provide more funding to.
    Great post!

  2. sjt5234

    Hey Tyler!

    I really like this topic a lot! I can see how it actually connects a little bit to the deliberation nation event you attended as well. As someone involved in a STEM major myself, I’m a firm believer in reforming how it’s taught. I find that all too often, students in elementary, middle, and high school either “like math” or “hate math”, and once they decide which group they fall into, they stick with that. It has been shown in numerous studies that having this (sometimes unfounded) position can actually lead to students performing more poorly in the subjects for purely psychological reasons.

    Incorporating more real-world skills into STEM subjects is also very important. It wasn’t until college that I was required to compose a paper or a presentation on a STEM topic rather than simply taking tests.

    Great ideas; I’m sure they translated well to the final paper!

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