stem education without boundaries essay 500 words

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay

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Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 100 Words

STEM is an abbreviation that stands for Science, Technology , Engineering, and Mathematics . But it goes beyond that. STEM has evolved into a distinct approach to teaching and learning, one that is centered on individual students’ learning styles and interests. This implies that STEM education has something for every learner. Unlike traditional education experiences, which focus on individual topic areas, STEM education emphasizes technology and integrates courses in ways that link related disciplines.

STEM promotes cooperation, communication , analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity, all of which are qualities that kids need to be successful in today’s society, regardless of their interests or professional objectives . STEM is a direct reaction to the knowledge that our future will be founded on our ability to innovate, invent, and solve creative problems.

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 200 Words

As technology continues to play an increasingly important part in our society, it is crucial that students develop the skills that are necessary to influence our future. Giving students the opportunity to excel in Stem jobs promotes a diverse and capable workforce while also preventing biases in these fields and the technologies they develop . STEM education stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It is an interdisciplinary method that assists students in their academic and future professions.

STEM education emphasizes hands-on, problem-based learning. A student who is well-versed and literate in STEM disciplines is more likely to be an innovative and critical thinker. He or she can apply what they’ve learned to real-world challenges, so benefiting their communities . STEM-literate high school graduates go effortlessly into higher education careers in those subjects. Finally, STEM literacy leads to employment in the increasingly knowledge-based economy that we see locally and globally. STEM knowledge translates into higher-paying jobs for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce.

STEM is intended to establish a program that integrates the four disciplines in such a way that students are focused to solve problems using cross-disciplinary knowledge . That is, the traditional learning technique that new freshmen are accustomed to—typically some type of memorization and repetition of information—is practically out the window. This approach to schooling is frequently why those of us who are very analytical but not particularly creative struggle with STEM. Successful students soon learn to think for themselves and to let go of the expectation of being told what to think.

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Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 300 Words

What is stem education.

STEM Education, basically is educating students in four distinct subject areas: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (collectively shortened as STEM) . STEM includes all four domains in an interdisciplinary and applied approach to better prepare students for a job and examines real-world applications. Project-based learning is common in STEM courses . Projects and activities are typically done with the goal of enhancing the practical applications of science in the near future. Students are given the opportunity to apply the various domains of STEM in a setting that allows them to see the connection between the classroom and the world around them.

What are STEM Education-Related Skills?

STEM education teaches students more than just science and math concepts. The emphasis on hands-on learning with real-world applications aids in the development of a wide range of skill sets, including creativity and 21st-century competencies. Media and technology literacy, productivity, social skills, communication, adaptability, and initiative are examples of 21st-century abilities. STEM education also teaches problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity , decision-making, leadership, entrepreneurship, failure acceptance, and other abilities. Regardless of the eventual job route chosen by these students, these skill sets will help them to be inventive.

How Can STEM Education Benefits Students?

Students and youth have a natural curiosity that drives them to seek out things that will challenge them. Keeping their eagerness and curiosity alive, allows them to maximize their potential , Science camps, such as LIYSF, let students draw inferences, make connections, and delve deeper into the meaning and knowledge of areas that fascinate them.

What distinguishes STEM education from other traditional forms of learning?

STEM Education differs significantly from traditional education , which focuses on math and science. In this environment, students are immersed in a scientific process that is practical in everyday life. One gains a deeper understanding of various industries. Computational thinking, for example, focuses on real-world applications to improve problem-solving.

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 500 Words

STEM education focuses on educating future generations for successful jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) . STEM education provides children with skills that go beyond those required for success in STEM professions, preparing them to enter any industry with valuable skill sets that will allow them to succeed.

What Role Does STEM Education Play?

STEM education has grown in importance for the world as it offers numerous benefits in a variety of industries. Because most sectors rely on STEM subjects , it indirectly plays a large part in the economy’s growth.

STEM education can be viewed from two perspectives: the perimeter of students in school and the teaching approach contained within, and the wider public , which includes parents and teachers who can indirectly aid kids in choosing the program. Students and educators must collaborate to ensure that subjects are presented and comprehended in a way that can be used in the real world.

With major improvements in each of the STEM fields, new job opportunities are emerging at a rapid pace. Several countries of the world have seen a lack of well-trained STEM workers in recent years . While the demand for qualified students grows by the day , the number of students interested in pursuing a STEM profession is decreasing at an alarming rate.

According to surveys conducted in developing nations, STEM education has to be improved in a number of areas. Change the curriculum: It is not required to introduce a STEM topic in schools when the levels of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics are low. Indeed, many countries lack a STEM topic in their educational curricula. However , students and teachers must be exposed to low-cost programs that encourage integrated STEM education.

Enhancing teacher training: STEM education courses at the pre-service level should be revised so that trainee teachers are more equipped when they are deployed in schools . That means STEM subject faculty in teacher education institutes must improve their teaching approaches and introduce courses that are in line with current thinking in these fields.

Faculty members in STEM topics must also participate in professional development programs to strengthen their competencies and stay current with the newest advancements in the world’s premier teacher education institutes . Their research abilities must also be boosted.

STEM education is critical to accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals, improving people’s lives worldwide, and providing inclusive and equitable education for all. It should be improved and expanded wherever possible.

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Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay in 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 & 1500 Words

Dear readers welcome to this new blog post. Here I am going to share with you a special essay which is based on “STEM Education Without Borders”. In this essay, we will talk about how STEM education can take us beyond boundaries and conduct a new and independent project in our field of education.

In this Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay , we will look at how STEM education pushes boundaries by exposing our students to the latest technological and scientific advancements. Well, let us move on to read this essay and get to know the exciting and latest aspects of education without boundaries essay .

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Table of Contents

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay

The revolutionary and cutting-edge learning strategy STEM Education Without Boundaries aims to go beyond the constraints of conventional classroom environments.

This strategy promotes practical, hands-on learning experiences, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, as opposed to restricting education to a classroom setting. By pushing the limits of standard education, children are exposed to real-world difficulties and motivated to investigate outside of the classroom, laying the groundwork for lifetime learning.

What is STEM without Boundaries?

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) without bounds refers to the application and exploration of these fields without restrictions imposed by established boundaries. It is a physical representation of the notion of removing obstacles and embracing inclusion, diversity, and teamwork.

STEM without Boundaries promotes multidisciplinary approaches, dismantling discipline silos and facilitating idea-cross-fertilization. In order for people from different backgrounds to contribute their unique insights to tackling difficult challenges, it highlights the significance of international cooperation.

STEM without Boundaries encourages innovation, creativity, and the progress of knowledge for the benefit of people and our planet by bridging cultural, societal, and geographic borders.

Why is Education without Boundaries Important?

Education without boundaries is important for several reasons:

1. Obtain High-Quality Education:

Education without Boundaries guarantees that all people have the same chance to obtain a high-quality education, regardless of their location, social standing, or other obstacles. Physical limits are removed, allowing people to pursue their educational objectives without restrictions.

2. Equal opportunity:

By removing barriers, education becomes more inclusive and gives people from various backgrounds equal opportunity. It enables pupils to compete on an even playing field, regardless of their social or geographic backgrounds. This encourages social mobility and lessens disparities in educational attainment.

3. Global Collaboration and Understanding:

Education without boundaries encourages collaboration and understanding among people from different cultures, countries, and backgrounds. It enables students to connect with peers worldwide, exchange ideas, and gain diverse perspectives. This fosters global citizenship, intercultural competence, and a broader understanding of the world.

4. Personalized Learning:

Educational boundaries may restrict the breadth of subjects, resources, and instructional strategies that are available to pupils. Without constraints, education provides individualized learning experiences based on each student’s requirements and interests. It allows them to engage in flexible learning strategies that fit their individual learning styles, explore a range of disciplines, and access specialized resources.

5. Lifelong Learning and Skill Development:

Continuous learning and skill improvement are essential for both personal development and professional success in today’s environment of fast change. By granting access to online courses, digital resources, and educational platforms, education without boundaries promotes opportunities for lifelong learning. Throughout their lives, people can learn new things, improve their talents, and adjust to changing work markets.

6. Innovation and Progress:

Education without limits encourages innovation and advancement by bringing together individuals from various backgrounds, fields, and geographic locations. It encourages cooperation, interdisciplinary thinking, and the sharing of ideas. Collectively addressing complicated challenges, fostering creativity, and advancing society are all made possible when people with different ideas come together.

7. Economic Development:

A nation’s ability to develop economically depends on its population’s level of education. With access to high-quality education and the knowledge and skills to support their local economy, everyone benefits from education without borders. Countries may promote innovation, draw investment, and boost economic productivity by fostering a highly educated workforce.

What are STEM Categories?

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM, is an abbreviation. These groups include a wide range of academic specialties and subject areas. Here is a quick summary of each category:

1. Science:

This discipline focuses on examining nature and the environments in which it occurs. This encompasses fields like environmental science, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and chemistry. comprehend the laws of nature and physics that control the universe Analyses, experiments, and observations are all used by scientists.

2. Technology:

This discipline focuses on creating useful concepts and solutions utilizing scientific knowledge. This covers disciplines like computer science. electronics, telecommunications, robotics, and software engineering in the field of information technology Technology are concerned with creating apparatus, methods, and tools to address issues and boost output.

3. Engineering:

Engineering is the design and development of physical systems, processes, and other structures. Some of the subfields that lie under this umbrella are civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, and biomedical engineering. Engineers create solutions that meet specific demands using mathematical and scientific concepts.

4. Mathematics:

Mathematics is the study of numbers, patterns, and relationships. Some of the subjects taught include algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, probability theory, and mathematical modeling. Mathematics enables precise calculations, forecasts, and problem-solving, which enables numerous improvements in science and industry.

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Education Without Boundaries Essay 200 Words

The secret to releasing people’s and society’s potential is education. It gives people more power, creates possibilities, and advances societies. Traditionally, education has only been available inside the walls of institutions like classrooms and schools. But in the era of the internet, education is eschewing these restrictions in favor of a brand-new idea known as “education without boundaries.

“A disruptive strategy known as “education without boundaries” uses technology and innovation to enable access to high-quality education regardless of one’s socioeconomic status, location, or time constraints. Learning has expanded beyond physical borders since the internet and other digital technologies were introduced.

This shift in the paradigm of education has a number of advantages. First of all, it makes educational resources and opportunities accessible to those from remote areas or disadvantaged backgrounds that were previously out of their grasp. Regardless of one’s location or socioeconomic condition, it promotes inclusivity and equal opportunities for everyone.

Encouraging lifelong learning is another benefit of open education. It recognizes that learning continues throughout one’s life and is not just completed at graduation.

Through online platforms, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and virtual classrooms, people have opportunities to advance their skills, pick up new knowledge, and stay current in their fields.

Education without borders also promotes international cooperation and cross-cultural communication. Students and teachers from all around the world can interact and participate in cross-cultural learning experiences while exchanging different viewpoints and ideas. As a result, people develop a feeling of global citizenship and are more equipped to flourish in a linked world.

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 400 Words

Education is important in forming both people as individuals and societies as a whole since it allows people to develop and significantly contribute to society.

Historical restrictions on geography and social status have restricted education inside the four walls of the classroom. Despite these restrictions, education is moving beyond them in the digital era and embracing a new paradigm of “education without boundaries.”

A cutting-edge approach called “education without Boundaries” makes use of connectivity and technology to provide equal access to education, regardless of location, socioeconomic background, or time constraints. It is a paradigm shift that increases the reach of education and offers learners fresh chances to learn and develop.

One of the key advantages of education without boundaries is its ability to overcome geographical barriers. In remote areas where access to quality education is limited, technology bridges the gap.

Online platforms, digital libraries, and virtual classrooms make educational resources readily available, empowering students to learn and excel regardless of their physical location. This opens up new opportunities for those who previously had limited access to educational institutions.

Furthermore, education without boundaries promotes inclusivity and equal opportunities. It ensures that individuals from marginalized communities, disadvantaged backgrounds, or with special needs can access educational resources and participate in learning experiences.

Technology allows for personalized learning, catering to diverse learning styles and needs. This creates a more inclusive educational environment, fostering the potential of every learner.

The promotion of lifelong learning is another benefit of education without borders. Learning is no longer only possible in formal educational settings or during certain stages of life in the age of digital technology.

People can learn new information, hone their abilities, and adjust to the changing demands of the workforce by making use of online courses, webinars, and virtual workshops. A person’s ability to manage a quickly changing world is facilitated by lifelong learning, which becomes an essential component of both personal and professional development.

Global collaboration and cultural exchange are also promoted by education without Boundaries. Online platforms allow for the connection and participation in collaborative projects between students and instructors from around the globe while exchanging different viewpoints and ideas.

This improves cross-cultural communication and equips people with the skills they need to succeed in a world where cooperation and cross-cultural competence are essential skills.

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The final research shows that STEM education holds special value for human development. This education is not just limited to the riverside boundaries, but also supports and organizes supporters globally in its research and innovation areas.

‘ Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay ‘ is a blog that attests to the fact that it can not only train students, teachers, and entrepreneurs deeply in maths, science, and technology, but also help them Can be free from the limitations of resources, housing, and connectivity.

This blog shows that crossing boundaries is not the struggle to experience the latest developments in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

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Why I Am Interested in Stem Education

Categories: Education System Stem Education

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Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 519 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

The thrill of problem-solving, the potential for societal impact, the boundless realm of exploration, conclusion: navigating a path of discovery.

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Why Is STEM Important? The Impact of STEM Education on Society

STEM education goes beyond school subjects. It gives a skill set that governs the way we think and behave. Merging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM education helps us to solve the challenges the world faces today. Let’s see what STEM means in the global context and how it influences the development of our society.

In case you missed it, we recently interviewed Juliana Pereira, an international student studying geotechnical engineering at Purdue University. Juliana has direct experience mentoring international students pursuing their STEM education. If you’re looking to improve your career prospects, Juliana’s tips can help lead you in the right direction. You can rewatch our informative Facebook Live session with TOEFL and Juliana Pereira to hear her story in its entirety. Use code JULIANA30 for US$30 off a new TOEFL iBT test registration. The discount offer is valid through October 21, 2022. For more information, including terms and conditions, visit https://bit.ly/3etrbUn

stem education without boundaries essay 500 words

Preparation of STEM Experts Who Can Make a Difference

STEM education gives people skills that make them more employable and ready to meet the current labor demand. It encompasses the whole range of experiences and skills. Each STEM component brings a valuable contribution to a well-rounded education. Science gives learners an in-depth understanding of the world around us. It helps them to become better at research and critical thinking. Technology prepares young people to work in an environment full of high-tech innovations. Engineering allows students to enhance problem-solving skills and apply knowledge in new projects. Mathematics enables people to analyze information, eliminate errors, and make conscious decisions when designing solutions. STEM education links these disciplines into a cohesive system. Thus, it prepares professionals who can transform society with innovation and sustainable solutions.

The STEM approach to education fosters creativity and divergent thinking alongside fundamental disciplines. It motivates and inspires young people to generate new technologies and ideas. With a focus on practice and innovation, students get to learn from inquiry-based assignments . STEM education gives an understanding of concepts and encourages knowledge application. To keep it short, its aim can be formulated in two simple actions: explore and experience. Students are free to exercise what they learn and embrace mistakes in a risk-free environment. Project-based learning and problem-solving help learners to form a special mindset. Its core is in flexibility and curiosity, which equips learners to respond to real-world challenges.

STEM-Enhanced Teamwork and Communication

STEM education prepares the world for the future. It is based on teamwork and the collaboration of professionals from different disciplines. As a STEM student, you do not need to be an expert in each particular subject. You rather acquire a mindset that enables you to become a part of a highly qualified workforce, which functions in collaboration. Teamwork brings a significant increase in productivity, work satisfaction, and profitability.

Active engagement of experts from diverse fields will drive change in our society. STEM education exposes students to effective interdisciplinary communication. Scientists research and experiment, offering the team discoveries. Technology experts provide gadgets that can make the work of the team more effective. Engineers help to solve challenges by designing and running platforms that enable change. Mathematicians analyze information to eliminate mistakes and provide precise calculations. Our world is continuously changing. The only way we can be ready for its challenges is through communication and collaboration.

Collaborative experience also helps to broaden the impact of STEM education. Working with local experts and our international colleagues, we can promote our values and move towards a single purpose. This way, we improve communities, offering new educational and employment opportunities. Such open access to world-class experience is possible only when we combine our knowledge and capabilities.

Social Awareness

There is a high demand for STEM skills in society. STEM education enables people to make informed decisions within the discussed subject areas. Moreover, STEM awareness is necessary for any job as most industries are more or less connected to science and technology: from an essay writing service and college to a paper company. Thus, such education will allow children to grow into active citizens who can speak up in STEM discussions with sound knowledge of the subject.

STEM awareness promotes interest in a range of exciting careers. Currently, some STEM occupations are understaffed. For example, according to the projections, the U.S. will need 1 million more STEM experts in the near future. Besides, one of the goals of STEM initiatives is to encourage broader participation of women and minorities in the STEM workforce. This allows us to bridge ethnic and gender gaps. We need the engagement and participation of schools, policymakers, parents, students, and educators. This is the only way to continue technological and scientific progress.

Sustainable Solutions to Challenges

STEM subjects are focused on providing solutions to the concerns society has today. Human history had seen years of thoughtless exhaustion of natural resources. Such a lack of environmental education led to numerous challenges. These issues affect the health and well-being of all living organisms on our planet. Our environment needs protection. Thus, sustainability became one of the most urgent aspects studied by STEM disciplines.

The youth is more worried about climate change than the older generation. As statistics show, 70% of young people aged 18 to 34 worry about global warming. STEM education can answer their questions. It can teach them how to find the necessary solutions for sustainable development. Education is a powerful tool that ensures the rise of a STEM literate society. Well-educated community members can find ways to work in a competitive world. They will use sustainable practices that do not harm nature. In the bigger picture, economic and social progress is tightly connected to the environment. We need to work our way to a sustainable future. Yet, it is possible to accomplish only with STEM skills, experiences, and a multi-disciplinary approach.

The world we live in is changing, and we must keep pace with it. STEM education changes society by offering learners a new mindset and skills valued in any profession. They allow young people to be flexible, look for patterns, find connections, and evaluate information. Besides, STEM education raises social awareness. It communicates global issues to the general public. Therefore, STEM opportunities move us to a knowledge-based economy and enhanced sustainability literacy.

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STEM Education: Strategies and Approaches for Teaching Research Paper

Introduction.

STEM, which denotes Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math, is an education strategy for undergraduate learners. This strategy was developed to fill the gap between training and the actual practice, which was evident in undergraduate studies between kindergarten and college. The strategy has also been credited with the improvements in technological capabilities for students.

The concept is emphasized as being central to the development of an effective workforce and other policies that are important to the nation such as immigration and national security. Barr and Tagg (1995) reveal that STEM is an interdisciplinary approach to learning. It incorporates real-life experiences and lessons that are based on performance and problem solving in the real world.

The development of STEM was triggered by the observation of decreasing numbers of students taking up scientific and math-related courses. This situation was touted as a threat to the global leadership abilities. The strategy allows students to get used to problem solving early while helping them improve in math and other technical and scientific subjects (Seymour, & Hewitt, 1997).

Some of the subjects that are targeted in scientific literacy under STEM include chemistry, biology, and physics, with the technological literacy portion focusing on the development, the use and effects of technology to the United States and the world (Seymour, & Hewitt, 1997). For STEM to be successful, special teaching strategies and approaches are necessary. This research paper looks at some of the different approaches and strategies for teaching the STEM program.

Current Strategies

Some researchers describe the current teaching strategies in STEM as being inadequate to educate the math and sciences students (Seymour, & Hewitt, 1997). The studies investigated the differences between the students that had left Science, Math, and Engineering (SME) program and the reasons that they had left (Seymour, & Hewitt, 1997). There were no significant differences in the abilities of the two groups of students. Most of them cited some of the reasons that they left the program as being the poor learning environments and the “chilly climate” (Seymour, & Hewitt, 1997). These studies show that the application of the learning strategies in the program is not as effective as planned nationally and at the policy level.

The teaching strategies in the current STEM structures are not effective in linking the student to the real-world situations. The many students who drop out consider the poor climate in the classroom. The students have difficulties in adapting to the classroom climate. This situation has led to suggestions of change in the STEM classrooms.

Other authors such as Hersh, Merrow, and Wolfe (2005) observe that there is an observed decline in the degree of higher education, specifically in STEM program. Therefore, there is a need to change the existing STEM education teaching strategies to ensure that students get the most out of the classroom. The future of scientific innovation and technology in the country is assured.

The current teaching strategies that are applied in STEM are not effective. Teachers and other members of faculty in institutions where STEM is applied have not been adequately trained on the effective strategies. In most intuitions where STEM is to be applied, the classroom control is like most of the other traditional approaches. Hence, there is no significant difference with the conventional teaching of other non-scientific subjects. The instructors have often been described as not being hands-on in the training of students as required in the policy that brought STEM into existence.

Teaching Strategies to Implement

The design of problem-based learning and cooperative learning is not easy. The application of the two learning systems into practice is even harder. This observation may reveal why the STEM classrooms rarely apply these strategies in their teaching. Some of the proposed teaching strategies and those in place include encouragement of active learning and formal cooperative learning groups.

Active Learning

In this form of teaching and learning, the goal is to have students work together towards achievement of a common goal. According to Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (2000), teachers may have students working in temporary groups, which should last for a predetermined time during class work. In this form of teaching, the teacher also gets the opportunity to identify any gaps in understanding in an effort to correct them. It also allows for the personalization of learning experiences, and hence a faster improvement for students. This model can be applied, with students being asked to discuss what they have learnt on a particular subject.

The process of breaking up lectures into shorter processing times for students allows room for the reduction of lecture times. However, the benefits for students are better. They are allowed to organize materials, summarize them, and explain the whole process. The teacher may use focused discussions in the lecture. However, according to Fink (2003), these discussions should be held at the beginning or end of the lecture. The tutors and other staff people may use interactive learning where they request the learners to turn to their colleagues and answer specific inquiries. For those who do not get the answers right, the questions may be rephrased and/or asked again until the students get the answers.

This form of teaching allows students to understand what is being taught. They are reported to learn faster. Active learning has been applied in many fields including aeronautical engineering and fluid mechanics (Martin, Mitchell, & Newell, 2003).

Active learning has also been described as being a form of learning that incorporates informal cooperative learning groups, with many researchers stating the efficiency of the employed concepts (Martin, Mitchell, & Newell, 2003). Another advantage of this form of teaching is that it allows instructors to take time to compose themselves while teaching. Active learning allows instructors to move around the classroom, listen to each of the student’s discussion, and understand the problems of each of them in class.

Formal Cooperative Learning Groups

Unlike the informal groups discussed above, instructors can also apply temporary and longer lasting groups to teach the classroom. According to Smith, Douglas, and Cox (2009), these groups are more structured. They are given complex tasks to carry out by the instructor. The groups were first created based on the social interdependence theory and the results of the cooperative research (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). The collective interdependence presumption and the results of the research indicated five basic elements that are important to the accomplishment of these groups. The five elements include group processing, face-to-face promotive interaction, teamwork skills, individual accountability and responsibility, and positive interdependence (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009).

Positive Interdependence

Positive interdependence occurs where instructors teach students that their group members must also be successful for them to be successful in their studies. This exposition encourages students to work together to attain the common goals that they have set with the help of the instructor. An example of the use of this concept in the formal cooperative groupings is where the instructor tells students in each group to first agree on the answers to questions before they give them out (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009).

Each of the group members should be able to explain how the group got the answer. This strategy enhances the understanding of each group member. Another way that may be used to structure or enhance positive interdependence in a group is structuring similar rewards for all group members. Instructors may award the same grade for an assignment that the group carried out together.

One-on-one Promotive contact

After accomplishing positive interaction, the next step is making sure that learners in a group are able to help each other attain their tasks’ objectives. In this concept, students are expected to explain to their fellow students the route that they took to attain the solution to a particular problem (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). This strategy contributes to the students’ learning, with the silent students being encouraged to interact with their counterparts in the class and group.

Individual Accountability and Responsibility

The steps above are supposed to make each of the students in the class stronger as an individual. Working in groups can lead to some of the students becoming lazy. Therefore, there is the need to ensure that each of the students is held accountable for his or her learning (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009).

Under this concept, the students are assessed on individually, with their performance being scrutinized. Students in groups are also held accountable. They are required to do their own share of the group work (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). The group members are encouraged to recognize the individual members who require greater attention and time. Each of the groups is instructed not to allow hitchhikers, with measures being put in place for any violation.

Teamwork Skills

Teamwork skills are necessary in any strategy in the education sector. For the STEM policy, instructors should teach skills such as conflict management, leadership, and communication as any other academic skills (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). In teamwork skills, the teacher encourages students to cooperate in their learning. He or she assigns different roles for individuals within each of the groups (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). The teamwork skills that are required of the students are those that may be beneficial to their future interaction with their colleagues at workplaces and/or in the society. These skills help the students to coexist while at the same time developing their individual capacities.

Group Processing

Instructors in any classroom need to encourage students in special groups to discuss how effective the learning interventions in use are in terms of helping them achieve their goals. Teachers and other faculty members are also expected to evaluate how effective the group strategies are in ensuring improvements for students in their respective groups. The actions that are helpful and/or unhelpful to the attainment of the goals are discussed in groups, with the students giving their feedback. The teachers and other members of staff should engage on a fact-finding mission on a regular basis. This plan should be aimed at establishing the effective methods of developing each student in his or her respective groups.

Problem-based Learning

Problem-based learning is important as a learning strategy in STEM just like in other disciplines such as medicine. Problem-based learning is applied where the teacher or any other faculty member presents a problem for students to solve. The path taken to develop the solution to the problem is supposed to be educative to the participants (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). This form of learning allows students to develop confidence and problem-solving skills (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). The skills that the students use in their problem solving are usually relatively new to them. Therefore, they learn how to solve future problems based on this strategy.

According to Smith, Douglas, and Cox (2009), problem-based learning allows students to solve problems that are new to them. These researchers view it as “an important skill since few STEM professionals are paid to formulate and solve problems that follow from the material presented in the chapter, or have a single right answer that one can find at the end of a book” (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009, p. 29).

Students are also assisted to develop models to solve problems in problem-based learning. They are able to understand the problems, explain how they occur, and even predict them in the future (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). When the instructors endorse schooling through the face-to-face interpersonal contact, the learning that comes up is superior to what would be achieved through any other training technique.

In problem-based learning, students work in the direction of understanding the problems and the possible solution. This learning method has a predetermined cycle that is followed by the students as they seek to find solutions to the problems. The cycle starts with the problem being posed to the learners. Afterwards, the learning issues are identified after which individuals or small groups are identified to solve the problems (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). The next step after identification of groups or individuals is the application of learning, with this step being followed by a reformulation of the problem (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009).

Problem-based learning is part of the broader challenge-based strategy of learning and teaching in institutions. Some of the other components include “case-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and project-based learning” (Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009, p. 29). These teaching strategies have been the subject of numerous studies. They have been described as being effective in the implementation of the policies in the STEM disciplines (Bransford, Vye, & Bateman, 2002).

The teaching of math, science, and technical subjects for undergraduates is considered important to the growth and development of the United States and other parts of the world. As a result, policy makers developed the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) policy that is to be applied in the teaching of undergraduates between kindergarten and college.

The paper finds that although the policy is in place, there is inadequate use of effective teaching strategies and approaches to facilitate its operation. Some of the effective strategies and approaches to apply in STEM have been described in the paper. They include trouble-based education, the support of vigorous learning, and the development of recognized mutual learning groups. The application of these strategies will ensure that STEM is successful in the respective institutions.

Reference List

Barr, R., & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change, 27 (1), 12-15.

Bransford, J., Vye, N., & Bateman, H. (2002). Creating High-Quality Learning Environments: Guidelines from Research on How People Learn. In P. A. Graham and N. G. Stacey (eds.), The Knowledge Economy and Postsecondary Education: Report of a Workshop. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Fink, D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco, SA: Jossey-Bass.

Hersh, H., Merrow, J., & Wolfe, T. (2005). Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Johnson, D., Johnson, R., & Smith, K. (2000). Constructive Controversy: The Power of Intellectual Conflict. Change, 32 (1), 28–37.

Martin, J., Mitchell, J., & Newell, T. (2003). Development of a Concept Inventory for Fluid Mechanics. In FIE 2003 Conference Proceedings. Boulder, Colo: Foundation Coalition.

Seymour, E., & Hewitt, M. (1997). Talking About Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences. Boulder, Colo: Westview.

Smith, K., Douglas, T., & Cox, M. (2009). Supportive Teaching and Learning Strategies in STEM Education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , 1 (117), 19-32.

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Essay Samples on STEM Education

STEM education, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is a critical aspect of modern education. Writing an essay on STEM education is an opportunity for students to reflect on the importance of these fields and their impact on society.

When writing a STEM education essay, it is essential to showcase the relevance and benefits of STEM education. You can start by discussing how STEM fields have helped solve various global issues and advancements in medicine, engineering, and technology. You can also highlight how STEM education can lead to lucrative careers and improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

A stem education essay could include personal experiences of how STEM fields have inspired you and how you can contribute to society using these skills. It could also analyze the challenges faced by students in STEM education and the ways to overcome them. Some essay topics could include the role of STEM education in the global economy, how STEM fields impact climate change, and the importance of gender equality in STEM.

With the examples of STEM education essays and various essay topics and samples on STEM education, you can develop a comprehensive understanding of the concept and write a compelling essay. Remember to use reputable sources to support your arguments and ensure that your essay is well-structured and coherent.

WritingBros is an excellent resource that provides writing services and essay examples to guide you through the process. Use this section to find STEM essay examples for free.

Recollections Of My Experience During My Computer Science Studies

Passing my teenage years in the IT era at the Silicon Valley oflndia motivated me to the field of Computer Science; particularly I developed strong inclination during my pre-University College (PUC) where I was exposed to the fundamentals of computer science, algorithms, and to develop...

Bachelor's Degree
College Days
STEM Education

The Importance of Mathematical Ability for Pursuing the STEM Field

At first, we will learn in school the alphabet, but as times gone by we explore this and we use it altogether with numbers especially in math. That’s where the confusion starts. The level of difficulty in mathematics gets more difficult as we grow older....

Human Development

Why STEM Education is Necessary in Today's World

STEM Education is Necessary STEM degree holds a higher income in fact STEM careers or occupation are increasing at 17% while others are increasing at 9.8%. Based from the U. S. Department of Commerce, Science, technology, engineering and mathematics play a key role in the...

Stereotypes

Analysis on the Statistics of Women in the STEM Field

Have you at any point wondered why men outnumber women on most fields of STEM? A 2010 research report by AAUW presents convincing proof that can clarify this riddle. Why So Few? Ladies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) displays top to bottom yet...

Gender Differences
Women in The Workforce

Gender Identity Threat for Women in the STEM-Heavy Professions

Women have traditionally been looked at as though they were less than men. They were not allowed to go to school, and when they could go to school, they were told that they were there to support men not themselves. From an early age woman...

Gender Identity

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The Participation and Inclusion of Women in STEM Education

Science and Technology is been labeled as one of the fast-growing fields in America today and noticed that women do not seem to want to fall under that field. IT and Engineering is one of the top fields in the technology industry not only that...

Importance of Education

Gender Gap in STEM Related Fields

In America, STEM-related fields are among the driving force of the state as they contribute to the invention and innovation of technology that is the backbone to the daily operation of the life of any citizen. STEM is an abbreviation for science, technology, engineering, and...

Relationship Between Stem Career Interests And 7Th-Grade Science Process Skills

Introduction Literature Review All over the world, youths have consistently varied in their levels of STEM career knowledge, their career interests and their intentions of pursuing a STEM career. STEM career knowledge is believed to define a student's familiarity with a particular STEM career, varied...

Primary School

Apparent Labor Supply Shortages In America

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is one of the most prominent topics between nations, especially in the United States (U. S). The talk about careers in those fields has stretched on for many years, starting in 2001 when the term “STEM” was initially introduced....

Best topics on STEM Education

1. Recollections Of My Experience During My Computer Science Studies

2. The Importance of Mathematical Ability for Pursuing the STEM Field

3. Why STEM Education is Necessary in Today’s World

4. Analysis on the Statistics of Women in the STEM Field

5. Gender Identity Threat for Women in the STEM-Heavy Professions

6. The Participation and Inclusion of Women in STEM Education

7. Gender Gap in STEM Related Fields

8. Relationship Between Stem Career Interests And 7Th-Grade Science Process Skills

9. Apparent Labor Supply Shortages In America

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How to Write the Caltech STEM Experience Essay

Caltech’s essay prompt emphasizes its commitment to tackling some of the most challenging questions in STEM. In essence, they want to gauge your genuine curiosity, passion, and drive in these fields.

Here’s how you can write a strong response. If you want more advice on Caltech’s essays, see our full Caltech essay breakdown .

Understanding the Prompt

Prompt: At Caltech, we investigate some of the most challenging, fundamental problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Identify and describe two STEM-related experiences from your high school years, either in or out of the classroom, and tell us how and why they activated your curiosity. What about them made you want to learn more and explore further? (200 words per experience)

Caltech is looking for specific instances where you were actively engaged in STEM. This can be within a class, a club, a project, a competition, or any other related experience.

As you reflect on which experiences to mention, make sure to those that truly piqued your interest and drove you to delve deeper. It’s one thing to be curious, but taking that next step to learn more showcases initiative, drive, and passion.

Crafting Your Essay

Here are the four steps you want to take as you’re writing.

1. Start with a brief introduction of the experience. Was it a physics class experiment? A coding challenge? A robotics competition?

2. Elaborate on what you did. Be specific. Instead of saying you “worked on a project,” explain that you “designed a water filtration system using charcoal and sand.”

3. Identify the moment or aspect that triggered your curiosity. Was it an unexpected result? A challenging problem? A real-world application?

4. Discuss the steps you took post-experience. Did you read more on the topic? Join a related club? Undertake a new project? Your actions should showcase your drive.

Now, let’s get into some examples!

Caltech STEM Experience Example Essays

In my junior year, our school’s Robotics Club decided to enter the annual Robotics Challenge. From videos of past competitions, it was clear that robots could achieve some pretty amazing things, and we were eager to try our hand. I got the task of programming our robot’s pathfinding, which I thought would be a cool challenge.

Initial tests, however, were not promising. Our robot, which we affectionately dubbed ‘Rover’, seemed to have a mind of its own, often getting lost or stuck in corners. This wasn’t what I expected, and instead of feeling defeated, I got really curious. Why was our algorithm struggling?

After some deep dives online and discussions with our club advisor, I stumbled upon the A* algorithm. It was touted as one of the best for pathfinding. Many late nights were spent poring over code, making adjustments, and running trial after trial.

The moment ‘Rover’ smoothly navigated our test maze was unforgettable. Beyond just the success, this experience opened my eyes to how vast and complex robotics can be. It also sparked a newfound interest in AI and how machines can learn and adapt.

Essay 1 Feedback

This essay feedback was provided by Ivy, CollegeVine’s AI . Try it for free with your own essay!

This experience effectively showcases your problem-solving skills and determination in the field of robotics. Your narrative demonstrates your curiosity and passion for learning about pathfinding algorithms. I would rate this experience a solid 8.5 out of 10. The strength of your description lies in the detailed example and your genuine interest in overcoming the challenge.

Your experience provides a clear narrative of your involvement in the Robotics Club and the challenge you faced.
You effectively convey your curiosity and determination to understand and improve the robot’s pathfinding algorithm.
The experience demonstrates your ability to research, learn, and apply new concepts in a practical situation.

Suggestions

Consider providing a brief explanation of the A* algorithm and how it improved ‘Rover’s’ pathfinding. This will help the reader understand your discovery better. (Small impact)
Share any lessons you learned from this experience and how they may have influenced your perspective on robotics or problem-solving. (Small impact)
Briefly mention how this experience has shaped your future aspirations or interests in the field of robotics, AI, or related areas. (Small impact)

What admissions would take away

Admissions officers would view you as a determined, curious, and resourceful student with a passion for robotics and problem-solving. Your experience demonstrates your ability to research, learn, and apply new concepts in practical situations.

In a chemistry lab during sophomore year, our assignment was to synthesize aspirin. The process, on paper, seemed pretty direct, but science in practice can sometimes be unpredictable. My first result wasn’t the expected pure white but had an off-white hue.

Rather than just accepting it, I was determined to understand why. Had I missed a step or mis-measured an ingredient? I turned to additional resources, beyond our classroom’s scope, and delved into the intricacies of the synthesis process. I found out that there are many variables at play, from temperature control to precise measurements.

Armed with new knowledge, I approached the lab again. With more attention to detail and a better understanding of the reactions, my second attempt was markedly improved.

This wasn’t just a lesson in making aspirin; it underscored how deep and layered even seemingly simple reactions can be. It made me appreciate the precision required in chemistry, especially when thinking about its implications in something as important as drug development.

Overall Feedback

This experience effectively highlights your curiosity and determination in the field of chemistry. It demonstrates your commitment to understanding the underlying processes and your ability to think critically about the subject matter. I would rate this experience an 8 out of 10. The strength of your description lies in the detailed example and your genuine interest in learning.

Your experience provides a clear narrative of your involvement in the chemistry lab and the challenge you faced.
You effectively convey your curiosity and determination to understand the intricacies of the synthesis process.
The experience demonstrates your willingness to go beyond the classroom to explore complex concepts and apply them in practical situations.
Explore how your newfound appreciation for precision in chemistry has shaped your perspective on the subject or influenced future projects. (Small impact)
Share any lessons you learned from this experience and how they may have influenced your approach to chemistry or problem-solving. (Small impact)
Briefly mention how this experience has shaped your future aspirations or interests in the field of chemistry or related areas. (Small impact)

Admissions officers would view you as a curious, determined, and resourceful student with a passion for learning and problem-solving in chemistry. Your experience demonstrates your ability to go beyond the classroom to explore complex concepts and apply them in practical situations.

Be Genuine: Authentic experiences where your curiosity was genuinely activated will always come across as more sincere and impactful.
Show Initiative: Caltech values students who don’t just stop at wondering, but take the initiative to seek answers.
Proofread: Ensure clarity, coherence, and error-free content. You can use Ivy, CollegeVine’s AI for free feedback.

Remember, this essay provides Caltech a glimpse into your analytical mind, your curiosity, and your proactive approach to learning.

What Is STEM Education?

It would be inaccurate to assume that STEM education is merely instruction in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Rather, the idea is taken a step further.

STEM education refers to the integration of the four subjects into a cohesive, interdisciplinary and applied learning approach. This isn’t academic theory—STEM education includes the appropriate real-world application and teaching methods.

As a result, students in any subject can benefit from STEM education. That’s exactly why some educators and organizations refer to it as STEAM, which adds in arts or other creative subjects. They recognize just how powerful the philosophy behind STEM education can be for students.

Why Is STEM Education Important?

There are several layers to explore in discovering why STEM education is so important.

In 2018, the White House released the “Charting a Course for Success” report that illustrated how far the United States was behind other countries in STEM education.

It found that only 20% of high school grads were ready for the rigors of STEM majors. And how over the previous 15 years, the U.S. had produced only 10% of the world’s science and engineering grads.

Since the founding of the Nation, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have been a source of inspirational discoveries and transformative technological advances, helping the United States develop the world's most competitive economy and preserving peace through strength. The pace of innovation is accelerating globally, and with it the competition for scientific and technical talent. Now more than ever the innovation capacity of the United States — and its prosperity and securit — depends on an effective and inclusive STEM education ecosystem. - Charting a Course for Success

That was one of the most news-worthy developments in recent years. It set the stage for many arguments behind STEM in the context of the global economy and supporting it through education.

Job Outlook and Salary

One of the most direct and powerful arguments for the importance of STEM education is how relevant STEM is in the workforce. In 2018, the Pew Research Center found that STEM employment had grown 79% since 1990 (computer jobs increased 338%).

What about now? All occupations are projected to increase 7.7% by 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Non-STEM occupations will increase 7.5% while STEM occupations will increase 10.5% .

The findings are even more pronounced in terms of salary. The median annual wage for all occupations is $41, 950. Those in non-STEM occupations earn $40,020 and those in STEM occupations earn $89,780.

Even areas like entrepreneurship see the same types of results. A report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) found that tech-based startups pay more than double the national average wage and nearly three times the average overall startup wage. They only make up 3.8% of businesses but capture a much larger share of business research and development investment (70.1%), research and development jobs (58.7%) and wages (8.1%), among other areas.

Diversity and Skills

An important detail in the passage from “Charting a Course for Success” comes toward the end of the final sentence: “Now more than ever the innovation capacity of the United States—and its prosperity and security—depends on an effective and inclusive STEM education ecosystem.”

Being inclusive is incredibly important once you understand how STEM occupations are such high-demand, high-paying positions. Unfortunately, however, diversity is a significant issue here.

The Pew Research Center noted how women account for the majority of healthcare practitioners and technicians but are underrepresented across many other STEM fields, especially in computer jobs and engineering. Black and Hispanic workers are also underrepresented in the STEM workforce.
In the International Journal of STEM Education, authors noted how women are significantly underrepresented in STEM occupations. They make up less than a quarter of those working in STEM occupations and for women of color, representation is much lower — Hispanic, Asian and Black women receive less than 5% of STEM bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. Authors also pointed out how people of color overall are underrepresented in U.S.-based STEM leadership positions across industry, academia and the federal workforce.

These issues are troubling when you consider how it undermines students’ opportunities to pursue high-demand, high-paying roles. Yet, it’s more than that. STEM education is about a teaching philosophy that naturally integrates critical thinking and language skills in a way that enriches any subject. Perhaps you’ve experienced or can imagine an education that integrates problem solving and engineering practices into any subject, where technology is seamlessly integrated throughout. Any subject—art, language, social studies, health—can benefit.

So when students don’t receive an effective STEM education, they’re not only receiving less instruction in STEM subjects. They miss out on the universal application that high-level skills in STEM subjects can bring.

How You Can Make a Difference

Take the opportunity to encourage young minds in STEM education. Whether that means volunteering a little bit of your time at a local school or finding age-appropriate STEM literature and activities for your children, you can have an impact.

You can also consider pursuing a career or enhancing your career as a teacher or leader in STEM education, which represents a major problem right now in education. Researchers in Economic Development Quarterly noted how the current shortage of teachers in the U.S. is “ especially acute ” among STEM educators.

In just five courses, you can earn an online graduate certificate in STEM education and learn how you can increase STEM literacy through formal and informal learning opportunities across a variety of settings. Or there’s the 100% online M.A. in Education with a Concentration in STEM Education , which helps you to be a leader in STEM education. You’ll be prepared for advancement in roles across public and private schools, community-based organizations, research, nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations.

UTEP’s programs are focused on preparing today and tomorrow’s educators for working with modern students in multicultural settings who need to find motivation and engagement in their learning. And again, this is especially important. A study in Education Journal found that while students of all races enter into STEM majors at equal rates, minority students leave their major at nearly twice the rate of white students.

UTEP is one of only 17 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the country to be designated as an R1 top tier research university. Interested in learning more about how you can engage and inspire students in STEM education? You can discuss that and more with a one-on-one consultation with an enrollment counselor.

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Open access
Published: 20 April 2020

Boundary crossing pedagogy in STEM education

Allen Leung 1

International Journal of STEM Education volume 7 , Article number: 15 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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This commentary aims to discuss an overarching boundary crossing framework under which integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) pedagogy can be conceptualized. Four potential learning dialogical processes for boundary crossing are presented and used as the main theoretical construct for the discussion. A proposal of an interactive pedagogical framework is put forward accompanied by a provisional statement to relate the connective factors that are critical in the formation of a boundary crossing STEM pedagogy. These factors are situated learning, communities of practices, problem solving, learning dialogical processes, and boundary objects. A Hong Kong school STEM case is employed to illustrate the applicability of this framework. The commentary ends with a reflective remark on boundary crossing STEM pedagogy.

Introduction

A difficulty in conceptualizing STEM pedagogy is the epistemic obstacle encountered when one tries to cross from one STEM disciplinary knowledge domain to another. There are pedagogical content knowledge boundaries that need to be crossed as each STEM discipline has its own epistemic practices that cannot be changed easily. There is a

need for an overarching learning framework that elucidates the commonalities, the distinctions, and the relationships between the learning and practice of mathematics, science and engineering. (Burrows, Oehrtman, & Lawson, 2006 , p. 2)

STEM integration may occur at different levels (adopted from Vasquez, Sneider, & Comer, 2013 ):

Disciplinary: concepts and skills are learned separately in each discipline

Multi-disciplinary: concepts and skills are learned separately in each discipline but within a common theme

Inter-disciplinary: closely linked concepts and skills are learned from two or more disciplines with the aim of deepening knowledge and skills

Trans-disciplinary: knowledge and skills learned from two or more disciplines are applied to real-world problems and projects, thus helping to shape the learning experience

One needs to be careful not to downplay the centrality of disciplinary knowledge. English ( 2016 ) advocated that if

we are to advance STEM integration and lift the profile of all of its disciplines, we need to focus on both core content knowledge and interdisciplinary processes…. strong STEM agendas have well-developed curricula that concentrate on twenty-first century skills including inquiry processes, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation as well as a strong focus on disciplinary knowledge. (p. 3)

This commentary aims to explore an overarching boundary crossing framework under which integrated STEM pedagogy can be conceptualized. The “Theoretical background” section presents the theoretical background of this proposal. The section “An interactive STEM pedagogy framework” states the content of a proposed interactive boundary crossing framework, and the section “An illustrative example” illustrates how this framework can be used as a lens to analyze a school STEM activity. The commentary ends with a reflective remark on boundary crossing STEM pedagogy.

Theoretical background

Integrated stem pedagogy.

Hallström and Schönborn ( 2019 ) conducted a comprehensive literature review to discuss that models and modeling could be used to foster an integrated and authentic STEM education. Here models refer to concrete visual artifacts that can represent conceptual ideas, for example, construction of prototype in engineering design. Models and modeling are important tools for problem solving, and it was proposed that models and modeling processes can bridge the gap between STEM disciplines through authentic practices.

Through processes of modelling in STEM education, the disciplines become bound by a synergistic relationship, often requiring a learner to transit between the learning areas while engaging scientific, mathematical and technological activities, which often render these processes interdependent (Hallström & Schönborn, 2019 , p. 2)

Leung ( 2019 ) explored a hybrid pedagogy that connects the STEM disciplines mathematics and science in the form of a pedagogical cycle where elements of mathematical modeling and inquiry-based learning are integrated. The purpose of this integration was to see how epistemic differences and similarities between the inquiry processes of two STEM disciplines could be coherently combined under one frame “without losing the disciplines’ unique characteristics, depth, and rigor” (Corlu, Capraro, & Capraro, 2014 ). The key inquiry-based learning elements of posing and defining questions, developing, using a method of investigation, and interpreting results are present in these two disciplinary epistemic processes. In school science education, inquiry-based learning is a problem-based approach consisting five pedagogical phases (BSCS 5E Instructional Model): engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation (Bybee et al., 2006 ). It was found that under specially designed pedagogical arrangement and approach, the integration of mathematical modeling and inquiry-based learning integration is possible. The case studied in Leung’s work was a mathematics lesson sequence conducted in a secondary school’s science laboratory. Students were asked to estimate the number of marbles contained in a large transparent flask without touching it. They were allowed to use different measuring instruments in the school’s science laboratory to carry out their investigation. The teachers designed a problem-solving lesson sequence for students to follow. In the analysis, it was discovered that students’ problem-solving work reflected the essence of inquiry-based learning and mathematical modeling. This suggests that when students solve STEM-related problems, it is possible to design a learning environment that could guide them to realize different STEM inquiry and modeling processes, and such a learning environment can encompass these processes. Thus, an idea of the need of an overarching framework to streamline STEM integration arises. In this connection, research work has been done to pedagogically combine the scientific inquiry process and application of mathematics via purposeful design and inquiry (Sanders, 2009 ) and Inquiry in Mathematics Education (Artigue & Baptist, 2012 ).

Kelly and Knowles ( 2016 ) presented an integrated STEM education conceptual framework metaphorically by a block and tackle of four pulleys (the four STEM disciplines) lifting a load (situated STEM learning). The pulley system is driven by a Community of Practice wherein participants (e.g., teachers and students) co-learn STEM skills and the thinking and inquiry of different STEM practices. A Community of Practice is based on a social learning theory and is defined as “groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, a passion about a topic and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in that area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002 , p. 4). Kelly and Knowles’ framework sees STEM education as the setting up of a pulley system designed to efficiently lift the cognitive load of a contextual situation. STEM education is a situated learning consisting of the four STEM “pulleys” arranged and customized to tackle the given contextual situation. A Community of Practice pulls the rope to activate this epistemic system. In this sense, STEM pedagogy can be organized as a pedagogical system in which different STEM components interact with each other under the dynamism generated by participants of a Community of Practice. Aside from considering the integration of the STEM discipline domains, studying the dynamic interaction among the STEM disciplines and social domains should be a fruitful direction to develop STEM pedagogy. How to cross the boundary between knowledge domains and Communities of Practice becomes a relevant research question. The following discussion will pursue this direction.

Communities of Practice

The concept of Communities of Practice is rooted in an aim to develop accounts of the social nature of human learning. Three crucial elements distinguish a Community of Practice from other social groups: domain, community, and practice. That is, it is a group of people with a shared domain of interest who engage together in different types of social activities to pursue this shared interest, consequently forming a community of practitioners to develop a shared collection of resources. A key idea in Communities of Practice is that learning is seen as the production of social structure. Meaning making in a social context involves the dual process of participation and reification (making into an object). Engaging in different types of social activity and production of concrete artifacts go hand in hand to form iterative cycles of learning. The history of this iterative process becomes an informal and dynamic social structure among the participants (Wenger, 1998 , 2015 ).

The teaching and learning of a school subject discipline can be regarded as a Community of Practice whose core members are the subject’s teachers and students. Participation and reification are the daily activities inside and outside the classrooms. An overarching STEM pedagogy deals with more than one Community of Practice (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), thus forming a bigger Community of Practice, and some members of these communities have multiple memberships. A major task to develop a dynamic STEM pedagogy is to study how the Communities of Practice interact with and cross each other’s boundary.

Boundary crossing

Learning as production of practices creates knowledge boundaries. A key concept to address the complexity of the integrated STEM pedagogy phenomenon is boundary crossing among different knowledge domains. Mediating objects are needed to bridge the disciplines’ pedagogical content knowledge gaps. Instead of seeing a boundary as an obstacle, it should be viewed as a potential for learning since a boundary contains common concerns on both sides.

A boundary can be seen as a sociocultural difference leading to discontinuity in action or interaction. Boundaries simultaneously suggest a sameness and continuity in the sense that within discontinuity two or more sites are relevant to one another in a particular way. (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011 , p. 133)

When diversity is embraced, the challenge is to create possible boundary objects that can cross the boundary between different domains and serve to negotiate, combine, and translate from different contexts to achieve hybrid situations (Engeström, Engeström, & Kärkkäinen, 1995 ). Boundary objects, defined by Star and Griesemer ( 1989 ), are

objects which are both plastic enough to adapt to local needs and the constraints of several parties employing them, yet robust enough to maintain a common identity across sites. They are weakly structured in common use, and become strongly structured in individual-site use. These objects may be abstract or concrete. They have different meanings in different social worlds but their structure is common enough to more than one world to make them recognizable, a means of translation. The creation and management of boundary objects is a key process in developing and maintaining coherence across intersecting social worlds (Star & Griesemer, 1989 , p. 393).

Boundary objects articulate meaning and address multiple perspectives. They allow “different groups to work together based on a back-and-forth movement between ill-structured use in cross-site work and well-structured use in local work” (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011 , p. 141). Boundaries and boundary objects are ambiguous in nature. It is this uncertainty that creates a space for learning at the boundary, which can entertain multiple meanings for a phenomenon.

Dillion ( 2008 ) developed generic ideas of pedagogy of connection and boundary crossings between disciplines which take account of interventions, the use of tools, and the notion of changes in learning behavior. Akkerman and Bakker ( 2011 ) in their literature review on boundary crossing saw boundaries as dialogical phenomena and identified four potential learning dialogical processes that can take place at the boundaries: identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation. In summary (see ibid. pp. 142–150 for a full explication):

Identification is about defining one practice in light of another, delineating how it differs from the other practice, thus establishing legitimate coexistence of different practices.

Coordination involves (i) a communicative connection between diverse practices that can be achieved via boundary objects, (ii) efforts of translation between different worlds, (iii) increasing boundary permeability, and (iv) establishing cross boundary operational routines.

Reflection is about realizing and explicating differences between practices and thus to learn something new about their own and others’ practices and formulating distinctive perspectives (perspective making). It creates a possibility to look at oneself through the eyes of other worlds. These processes enrich one’s identity beyond its current status (perspective taking).

Transformation involves (i) confrontation between different practices, (ii) recognition of a shared problem space with the boundary object as a mediating object, (iii) hybridization where a new and unfamiliar cultural form emerges combining ingredients from different practices, and (iv) crystallization where something hybrid is embedded into practice so that it has real consequence. It takes place by means of developing new routines or procedures that embody what has been created or learned, maintaining (v) uniqueness of the intersecting practices, and (vi) continuous joint work at the boundary and the process of meaning negotiation, thus preserving the productivity of the boundary crossing.

These four dialogical processes characterizing boundary crossing can be a feasible model to frame pedagogy in STEM education as STEM is heterogeneously involving different pedagogical content knowledge boundaries. As mentioned in the previous section, Leung ( 2019 ) explored STEM pedagogy in the mathematics classroom by proposing a hybrid boundary object that connected the STEM disciplines mathematics and science. It took the form of an inquiry-based modeling pedagogical cycle in which elements of mathematical modeling and scientific inquiry-based learning were combined. The cycle is regarded as a boundary object that can be used as a lens to organize boundary crossing pedagogical activities between science and mathematics. Leung’s study analyzed a STEM lesson under this lens and consequently identified a few STEM boundary pedagogy features: contingent classroom interactions, room for mistakes, development of tool-based task design and tool-based reasoning discourse, applicability and extension, refinement, and modification ( ibid .). These features can be re-interpreted under the four dialogical processes. To extend the inquiry-based modeling pedagogical cycle for science and mathematics, a generic problem-solving cycle may serve as a boundary object for all STEM disciplines.

Problem solving in STEM

Problem solving plays a central role in STEM education. STEM learning and thinking is usually situated in the context of problem solving (see, for example, Li et al., 2019 ; Priemer et al., 2019 ). A view for STEM boundary crossing is to regard the problem-solving process as a boundary object. Different STEM disciplines have their own problem-solving process (which are inquiry-based learning, computational thinking, engineering design, and mathematical modeling, respectively). Investigating the commonalities and differences of the STEM disciplines’ problem-solving heuristics could be a key to integration. Leung ( 2018 ) compared and contrasted the STEM disciplines’ problem-solving processes and subsumed them under a universal frame modeled after Pólya’s problem-solving cycle (Pólya, 1945 ). An overarching problem-solving process (a boundary object) can be regarded as a kind of “STEM language” or a compatible epistemological approach to translate or transfer pedagogies between the STEM disciplines. A major difficulty in STEM integration is that teachers from different STEM disciplines, understandably, usually have difficulty communicating with each other. Having a common STEM language (e.g., a commonly accepted overarching problem-solving strategy) acting as a boundary object may alleviate teachers’ academic tension between the STEM disciplines.

STEM literacy and thinking

In a recent research on STEM literacy (i.e., a set of capabilities that a STEM literate person should possess), Tang and Williams ( 2019 ) examined the literacies across the STEM disciplines to identify similarities and differences in order to determine whether there is a collective conceptualization of these literacies. A distinction between STEM literacy and S.T.E.M. literacies (individual disciplinary literacies) was proposed. It was suggested that there should be an interweaving continuum between the two. Furthermore,

the boundaries between the development of these literacies is permeable, and all individuals are at different points on the spectrum as they develop towards being literate. (Tang & Williams, 2019 , p. 692-693)

Hence, an implicit idea of boundary crossing in terms of common literacy skills across the STEM disciplines emerged.

More research in identifying common literacy skills across the STEM disciplines will further strengthen and substantiate the validity of STEM literacy as an educational construct. (Tang & Williams, 2019 , p. 693)

With respect to STEM literacy skills, in an editorial on thinking and STEM education (Li et al., 2019 ), thinking was viewed as cognitive processes and strategies in problem-solving activities. Thinking in integrated STEM education was suggested to be reconceptualized and differentiated into multiple models, instead of the traditional concept of thinking as a single process consisting of different components.

Individual models can be identified and developed as pertinent to thinking that takes place either in individuals or in groups. Each model can also refer to discipline-general or discipline-based thinking that have been the focus of previous studies such as mathematical reasoning, computational thinking, design thinking, and critical thinking. (Li et al., 2019 , p. 9)

An interactive STEM pedagogy framework

In the above discussions on STEM integration, the concept of an interweaving framework between multiplicity and commonality in problem-solving context begins to take shape. Building on the author’s work in exploring a problem-based integrated hybrid pedagogy for science and mathematics (Leung, 2019 ), an interactive STEM pedagogy framework is proposed in this section to further extend the boundary crossing idea to wider domains. The conceptualization of this framework was motived by a school’s STEM project lesson that the author observed and discussed with the participating teachers. This STEM project lesson will be presented in the next section to illustrate and concretize the framework elements.

A STEM activity is often about asking students to solve a relevant authentic, usually ill-defined, problem in multiple creative ways. Collaboration across different domains is crucial. Participants (teachers and students) in a STEM class work together to shape the problem-solving processes. A framework for STEM pedagogy could take the form of a system structure where interrelated pedagogical components are interacting together via commonalities and boundary objects. Here boundary objects refer to those mediating artifacts that are conducive to bridging the pedagogical gaps among the STEM disciplinary domains. This pedagogical system should be fluid and ready to adapt to different shapes as the educational context changes. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of this framework. The four apexes are four major domains (can be more if necessary) in the pedagogical system that interact with each other in the process of boundary crossing via the agency of boundary objects. Learning dialogical processes identified by Akkerman and Bakker, problem solving, communities of practice, and boundary objects were discussed in the “Theoretical Background” section. Situated learning focuses on “the relationship between learning and social situations in which it occurs …. what kinds of social engagements provide the proper context for learning to take place” (Lava & Wenger, 1991 , p. 14). For STEM education, the social situation could be the pedagogical environment that the students are engaging in, for example, a school laboratory, a digital classroom, a field trip to a museum, and a robotic competition.

An interactive framework for STEM pedagogy

Accompanying this interactive pedagogical framework is the following provisional statement for STEM pedagogy:

STEM pedagogy is about situated contextual teaching and learning where participants from educational Communities of Practice (e.g. teachers, students) socially co-construct solutions and knowledge for addressing relevant real-world problems through boundary crossing dialogical and problem-solving processes that involve more than one STEM discipline .

This statement captures the essential concepts presented in Fig. 1 and could be a generic approach for cross-disciplinary pedagogy; that is, other knowledge domains can join the system. It expands into details when applied to specific enactment of STEM education in a school. In this sense, this STEM pedagogy would ultimately serve as a boundary object for different pedagogical domains. A major undertaking to study this framework is to investigate the interactions among the apexes through boundary crossing and to find out the boundary objects needed to do the crossing. The purpose of setting up this interactive framework is an attempt to create an overarching map to conceptualize and operationalize integrated STEM education.

In the following section, an example of a STEM-related lesson from a Hong Kong secondary schools (shared by the school’s teachers) is described and discussed. This example was the inspiration to motivate the formation of the provisional statement and the interactive pedagogical framework. Therefore, the analysis presented in the next section illustrates the ideas suggested in the framework with a concrete example.

An illustrative example

The case example described in this section was from a secondary school in Hong Kong. To understand the recent STEM education situation in Hong Kong and the larger educational environment behind this school case, a brief introduction of Hong Kong STEM education is sketched below.

STEM education was first announced in the Hong Kong 2015 Government Policy Address. The government’s Education Bureau (EDB) has been very proactive in promoting this mandate in the primary and secondary school sectors. The Report on Promotion of STEM Education: Unleashing Potential in Innovation (Education Bureau of Government of HKSAR, 2016 ) called for holistic strategies to nurture school students’ creativity, collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving skills in Science, Technology, and Mathematics. Student-centered pedagogies are encouraged to facilitate integrative problem-solving skills, learning to code, and entrepreneurial spirit. Suggestions on STEM education strategies to enrich quality learning experiences for students have mostly been exercised through extra-curricular activities focusing on competitions, exhibitions, collaboration with STEM-related organization, and school-based STEM-related activities. However, there are neither concrete directions nor common consensus on how to approach STEM education in the Hong Kong context. Educational activities that have an ICT (Information Communication Technology) component, mainly coding, would be labeled as STEM activity. Science, Engineering, and especially Mathematics are usually under the shadow of coding and robotics.

A few schools have been implementing cross-disciplinary classroom teaching in Science, Mathematics, and ICT before 2015 (like the school case presented in this section). This was usually initiated and led by passionate teachers who have strong subject matter knowledge and who have broad visions to cross their own subject boundaries. The interpretation of STEM education has expanded rapidly into diversified forms and, in particular, other subject domains like Art are being incorporated into the STEM movement, hence the popularization of STEAM education. In this connection, Hong Kong STEM education is moving gradually towards a cross-disciplinary direction. The currently discussed STEM literacy concept in the more developed STEM education systems, such as Australia and USA (see for example Tang & Williams, 2019 ), is still in a very novice stage in the Hong Kong context. One purpose of presenting a school case in this section is to illustrate an example of STEM-related lesson design that Hong Kong teachers engage in. STEM-related means the pedagogical activities in the lesson design cover a broad range of knowledge domains that include some, if not all, STEM disciplines and other knowledge disciplines. In the case presented below, geography was included. Motivated by this school case, the proposed interactive framework for STEM pedagogy (Fig. 1 ) took its form. The framework is generic enough to allow other knowledge domains to join in and hence possibly extending it to a STEM Plus pedagogy (at least two STEM disciplines plus one other non-STEM subject discipline).

Background of the STEM project

Secondary school M began cross-disciplinary activities involving Mathematics, Science, and ICT since 2013 before the Hong Kong STEM education initiative mandated in 2015. The school has an ICT Team consisting mostly of higher form students who participate on a voluntary basis. The Team is led by an able and experienced teacher (Ms. A) who is the head of the school’s ICT Department and who is passionate with organizing and overseeing STEM activities for students. In 2015, Ms. A led the students from the ICT Team to accept an invitation to participate in an international science exhibition in Belgium. They visited the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences which is one of the largest dinosaur-themed museums in the world. During the museum visit, the students came across an interactive activity where they had to act like a paleontologist to excavate dinosaur bones in a makeshift sand pit using authentic archeologist brush. In the activity, students learned about the relationship between the size of a type of fossil bone (thigh bone) and the weight of the dinosaur. The students initiated an idea that they would like to replicate this activity in their school and Ms. A was delighted to support this teaching and learning project.

The STEM activity

Ms. A’s usual practice is to let students design the STEM lesson/activity that they initiated by themselves with support and advice from her and other teachers. The ICT Team students (in Form 4 and Form 5, i.e., Grade 10 and Grade 11 equivalent) decided that the STEM lesson was for Form 3 (Grade 9) students and they titled it “A Day as a Paleontologist.” The ICT Team students designed and constructed makeshift sand pits and modelled the dinosaur fossil bones using plaster with reference to pictures found on the Internet. Figure 2 is one of those makeshift sand pits after brushing.

A student-constructed archeological sand pit with fossil bones

Having this model artifact in place, the ICT Team students, using advices from different subject teachers, designed a sequence of 10 activity tasks, with worksheets, for Form 3 classes. This design of sequenced activities was motivated by the teachers and students’ past experience of collaborative STEM task design. The task sequence was an attempt to enact a simplified exploration practice of a paleontologist. The work of a paleontologist involves subject knowledge beyond STEM; hence, this activity was actually a STEM Plus activity. The Form 3 class students were divided into groups. They were provided with different sand pits, regarded as sites, like the one in Fig. 2 . The first activity task was to grid the site with strings and to draw a sketch-map of it. Afterward students used a brush properly to remove the sand on the fossil bones and to identify the thigh bone. The thigh bone was used to estimate the dinosaur weight (Fig. 3 ).

A sketch-map of a map with the fossil bones revealed

To perform the weight estimation, it was necessary to know the circumference of the thigh bone’s cross section. Since the fossil bones were not supposed to be taken out of the site, mathematical modeling was needed to estimate the circumference. A reasonable assumption was that the cross section of the bones takes an elliptical shape (Fig. 4 ).

Leg bone information obtained from the Internet and geometrical modeling used to estimate the circumference

The ICT Team students found a Ramanujan’s formula for elliptical circumference ( p ) from the Internet:

This formula was a new mathematical knowledge for the students and for the teachers, but they had no doubt about its validity because of Ramanujan’s fame. An iPad App was found that could measure the major axis of the fossil bone’s cross section. To estimate the minor axis, one could assume that the fossil bone cross section is like the one depicted in Fig. 4 and use a similarity argument to calculate the desired answer for the semi-minor axis of the makeshift bones.

Finally, students were asked to obtain a circumference-weight chart like the one in Fig. 5 a from the Internet to extrapolate a circumference-weight graph (Fig. 5 b) and use this graph to estimate the weight of the dinosaur. The lesson ended with the ICT teacher asking the students to write a pseudo-code for the Ramanujan’s formula for elliptical circumference.

a A circumference-weight chart. b An extrapolated circumference-weight graph

The following is a summary of the 10 activity tasks.

Task 1: Draw a sketch-map.

Task 2: Short question: Do you think the dinosaur died at where you found the fossil? Why?

Task 3: Shade the thighbone: a dinosaur skeleton and two dinosaur head bones drawings were shown.

Task 4: Short question: What is the type of dinosaur, carnivore, or herbivore shown in the above skeleton? Give a reason for your answer.

Mathematics supported by ICT tool

Task 5: Find the weight of the dinosaur

5.1: Find the length of the semi-major axis of the cross section

5.2: Find the length of the semi-minor axis of the cross section

Task 6: Plot a graph to find the mass of the dinosaur

Task 7: Long question:

Is the formula for estimating the circumference of an ellipse valid? By considering the case where the lengths of the major and the minor axes are equal, verify the validity of the formula. [Hint: What figure will you get if the length of the major and the minor axes are equal?]

Task 8: Long question:

Someone suggests that the method used is not accurate in estimating the weight of the dinosaur. List THREE possible sources of errors.

Task 9: Write the pseudo-code of the ellipse formula.

Task 10: Short question: Suggest ONE advantage of writing programs to find the circumference.

Reflection with respect to the interactive framework

This STEM Plus lesson involved four subject disciplines: Geography, Biology, Mathematics, and ICT.

Situated contextual teaching and learning

The lesson was motivated by an out-of-classroom experience in a world-class scientific museum. It mimics the work of paleontologists who are scientists in possession of diverse subject knowledge to solve complex archeological problems. This is the kind of lesson that meets the purpose and aim of STEM education: preparing our students for a STEM-related career (in this case, learning from being a paleontologist) for the advancement of human knowledge and betterment of our society.

Communities of practice

It was a student-initiated and student-designed project lesson, and the teachers from the relevant subject disciplines collaborated to ensure success. Different subject teachers played supportive advisory roles to co-construct the pedagogical task sequence with the students. Therefore, Communities of Practice (of students and of teachers) were formed and they interacted with each other. STEM lesson is not only for students, an important stakeholder is the teachers. The readiness and openness of the teachers are deterministic factors for the success of a STEM lesson. School M has an ICT Team headed by teacher Ms. A who has a vision to promote cross-subject teaching and learning activities. She believes that students should know how to apply knowledge in integrative ways and know that different subjects are interrelated. The school has an IT room for the ICT Team where workshops for students can be held to construct and design materials for STEM activities. It is interesting to note that even though Ms. A is an ICT expert teacher, there are no digital artifacts in the IT room. She prefers concrete raw materials that students can handle and play with in designing STEM activities. Furthermore, the school principal who believes STEM education is for every student, not just the smart ones, provides pivotal support to establish a STEM school culture. He believes that students have different learning processes and individual differences and that the school curriculum should be adjusted to allow cross-subject explorative lessons that are coherent across subjects. Consequently, the whole school becomes a STEM Community of Practice.

Knowledge co-construction and real-world problem solving

School M is actively promoting a practical scientific investigation culture. When students design STEM activities, apart from engaging in different subject matters, they are encouraged to design the activities for participating students to develop hands-on and problem-solving skills using simple materials. Teachers and students co-construct “STEM knowledge” to address contextual problems. The student-designed lesson pushed the participating teachers out of their subject comfort zone and became STEM learners themselves. The Geography teacher learned about sketching plane sketch-map for an actual 3-dimensional physical site, an activity that is not in the school Geography curriculum. For the Mathematics teacher, the Ramanujan’s formula for elliptical circumference was new to him. Students found the formula on the Internet and spent a lot of time discussing it with the Mathematics teacher. Outside classroom knowledge makes connection with curriculum knowledge and how such knowledge can be used in the real world. Students enjoyed the lesson and gained new perspectives in their learning. Mathematics plays a central role in the lesson. Students realized the usefulness of mathematics as a “real” science and experienced that a step-by-step problem-solving process could link mathematics to other subjects.

The whole lesson design had mathematics threaded through the tasks. Drawing the sketch-map for the pit needs knowledge on scaling which involves measurement unit, similarity, and proportional reasoning. Finding the circumference of the bone needs mathematical modeling, measurement technique, geometrical reasoning, similarity, proportional reasoning, approximation, and to know how to make decision on what formula to use and how to use it. Estimating the weight of the dinosaur reveals the need to find authentic data source in order to extrapolate a graph for the estimation. Finally, errors in the estimation are discussed. Hence, overall, underlying this STEM lesson was learning how to use mathematical knowledge to conduct a scientific investigation to solve an archeological problem; a kind of hybridization between mathematical modeling and the scientific inquiry process (see Leung, 2019 ).

Boundary crossing, boundary object, and dialogical processes

An exceptional characteristic of this STEM Plus lesson is that the lesson was initiated, designed, and prepared by students with support from relevant subject teachers. School M uses this pedagogical approach to conduct STEM education. This student-centered model is the driving force for School M’s boundary crossing pedagogical approach. Akkerman and Bakker's ( 2011 ) four learning dialogical processes in boundary crossing play out quite naturally in this case.

Identification STEM education involves different subject disciplines, each having its own pedagogical practice. The identity of each subject in institutionalized school curriculum is distinct and robust. In the case presented, the lesson involved Geography, Biology, Mathematics, and ICT.

Coordination The makeshift sand pit containing fossil bones (the site) constructed by the students can be regarded as a boundary object as it became the common communicative object that connected the focus of attention of the four subject disciplines. Geography focused on sketch-map, Biology on the types of bones, Mathematics on modeling, and ICT on the use of digital app and pseudo-coding. All these are connected through the site as the dialogical piece.

The step-by-step task sequence designed by the students can be regarded as a common text for the boundary object. It acted as an explanation of (in a sense translating) the context and the objectives of the lesson. The task sequence was straight forward and was a kind of operational routine for the students and the subject teachers to carry out. The straightforward transition from one task to another task eases the pedagogic tension between the subjects and thus increased the boundary permeability.

Reflection Teachers and students realized how one subject discipline can be relevant to another subject discipline with respect to a common context. A paleontologist could at the same time be a practicing geographer, a biologist, a mathematician, and an IT expert. The lesson allowed both the teachers and the students to see the possibility of looking at themselves through the eyes of different disciplines and thus expanded their knowledge domains. The students indicated that they had an experience of looking at their own mathematics-selves through the eyes of other subject disciplines. This is an enrichment of one’s knowledge identity beyond one’s current status.

Transformation The usual confrontation between different subject teachers was alleviated since the lesson was initiated by a student team. Students did most of the planning, design, and construction, and they consulted different subject teachers for advice. In this way, the subject teachers shared a problem space with the students using the sand pit as a mediating boundary object. This lesson project is an example of a non-traditional school culture in which students and teachers became collaborators in a pedagogical process. It can be regarded as student-teacher hybridization of different pedagogical practices. The boundary between student and teacher has become very flexible and permeable.

School M has been creating new cross-disciplinary lessons like this one, all designed by the ICT Team student, in the past few years and is continuing to do so. Old lessons have been modified and are re-taught when appropriate circumstances arise. Consequently, each involved discipline is strengthening its unique identity at the boundary as each plays a deterministic role in the lessons, while at the same time joining other disciplines in a constant negotiation of new integrated knowledge. This is a crystallization process.

School M has motivated the key interacting components of the interactive framework (Fig. 1 ) and exemplified the description of the provisional statement for STEM education. It is a foundational example upon which the type of STEM pedagogy proposed can be further developed.

Concluding remarks

In Leung ( 2019 ), the author aimed to “explore and search for boundary pedagogy that acts as communicator between the epistemological and pedagogical approaches in the mathematics and science classrooms” (p. 1355). An inquiry modeling cycle was proposed to build a boundary object connecting two knowledge acquisition domains, and this inquiry modeling cycle is a local realization of the interactive framework for the STEM pedagogy presented in Fig. 1 . Hence, the interactive framework is a global overarching extension of the ideas discussed in Leung ( 2019 ).

From the school case discussed above, one can see that STEM pedagogy is a complex pedagogical phenomenon. It involves checks and balances between domains and communities that are locally situated. The main difficulty is to find or construct appropriate boundary objects to transfer knowledge across sites. Hence, in a sense, a STEM pedagogy should also possess the characteristics of a boundary object, that is, it is plastic enough to adapt to local needs and constraints and robust enough to maintain a commonly shared structure. The interactive framework depicted in Fig. 1 and the accompanying provisional statement about STEM (Plus) pedagogy were intended to express this thought. There needs not be a fixed definition of what STEM education is; rather, there should be overarching principles to guide the development of STEM education in different social and educational contexts. The interactive framework presented in this commentary is a step forward in this direction. It uses boundary crossing as the main overarching idea to alleviate the tensions and to regulate the communication among different STEM (and beyond) domains.

Boundary is a place where ambiguity rules, but ambiguity has the potential to open new interpretations and practices. Different epistemic ways to cross the STEM disciplinary boundaries determine the types of pedagogical approach to be employed, for example, inter-disciplinary, multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary, or even meta-disciplinary. Such epistemic decisions are made according to many factors that cannot be globally standardized. Different school and cultural practices mold different STEM education realizations. However, a key common factor is collaboration among teachers across the STEM subjects. STEM education is not targeted for student learning only, it should also be a boundary platform where teachers from different school subjects come together to learn and to expand and enrich their pedagogical context knowledge.

This commentary discusses integrated STEM pedagogy and boundary crossing between STEM Communities of Practice. An interactive framework accompanied by a provisional statement is proposed to map out the connective factors that are critical in forming STEM pedagogy. This serves as an overarching frame to guide the operation of STEM applications in situated sites. The Hong Kong school case presented in this commentary motivated and ascertained the applicability of this framework. The question is how different STEM practices can be measured by this overarching frame. Disciplines other than STEM can enter the interactive frame, and when that happens, more epistemic nodes are expected to be added for the expansion of the framework. Under this framework, a research direction would be to investigate the construction and utilization of specific mechanisms (e.g., boundary objects) for boundary crossing which can consequently create a pedagogical environment where the STEM, and other, disciplines can work harmoniously together for the participants to construct the needed knowledge and skills, hence contributing to STEM literacy. This is an ideal goal that hopefully can be realized in the future. The complexity of how to interpret STEM education by different stakeholders is not easy to regulate, especially for the emergence of viable STEM pedagogies that could reach this goal. Nevertheless, the discussion in this commentary points to a less traveled research path that might lead to an alternative pedagogical scenario for STEM education research.

Availability of data and materials

Data sharing is not applicable to this commentary as no empirical data were generated.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to express deep gratitude to the teachers of Maryknoll Father’s School, Hong Kong SAR, for sharing their school practices.

The author declares that there is no funding for this research.

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Leung, A. Boundary crossing pedagogy in STEM education. IJ STEM Ed 7 , 15 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00212-9

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Education with No Boundaries

Deepika is currently working as a senior school educator at Ebenezer International School, Bengaluru. She switched careers from being a Senior Risk and Regulatory Affairs Analyst at Deloitte USI to the field of education with an aim of magnifying sustainable education. Being a Digitally Certified educator by organizations like National Geographic and Google she believes in encompassing progressive teaching and learning techniques in classrooms for a quality education.

Just like how our imagination has no parameters, learning also has none. Learning is a journey of every individual throughout their life and when it comes to students it is a routine for continuous hours a day.

Students tend to acquire utmost knowledge and skills through varied subjects and scenarios. This process of acquiring knowledge requires openness and diversity. When I am saying openness and diversity, it means that when a learner is being taught on a specific topic, he/she must not only understand what the topic is but also embed keynotes around it in varied ways beyond a course book. That brings us back to our title ‘Education has no Boundaries’!

What is the purpose behind the idea of education without boundaries?

Well, Mr. Albert Einstein once quoted, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it”. I marked his words in my teaching diary and took it to my heart. When I was a child, I always thought education is all about studying and achieving good grades but later when I stepped out of schooling and started to witness the world outside, my notion started to fade away. I then got my head around and told myself, “hey, education is beyond being literate, way above just studying, it is far away from just understanding the meaning of photosynthesis.” That is when I realised, this notion might exist in many of the learners sitting there just like me. I then reasoned out to become an ‘Educator without boundaries’.

Sometimes we end up questioning ourselves with, ‘why is it like that?’, ‘what is it exactly about?’, ‘why do I have to do it?’. The best answers which will make us go round the globe include questions of why and what. Adding potions to these questions and answering them in a more timely and broader manner shapes the learning journey for our students.

How can we become educators without boundaries?

Prop up with a Bag of Soft-Skills:

In the territory of education, it is paramount that we stay connected with the current generation since we are the ones to motivate our learners and create future managers. Well, soft-skills are one of those best practices which will help you ease this process by placing you in that journey followed by implementing tasks ranging from easier ones like “How to explain a concept” to difficult ones like “learning how to be creative in explaining that concept”.

Soft-Skills in teaching focus on elevating areas such as classroom management strategies, team work, understanding a student’s personality, presentability and so on and so forth. What are those underlined soft-skills required by educators in the any situation:

Displaying personal values- You show a value in your actions they will take it in their bag.

Openness to criticism- Feedback tells you what your next step is.

Empathy- Don’t sympathise but do empathise.

Presentability- They see you, they would want to look like you.

Consideration- Show them that you care, it is a boomerang.

Clarity of speech- Your choice of words will determine whether they will understand your message or not.

Presentation skills- It is not not just what you explain but how you explain it.

Knowing when to communicate- Timing will fill up the blanks.

Willingness to change- 50 students and 50 personalities in one teacher, that is the power of an educator.

Collaboration- Come together whenever necessary, after all the world is a web!

Punctuality- Respect your time as well as others.

Pragmatism- Be realistic. Theory may be for books and exams, but practical is for their time ahead.

Mentoring- Be a ‘go to person’ for your students as well as your fellow-mates.

Maintain a wide range of structured pursuits:

A learner always understands most of the content through activities and practical approaches. Create or simulate experiences and activities for every topic taught. The suggested topics educating learners which I also mentioned few in one of my previous articles include but are not limited to;

Environmental, social and corporate governance that is applicable to companies.
Teaching by changing the environment around them (go out of the classroom sometimes, that will have a positive impact)
Lay foundations for digital literacy and polish digital skills.
Providing virtual volunteering opportunities on platforms such as UNESCO, UN, UNICEF and other national and international non-profit platforms.
Showcasing documentaries that focus on life below water, climate actions, poverty, sanitation, economic growth, justice, etc.
Running an assembly with leaders who can share their experiences on the future of land, peace, sustainable/nonviolent communication, quality education, etc.
Providing hands on experiences with proficient individuals and sources via webinars, workshops, etc., related to the subject matter.
Building in class activities like meaningful collaborative projects, group discussions, role based acts and more.

Teaching them the art of ‘Being Human’:

Irrespective of the subject, a learner must be edified about the importance of connections and networking. After all, life is a web and each one of us represent a string in it.

Encouraging learners to think out of the box by brainstorming sessions.
Teaching them the value of ethics, informed culture, diversity and empathy.
Ringing a doorbell for their strengths and weaknesses so that they know how to utilise and overcome them.
Seeking their opinions on varied topics and discussing the same.
Leading learners with constructive feedback at the end of every assessment.

Conclusion:

I try to imbibe the above mentioned styles to give my learners a hands-on experience for progressive education which says, education is one field which requires no boundaries. I also believe that the power of creating A-Class managers for the world is vested in the hands of us. Education is a field which gives an understanding for all fundamentals to theory and practice. When this field tends to see boundaries, learners begin to build a preconceived notion and education has no room for those preconceived notions. Certainly, an educator plays a vital role in this entire process. The moment educators tend to place themselves in the hats of learners, they comprehend their thought processes. Once this wiring takes place, we as educators can build a framework beyond the standard work of study.

Life never tells us about the subject in which it is going to place a situation. Preparing our learners for that life is where we as educators make a thoughtful change.

Happy teaching and learning!

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STEM Students: How Does Your Essay Stand Out?

Julia de Raadt

Head of research and lead admissions expert, table of contents, stem students.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

STEM Students: How Does Your Essay Stand Out?

Once upon a time, in an era dominated by young people vying to be future lawyers and financiers, a STEM student was rare. The computer scientists and engineers of tomorrow were prized rarities among colleges and universities. Nowadays, however, it can feel like everyone is a STEM student, and moreover, it often seems that the level of competitiveness among STEM students is ever-increasing. If that’s you, you need to ask yourself: how does your essay stand out?

This perception, founded partially in fact and partially in misplaced anxiety, can lead many STEM students to feel that their college applications will get lost in the mix of other highly qualified applications with similar profiles. In an effort to assuage some of these anxieties, I’ve compiled a list of 3 ways a STEM student can make his or her college application stand out, focusing on the essay portion of the application.

First: if you’re going to write about STEM in your essays, do it differently.

More than ever, colleges are approaching student applications “holistically.” There is a sense, in modern college admissions, that the “student” is comprised of an amalgamation of tangible and intangible factors, and discerning within the mix of quantitative data, extracurriculars, and personal statements the indication of a person behind the application is critical to the application review process. Colleges, simply, don’t want to see a machine. They want to see your multifaceted entirety, your idiosyncratic “you”-ness.

Your essays, therefore, can be absolutely crucial when it comes to giving your application an edge. Rather than using the essays as an opportunity to reiterate that you do STEM activities, use them as an opportunity to talk about the person behind the activities. If you’re curious as to how does your essay stand out, think about whether it sounds like you!

One thing to make clear: that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about STEM. If STEM is truly what drives you onward in the world, talk about it. That being said, talk about it from a new and interesting angle.

Here are some suggestions:

If you have done wet-lab research on something in biology, talk about how that changed your view of the world. How do very small life forms challenge your views on what we define as a life that is “meaningful”? Do the things you’ve learned from this research make the world seem simpler or more complex? Why do you think you crave the understanding that research can give? Why do you have a need to know? How might this research make you more conscious of your own status as an organism (either mortality and fragility, or resilience and strength), and how might this impact the way you live?
If you’re an engineer, talk about the act of creation. What aspect of creation drives you on? For you, is it all about serial creation, that is, finding a need and meeting it? Is it specifically about giving back to where you’re from? Do you simply like disrupting old ways of doing things? What is your earliest memory of creation? What might it mean to you to be an “ethical” engineer? How important to you is doing the “right thing” when you are involved in your craft? For whom do you create?
If you are a computer scientist, talk about how the work you do makes the world better. How does the software you design contribute to the “good life,” either for you or for the people who use it? What does it mean to you to code something that you’re proud of? What does the process of debugging look like for you? That is, how do you deal with a piece of code that won’t seem to work? In what ways might coding be considered its own form of art? In this sense, might you consider yourself a sort of artist?

All of these things will distinguish you.

Second: that being said, maybe don’t write about STEM.

The college you’re applying to already knows you do STEM. To some extent, they even know you’re passionate about it; if you are devoting hours a day and weeks of your summer to something, there’s a good shot you care. It might be redundant to drive that point home once again in your essays.

Furthermore, this is an opportunity to show another, more personal side of yourself. In your essays, you might choose to talk about something among the following:

What does your favorite food say about you?
What is the one question you love being asked and why?
Who or what do you worry about?
When did you become confident?
Who is your favorite YouTuber?
Are you addicted to social media?
When was the last time you cried? Laughed?
What does it mean to you to be human?

The point here is to be honest. Give the colleges a chance to see you, including your imperfections, because the reality is that you are enough as is. If you love the “Yodeling Walmart Boy” meme, talk about it! The minutiae of you is what makes you real. So use your essay as a space to show the funny and deeply human parts of yourself.

Thirdly: how you write matters almost as much as what you write.

One of the common stereotypes of STEM-focused students is that their emphasis on STEM exists in the extremes. Almost to the exclusion of developing other skills; particularly the skill of effective communication. If you’re asking yourself, “how does your essay stand out?” Writing can be the key. Learning to write smoothly is important, but even more important than that is learning to imbue your piece with a sense of voice (i.e., personhood).

Conveying personality in a challenge, but it is the critical difference between an engaging essay and one that falls flat. Contrary to what you may have been taught, a conversational tone that involves some elements of your genuine speech patterns should not be avoided, so long as adequate attention is paid to grammatical and syntactical conventions. That is, you can write how you speak, but make sure you understand the conventions of adapting speech to the page. If I had to pick the top 3 most important questions to ask yourself during the revision process, they would be the following:

How can I make this more specific?

Original: I learned so much from this experience.
Revised: After that morning in the Sonoma fields, I resolved to invest myself in the relationships around me.

How can I make this less clich éd?

Original: I learned to never judge a book by its cover.
Revised: It became clear to me that her most immediately apparent qualities didn’t capture the entirety of her whatsoever; she was infinitely more than I imagined.

How can I make this flow better?

This will mostly hinge on breaking up paragraphs into smaller chunks and making sure sentences flow naturally.

Now you can see, these tips will help you get started on your college essays. For you STEM students out there, continually challenge yourself to answer the question: how does your essay stand out from the crowd?

For more guidance on the application process and getting into your school of choice, meet with one of our enrollment team members to get matched to an expert counselor for free.

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College apps can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. empowerly college counseling is in it with you., related articles.

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What is STEM Education and Why is it Important?

When life challenges you, it surely doesn’t test your abilities to do maths, physics, chemistry, etc individually. Instead, it tests your abilities to handle the situation using the teachings of these subjects; the theoretical base with the practicality of life. This is where STEM education establishes its firm foot in the field of education to help the 21st-century population sail through life.

With the rapid change in market trends and the nature of desirable skills in the workforce, the education sector has introduced STEM education, an acronym for well-known terms– Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

What is STEM Education?

STEM education is a teaching and learning approach that is a unique combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. To be precise, STEM education primarily focuses on hands-on and problem-based learning methodology. STEM emphasizes developing logical and critical thinking skills by allowing students to learn and understand things from the perspective of the real world. STEM education equipped students with the skills that are required to succeed in their respective careers whether it be in jobs, entrepreneurship, etc.

Importance Of STEM Education in the 21st Century:

With STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) , it is not the teaching of one subject but rather the amalgamation of all four subjects as a comprehensive one through an interdisciplinary curriculum. This helps students to deal with real-world situations and apply their learnings to create, innovate and discover new things. Also, it has been proven that students who adopt the STEM learning approach have better possibilities of getting placed at good companies, achieving the goals of their life contributing to the environment, etc.

Benefits of STEM Education:

As we read above that stem education is quite important these days and has many benefits let’s take a look:

1. Enhance Critical Thinking

STEM education is a very important aspect of student’s life as it teaches them to solve problems effectively. Students who are accustomed to STEM education at an early age learn to analyze challenges and are able to develop strategies to tackle them.

2. Motivates Experimenting

In the last couple of decades, it has been noticed that STEM education provides a healthy environment and encourages students to try new things. Children who are part of STEM education learn the importance of failure and how to tackle it without getting affected.

3. Teamwork

STEM education is best for team-building activities and it helps students from every level to work together. They come together and find solutions to the problem discuss with each other, record data, give presentations, write reports, etc. In the end, they come to know the importance of working with each other and, flourish in a complete team-building environment.

4. Boosts Curiosity

This is one of the most vital features of STEM education . Students who are made habitual of this type of education since childhood, develop curiosity and innovation as their regular habits. This type of education enhances the critical way of thinking and empowers them to ask questions.

5. Enhances Problem Solving Skills

With the enhancement of critical thinking, students also learn problem-solving skills. By adapting STEM education from an early age children learn the ways of examining problems. Children can also create amazing plans to solve problems. Also, it helps students to look at the bigger picture and not from the smaller aspect.

Objectives Of STEM Education:

These are the objectives of STEM education, take a look:

1. Meeting Demand For Highly Skilled Professionals

To stay afloat in the market, companies hire the best talent pool to help them stay competitive and relevant. People with 21st-century skills as well as STEM skills are the most sought-after. According to many researchers, there is a rise in professions that require STEM skills. Besides, who doesn’t want skilled people that would require very less time to adapt to the new environment? Therefore, stem education is playing a crucial role in determining the future of the youth and their employability.

2. Skill Development

Living in the digital age it is pertinent to say that technology has become an integral part of living therefore the students skilled in digital technology are going to be beneficial. Having faced the coronavirus lockdown almost every student was forced to switch to online platforms to impart knowledge. Students are now accustomed to learning online in the comfort of their place. Likewise, STEM education also helps students develop skills like critical thinking, creative thinking, digital literacy, spatial reasoning, etc.

3. Helps To Create Equality

There is no gender of subjects. However, people attach genders to subjects as well as to occupations. This is one of the major reasons behind the skewed gender ratio as one advance towards executive and leadership roles. This gender gap can be met by introducing STEM courses at an earlier age. Girls along with boys can then develop 21st-century skills and increase their employability rate. Furthermore, providing equal opportunities for each student towards exploring technologies through an integrated and interdisciplinary educational approach will take the world to the next level.

Components of STEM Education :

#attentive learning.

Learning attentively is quite a vital component of STEM education as it encourages students to think deeply and create a few assumptions in order to memorize things properly.

#Personalized System of Learning

In this, there are various methods of learning such as the shift method which is provided by the instructor in this the students have a choice of learning things at their pace, choosing subjects according to their choice, and giving exams accordingly.

#Problem-Based Learning

This is a simple way in which students collect various data from the things they come across in their daily life and analyze it. They can come up with different solutions by applying scientific, mathematical, or technological approaches.

#Connecting with a Bigger Level of Community

Students are made extroverts who can connect with a large number of people and share their ideas with them. It also helps them in learning several new things thus making them ambitious along with taking a look at various perspectives.

Pros and Cons of STEM Education:

Here are some of the prominent pros and cons of STEM education listed below:

Pros of STEM Education:

Widens career opportunities
Develops resilience
Develops communication, critical thinking, cognitive skills, etc.
Allows to understand the practical application of concepts
Helps in preparing students for future workforce
Helps in promoting gender equality

Cons of STEM Education

No proper guidelines/set of protocols
Might be costly
Requires a significant amount of time

Why is STEM Important in Early Childhood Education?

Schools play a vital role in imparting knowledge to students. After all, a person spends nearly 1/5th of his/her life going to school. STEM education focuses on building habits that will help children throughout their lives, from critical thinking skills, problem-solving and creative thinking to computation and interpersonal skills. They learn how to apply all of these to their daily life for building a better world around them.

1. Elementary School

One might think that students under 5 years of age can do little when it comes to STEM. However, researchers have found that children in this age bracket are exceptionally quick learners and exhibit great creative and technical abilities. Hence, at this stage, a brief introduction to STEM courses along with future career options are discussed. Its primary focus is on standards-based structure, inquiry-based and real-world problem-based learning, connecting all four STEM subjects. The objective is to arouse students’ interest and curiosity to pursue these courses without forcing them.

2. Middle School

The courses are designed in such a way that the students are curious to learn more. The objective here is to make them learn ‘how’ to learn not ‘what’ to learn. This enables them to pursue their interests early on while also being aware of the career options available to them after taking STEM courses.

3. High School

Students are in their teens during High School. Therefore, this is the time when they are searching for their identity and trying to make career choices. Hence, the programs focus on the application of the subjects in a challenging and rigorous manner. Along with that students are also guided for post-Secondary Education and employment.

Making Sense of ‘STEM Education’ in K-12 Contexts:

K-12 education is a short form used for classes from kindergarten to 12th grade and STEM has a lot of importance during those years. K-12 STEM education keeps children connected with the real world from a small age. It also helps in motivating students to learn new things, improves their interest, and makes them persistent in completing their tasks. The incorporation of STEM education in K-12 increases the standard of the things taught and helps children to choose careers in STEM-related fields.

Career Opportunities after STEM Education:

Well, it is one thing to study STEM and other to find jobs that are lucrative enough to give you reasons to keep doing what you are good at. So, here’s a list of career opportunities you can make after completing STEM courses.

Software Engineer – From designing, and developing to implementing software for all types of platforms, software engineers are always under the spotlight. The online world is hence the world made by these techies.
Cloud Architect – From the initial design through the building stage, cloud architects deal with cloud-based technology and platforms. They are the ones who take care of the platforms once they are up and running.
Web Developer – Today, every company has its website and all of them give their customers the best website experience. Web developers work on the front and back of websites to ensure they operate in the desired way for a good user experience. Coding is the basic need for becoming a web developer .
IT Manager – An IT manager’s role is similar to any other manager’s role, however, the only difference is that they look after all the work done in the IT department of a company to support the organization’s technology needs.
Astronomer – Fascination with celestial objects offers lucrative and interesting courses and professions in astronomy. Students take courses in calculus, astrophysics, astronomical techniques, and mechanics to further choose their career paths as college faculty members, a job at federal laboratories, and other aerospace sectors.
Electrical Engineer – Electrical engineers work from improving and creating electrical systems and devices to improving the human experience. These are other sought-after engineers as they shape everything from iPads and GPS navigation hardware to hydro, wind, and solar power generation systems.
Geologist – Career options in urban planning, mining and resource extraction, and primary education are opted for after doing courses in geology. Gaining knowledge of the planet’s surface and other related things help improve the ability to understand nature and its workings.
Mechanical Engineer – With the increase in mechanization, there is a growing need to research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines. This is where mechanical engineers take the charge and help in the advancement of the entire industrial system.
Actuary – Though most of the calculative and analytical work can now be done by machines. But there would still be a need for exceptional brains to assess and manage financial risk by implementing statistical, financial, and mathematical theories.
Doctor – Doctors are the professionals who are responsible for seeking out several methods to restore the health of patients. STEM education also helps in building a career in the healthcare field by stimulating the medical essentials studied in high school.
Scientists – They are the people who are responsible for conducting scientific research in the area of advanced knowledge and trying to understand the world from a different perspective. STEM education helps people in building careers as scientists by improving their cognitive, critical, and experimenting skills.

Conclusion:

Now that you know a lot about STEM education and its prospects, you can make better decisions for yourself and your loved ones’ careers. One thing that you need to keep in mind is that in this era, the more you work on honing your skills, the better it would be to give you an edge over others. So, if you are opting for honing your STEM skills then be assured that you’ll get myriad opportunities in the market that will provide lucrative salaries, wonderful job cultures, and exceptional growth rates.

FAQs on STEM Education :

Q1. what is stem education .

Ans: STEM education is a teaching approach that is a unique combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Q2. What Does STEM Stand For in Education?

Ans : STEM stands for

T- Technology
E- Engineering
M- Mathematics

Q3. What are the Disadvantages of STEM Education?

Ans: Disadvantages:

No proper guidelines or uniform guidelines

Q4. What are the Components of STEM Education?

Ans: Components of STEM Education

Attentive learning
Personalized system of learning
Problem-based learning
Connecting with a bigger level of community
Teaches about life skills, career, and technology

Q5. What is STEM in k12?

Ans: K-12 education is a short form used for classes from kindergarten to 12th grade and STEM has a lot of importance during those years. K-12 STEM education keeps children connected with the real world from a small age.

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Education Without Boundaries

Defining education is a perilious task. But the writer undertakes this job, explaining how education as a concept lies beyond the boundaries of books and schools.

By Sheetal Bhopal

Edited by Anandita Malhotra, Senior Editor, The Indian Economist

Vishva GuruThis was how ancient Bharat, that is, todays modern India was known to the world. It was from here that the Vedas, Puranas, Unani, Ayurveda, Airthmetic, Astrology and the other sciences conceived and spread to the rest of the parts of the globe. It was here that the zero was invented. India is the land of world renowned scientists like Ramanuja and Aryabhatta. There was a time when India was the focal point of the world education, students from all over came to receive education in our revered institutions like the Nalanda University, Rajgiri and Vikramshila. What was it that attracted the aliens to our land? What was it that gave Indian education a universal recognition? Apparently, it was the intensive and the practical knowledge that this realm believed in and practiced. Over the time, we were influenced by the global scenario and hence started imbibing the western style of education. But somewhere along adopting the global trends we started adopting them wholly and had to part with our roots. If today we are ready to practice the practical approach that ancient Bharat tread on, merged with the ideals of the Western education, we are certainly bound to succeed.

Education. What does the word mean? Does it only refer to reading and writing skills? Does it only refer to attending school? Or for that matter does it refer to mugging up the textbook and vomiting it out on the paper? In my perception, education involves the holistic growth of an individual. It teaches about the past and prepares us for the inevitable future. In other words, education is experience.

What is it that keeps Indian education bound in chains? India is a nation with diversities in each and every aspect, which may be culture, folk, mores, cuisines, language and for that matter even education. It is because of this need to cater to these diversities that we have several boards and institutions CBSE, ICSE, NCERT, STATE BOARDS, IB, open schools and vocational training. But it is this vast diversity that keeps us unified. If ICSE deals in traditional and intensive approach of learning, CBSE prepares us to face the competitive exams.

The Right to Education Act under the 86 th Amendment Act says that education is neither a privilege nor a favour, it is now a basic human right. The government might have made the effort on its behalf but a question is Are all the people in the society aware that they are born with this right? Somewhere down the lane, there is lack of awareness towards this fundamental right. And even those who are aware, especially the economically weaker sections of society are unwilling to send their children their school citing the basis that their child supplementing their income was more important than him receiving education. A panacea to this ill can be making these people realize the indispensable use of education. An initiative can be taken by the NGOs and other private institutions to work for this cause.

The district authorities of the state can look after the basic standard of the education provided both in the private and the governments run institutions. They should especially see to the provision of the average level of infrastructure facilities. A healthy competition can even be organized amongst the various districts and will as well instill a sense of self-pride in the district officials. These district authorities should be answerable to the state authorities and the state authorities should be answerable to the central authorities. Stringent rules should be followed on behalf of the government and transparency should also be maintained.

Today everyone seems to be involved in rat race where every one wants to surpass the others. Our eyes are glued on giving competition to others and becoming a part of this vicious cut-throat competition. This has certainly received an upper hand over human satisfaction and happiness. Somewhere, our education system stresses on grades and marks that we hardly bother understanding the concept. Teachers are more concerned with finishing the syllabus rather than pay attention to the students understands of the basic notion. In this way, we give boost to rote learning and spoon feeding. Preference is hardly given to the individuality of a person, creative thinking or understanding something to apply it in our actual lives.

Our population roughly consists of 200 million youth i.e. 200 million ignited minds. Economists believe that in the forthcoming years India will be a superpower as we will have the largest number of young people in our nation. But are we ready to provide them with elementary education, good employment, and a job and health security? On the one hand we have the booming economy and increase in our GDP rates; on the other hand we have more than 60% of our population residing in villages who are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. If on one hand, we are the biggest outsourcing nation in the world, on the other hand, a major portion of our population is still illiterate. Somewhere we have lost the balance between the development and the provisions of basic amenities to all the strata of the society, education being an imperative part of it.

Sheetal is a Political Science (H) student in her third year of graduation. An avid reader and photographer, she aims to join active politics. She has been organising events at her college level through discussion forums like The Symposium Society, known in the University for its Mock Indian Parliament simulations. She is also actively engaged in the National Service Scheme (NSS) of her college where she reads out to blind students. Elevation of humanity through the smallest efforts is what guides her day to day actions.

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Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 100 Words

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 200 Words

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 300 Words

What are STEM Education-Related Skills?

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What distinguishes STEM education from other traditional forms of learning?

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay 500 Words

What Role Does STEM Education Play?

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Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay in 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 & 1500 Words

Stem Education Without Boundaries Essay

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Why is Education without Boundaries Important?

1. Obtain High-Quality Education:

2. Equal opportunity:

3. Global Collaboration and Understanding:

4. Personalized Learning:

5. Lifelong Learning and Skill Development:

6. Innovation and Progress:

7. Economic Development:

What are STEM Categories?

1. Science:

2. Technology:

3. Engineering:

4. Mathematics:

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