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title: "SciShow"
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source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SciShow"
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category: "reference"
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tags: "science, encyclopedia"
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SciShow is a collection of YouTube channels that focuses on science news. The program is hosted by Hank Green along with a rotating cast of co-hosts. SciShow was launched as an original channel.
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The series has been consistently releasing new material since it was created in 2012.
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Since its launch, three additional channels have been launched under the SciShow brand: SciShow Space, SciShow Psych, and SciShow Kids.
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== History and funding ==
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The channel was launched as an "original channel", which meant that YouTube funded the channel. The show's initial grant was projected to expire in 2014, and in response, on September 12, 2013, SciShow joined the viewer-funding site Subbable, created in part by Green.
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In 2014, the channel landed a national advertisement deal with YouTube. The educational program was featured on platforms such as billboards and television commercials as a result. Green details that the advertisements had a positive effect on SciShow, stating, "My Twitter exploded, our followers and subscribers exploded."
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After Patreon acquired Subbable, the channel switched over to Patreon where it continues to receive support in exchange for various perks. SciShow currently has over four thousand patrons.
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== Production and hosting ==
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Though Green hosts the majority of episodes, the show has alternate hosts; Michael Aranda has been with the show since its inception, and Olivia Gordon of the Missoula Insectarium joined in June 2016. Gordon left SciShow in August 2020, and was replaced by ethnobotanist Rose Bear Don't Walk. Prior to her move to Chicago, Emily Graslie of The Brain Scoop also occasionally hosted on the channel. There have also been guest appearances by Lindsey Doe, who hosts Sexplanations, another channel launched by Green; and by longtime SciShow staffer Stefan Chin, who since 2017 has been a regular host. SciShow has grown since its 2012 launch; it now employs a full editorial, production, and operations staff.
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SciShow Space had three rotating hosts: Hank Green, Reid Reimers, and Caitlin Hofmeister. Similarly, SciShow Psych rotated hosting between Hank Green, Brit Garner, and Anthony Brown. SciShow Kids is primarily hosted by Jessi Knudsen Castañeda, host of Animal Wonders Montana.
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== Content ==
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Several different scientific fields are covered by SciShow, including chemistry, physics, biology, zoology, geology, geography, entomology, botany, meteorology, astronomy, medicine, psychology, anthropology, math and computer science. The videos on SciShow have a vast variety of different topics, such as nutrition, and "science superlatives". As of April 2020, SciShow has released over 2250 videos.
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A spin-off channel, SciShow Space, launched in April 2014 to specialize in space topics. Space stopped posting new content in January 2023, directing new space content to the main SciShow channel. A second spin-off, SciShow Kids, launched in March 2015 to specialize in delivering science topics to children. Kids went on hiatus in late 2018, returning in April 2020. A third spinoff channel was announced in February 2017, SciShow Psych, which debuted in March 2017, specializing in psychology and neuroscience. Psych went on permanent hiatus in 2022. A podcast, SciShow Tangents, was launched in November 2018; it features entertaining exchanges of scientific facts among many of the shows' staffers, and is directed at a mature audience.
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== Podcast ==
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In November 2018, a co-branded podcast titled SciShow Tangents was launched as a co-production with WNYC Studios. It consisted of a panel format where Hank Green, Ceri Riley, Stefan Chin, and Sam Schultz share facts about science on a weekly theme; each episode has multiple segments, several of which are competitive. In late 2020, the podcast ceased its association with WNYC Studios, and continued for more than four years as an independently produced entity.
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The podcast wrapped up on March 18, 2025 with the release of its 51st episode.
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SciShow Tangents was a restructured and reimagined continuation of the hosts previous podcast, Holy Fucking Science, which ran from January 2017 to March 2018.
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== Reception ==
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As SciShow has amassed a large following, the channel has been featured on several media outlets.
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In October 2014 the channel surpassed two million subscribers, and over 210 million video views.
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As of July 2025, the channel has over 8 million subscribers and over 2.1 billion total views.
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In 2017, SciShow won a Webby Award in the People's Voice category.
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== References ==
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== External links ==
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SciShow's channel on YouTube
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SciShow Space's channel on YouTube
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SciShow Kids's channel on YouTube
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SciShow Psych channel on YouTube
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Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It represents a broad and interconnected set of fields that are crucial for innovation and technological advancement. These disciplines are often grouped together because they share a common emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. The term is typically used in the context of education policy or curriculum choices in schools. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns (as a shortage of STEM-educated citizens can reduce effectiveness in this area), and immigration policy, with regard to admitting foreign students and tech workers.
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There is no universal agreement on which disciplines are included in STEM; in particular, whether or not the science in STEM includes social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, economics, and political science. In the United States, these are typically included by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Labor's O*Net online database for job seekers, and the Department of Homeland Security. In the United Kingdom, the social sciences are categorized separately and are instead grouped with humanities and arts to form another counterpart acronym HASS (humanities, arts, and social sciences), rebranded in 2020 as SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy). Some sources also use HEAL (health, education, administration, and literacy) as a counterpart to STEM.
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== Terminology ==
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=== History ===
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In the early 1990s the acronym STEM was used by a variety of educators. Beverly P. Schwartz developed a STEM mentoring program in the Capital District of New York State, and was using the acronym as early as November, 1991. Jane Silverstein, Founder of the STEM Academy at John F. Kennedy High School (Patterson, New Jersey) used the term “STEM” in the mid-1990s and claims to have created the first “STEM” curriculum. Charles E. Vela was the founder and director of the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education (CAHSEE) and started a summer program for talented under-represented students in the Washington, D.C. area called the STEM Institute. Based on the program's recognized success and his expertise in STEM education, Charles Vela was asked to serve on numerous NSF and Congressional panels in science, mathematics, and engineering education. Previously referred to as SMET by the NSF, it is through this manner that NSF was first introduced to the acronym STEM. One of the first NSF projects to use the acronym was STEMTEC, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Teacher Education Collaborative at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which was founded in 1998.
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In 2001, at the urging of Dr. Peter Faletra, the Director of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists at the Office of Science, the acronym was adopted by Rita Colwell and other science administrators in the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Office of Science was also an early adopter of the STEM acronym.
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=== Other variations ===
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eSTEM (environmental STEM)
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GEMS (girls in engineering, math, and science); used for programs to encourage women to enter these fields.
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MINT (mathematics, informatics, natural sciences, and technology)
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SHTEAM (science, humanities, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics)
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SMET (science, mathematics, engineering, and technology); previous name
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STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics)
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STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics); add agriculture
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STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and applied mathematics); has more focus on applied mathematics
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STEEM (science, technology, engineering, economics, and mathematics); adds economics as a field
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STEMIE (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, invention, and entrepreneurship); adds inventing and entrepreneurship as a means to apply STEM to real-world problem-solving and markets.
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STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine)
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STM (scientific, technical, and mathematics or science, technology, and medicine)
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STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, arts, and mathematics); adds robotics and arts as fields
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STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics); adds reading and arts
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STREAM (science, technology, recreation, engineering, arts, and mathematics); adds recreation and arts
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== Geographic distribution ==
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By the mid-2000s, China surpassed the United States in the number of PhDs awarded and is expected to produce 77,000 PhDs in 2025, compared to 40,000 in the US.
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== By country ==
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=== Australia ===
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The Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority 2015 report entitled, National STEM School Education Strategy, stated that "A renewed national focus on STEM in school education is critical to ensuring that all young Australians are equipped with the necessary STEM skills and knowledge that they must need to succeed." Its goals were to:
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"Ensure all students finish school with strong foundational knowledge in STEM and related skills"
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"Ensure that students are inspired to take on more challenging STEM subjects"
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Events and programs meant to help develop STEM in Australian schools include the Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge, the Maths Challenge (Australian Mathematics Trust), Go Girl Go Global and the Australian Informatics Olympiad.
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=== Canada ===
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Canada ranks 12th out of 16 peer countries in the percentage of its graduates who studied in STEM programs, with 21.2%, a number higher than the United States, but lower than France, Germany, and Austria. The peer country with the greatest proportion of STEM graduates, Finland, has over 30% of its university graduates coming from science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering programs.
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SHAD is an annual Canadian summer enrichment program for high-achieving high school students in July. The program focuses on academic learning, particularly in STEAM fields.
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Scouts Canada has taken similar measures to their American counterpart to promote STEM fields to youth. Their STEM program began in 2015.
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In 2011 Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established the Schulich Leader Scholarships, $100 million in $60,000 scholarships for students beginning their university education in a STEM program at 20 institutions across Canada. Each year 40 Canadian students would be selected to receive the award, two at each institution, with the goal of attracting gifted youth into the STEM fields. The program also supplies STEM scholarships to five participating universities in Israel.
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=== China ===
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To promote STEM in China, the Chinese government issued a guideline in 2016 on national innovation-driven development strategy, "instructing that by 2020, China should become an innovative country; by 2030, it should be at the forefront of innovative countries; and by 2050, it should become a technology innovation power."
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"[I]n May 2018, the launching ceremony and press conference for the 2029 Action Plan for China's STEM Education was held in Beijing, China. This plan aims to allow as many students to benefit from STEM education as possible and equip all students with scientific thinking and the ability to innovate." "In response to encouraging policies by the government, schools in both public and private sectors around the country have begun to carry out STEM education programs."
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"However, to effectively implement STEM curricula, full-time teachers specializing in STEM education and relevant content to be taught are needed." Currently, "China lacks qualified STEM teachers and a training system is yet to be established."
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Several Chinese cities have made programming a mandatory subject for elementary and middle school students. This is the case of the city of Chongqing. However, most students from small and medium-sized cities have not been exposed to the concept of STEM until they enter college.
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=== Europe ===
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Several European projects have promoted STEM education and careers in Europe. For instance, Scientix is a European cooperation of STEM teachers, education scientists, and policymakers. The SciChallenge project used a social media contest and student-generated content to increase the motivation of pre-university students for STEM education and careers. The Erasmus programme project AutoSTEM used automata to introduce STEM subjects to very young children.
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==== Finland ====
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The LUMA Center is the leading advocate for STEM-oriented education. Its aim is to promote the instruction and research of natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, and technology across all educational levels in the country. In the native tongue luma stands for "luonnontieteellis-matemaattinen" (lit. adj. "scientific-mathematical"). The short is more or less a direct translation of STEM, with engineering fields included by association. However, unlike STEM, the term is also a portmanteau from lu and ma. To address the decline in interest in learning the areas of science, the Finnish National Board of Education launched the LUMA scientific education development program. The project's main goal was to raise the level of Finnish education and to enhance students' competencies, improve educational practices, and foster interest in science. The initiative led to the establishment of 13 LUMA centers at universities across Finland supervised by LUMA Center.
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==== France ====
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The name of STEM in France is industrial engineering sciences (sciences industrielles or sciences de l'ingénieur). The STEM organization in France is the association UPSTI.
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=== Hong Kong ===
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STEM education has not been promoted among the local schools in Hong Kong until recent years. In November 2015, the Education Bureau of Hong Kong released a document titled Promotion of STEM Education, which proposes strategies and recommendations for promoting STEM education.
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=== India ===
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India is next only to China with STEM graduates per population of 1 to 52. The total number of fresh STEM graduates was 2.6 million in 2016. STEM graduates have been contributing to the Indian economy with well-paid salaries locally and abroad for the past two decades. The turnaround of the Indian economy with comfortable foreign exchange reserves is mainly attributed to the skills of its STEM graduates. In India, women make up an impressive 43% of STEM graduates, the highest percentage worldwide. However, they hold only 14% of STEM-related jobs. Additionally, among the 280,000 scientists and engineers working in research and development institutes in the country, women represent a mere 14%
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In India, OMOTEC is providing an innovative curriculum based on STEM, and their students are also performing and developing products to solve the new age problems. Two students also won the Microsoft Imagine Cup for developing a non-invasive method to screen for skin cancer using artificial intelligence.
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=== Nigeria ===
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In Nigeria, the Association of Professional Women Engineers Of Nigeria (APWEN) has involved girls between the ages of 12 and 19 in science-based courses in order for them to pursue science-based courses in higher institutions of learning. The National Science Foundation (NSF) In Nigeria has made conscious efforts to encourage girls to innovate, invent, and build through the "invent it, build it" program sponsored by NNPC.
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=== Pakistan ===
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STEM subjects are taught in Pakistan as part of electives taken in the 9th and 10th grades, culminating in Matriculation exams. These electives are pure sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), mathematics (Physics, Chemistry, Maths), and computer science (Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science). STEM subjects are also offered as electives taken in the 11th and 12th grades, more commonly referred to as first and second year, culminating in Intermediate exams. These electives are FSc pre-medical (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), FSc pre-engineering (Physics, Chemistry, Maths), and ICS (Physics/Statistics, Computer Science, Maths). These electives are intended to aid students in pursuing STEM-related careers in the future by preparing them for the study of these courses at university.
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A STEM education project has been approved by the government to establish STEM labs in public schools. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has collaborated with Google to launch Pakistan's first grassroots-level Coding Skills Development Program, based on Google's CS First Program, a global initiative aimed at developing coding skills in children. The program aims to develop applied coding skills using gamification techniques for children between the ages of 9 and 14.
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The KPITBs Early Age Programming initiative, established in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been successfully introduced in 225 Elementary and Secondary Schools. Many private organizations are working in Pakistan to introduce STEM education in schools.
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=== Philippines ===
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In the Philippines, STEM is a two-year program and strand that is used for Senior High School (Grades 11 and 12), assigned by the Department of Education or DepEd. The STEM strand is under the Academic Track, which also includes other strands like ABM, HUMSS, and GAS. The purpose of the STEM strand is to educate students in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, in an interdisciplinary and applied approach, and to give students advanced knowledge and application in the field. After completing the program, the students will earn a Diploma in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In some colleges and universities, they require students applying for STEM degrees (like medicine, engineering, computer studies, etc.) to be a graduate of STEM, if not, they will need to enter a bridging program.
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=== Qatar ===
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In Qatar, AL-Bairaq is an outreach program to high-school students with a curriculum that focuses on STEM, run by the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) at Qatar University. Each year around 946 students, from about 40 high schools, participate in AL-Bairaq competitions. AL-Bairaq makes use of project-based learning, encourages students to solve authentic problems, and inquires them to work with each other as a team to build real solutions. Research has so far shown positive results for the program.
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=== Singapore ===
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STEM is part of the Applied Learning Programme (ALP) that the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) has been promoting since 2013, and currently, all secondary schools have such a program. It is expected that by 2023, all primary schools in Singapore will have an ALP. There are no tests or exams for ALPs. The emphasis is for students to learn through experimentation – they try, fail, try, learn from it, and try again. The MOE actively supports schools with ALPs to further enhance and strengthen their capabilities and programs that nurture innovation and creativity.
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The Singapore Science Centre established a STEM unit in January 2014, dedicated to igniting students' passion for STEM. To further enrich students' learning experiences, their Industrial Partnership Programme (IPP) creates opportunities for students to get early exposure to real-world STEM industries and careers. Curriculum specialists and STEM educators from the Science Centre will work hand-in-hand with teachers to co-develop STEM lessons, provide training to teachers, and co-teach such lessons to provide students with early exposure and develop their interest in STEM.
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=== Thailand ===
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In 2017, Thai Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said after the 49th Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council Conference in Jakarta that the meeting approved the establishment of two new SEAMEO regional centers in Thailand. One would be the STEM Education Centre, while the other would be a Sufficient Economy Learning Centre.
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Teerakiat said that the Thai government had already allocated Bt250 million over five years for the new STEM center. The center will be the regional institution responsible for STEM education promotion. It will not only set up policies to improve STEM education, but it will also be the center for information and experience sharing among the member countries and education experts. According to him, "This is the first SEAMEO regional center for STEM education, as the existing science education center in Malaysia only focuses on the academic perspective. Our STEM education center will also prioritize the implementation and adaptation of science and technology."
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The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology has initiated a STEM Education Network. Its goals are to promote integrated learning activities improve student creativity and application of knowledge, and establish a network of organations and personnel for the promotion of STEM education in the country.
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=== Turkey ===
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Turkish STEM Education Task Force (or FeTeMM—Fen Bilimleri, Teknoloji, Mühendislik ve Matematik) is a coalition of academicians and teachers who show an effort to increase the quality of education in STEM fields rather than focussing on increasing the number of STEM graduates.
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=== United States ===
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In the United States, the acronym began to be used in education and immigration debates in initiatives to begin to address the perceived lack of qualified candidates for high-tech jobs. It also addresses concern that the subjects are often taught in isolation, instead of as an integrated curriculum. Maintaining a citizenry that is well-versed in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States. The acronym has been widely used in the immigration debate regarding access to United States work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields. It has also become commonplace in education discussions as a reference to the shortage of skilled workers and inadequate education in these areas. The term tends not to refer to the non-professional and less visible sectors of the fields, such as electronics assembly line work.
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==== National Science Foundation ====
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Many organizations in the United States follow the guidelines of the National Science Foundation on what constitutes a STEM field. The NSF uses a broad definition of STEM subjects that includes subjects in the fields of chemistry, computer and information technology science, engineering, geoscience, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physics and astronomy, social sciences (anthropology, economics, psychology, and sociology), and STEM education and learning research.
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The NSF is the only American federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering, except for medical sciences. Its disciplinary program areas include scholarships, grants, and fellowships in fields such as biological sciences, computer and information science and engineering, education and human resources, engineering, environmental research and education, geoscience, international science and engineering, mathematical and physical sciences, social, behavioral and economic sciences, cyberinfrastructure, and polar programs.
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==== Immigration policy ====
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Although many organizations in the United States follow the guidelines of the National Science Foundation on what constitutes a STEM field, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has its own functional definition used for immigration policy. In 2012, DHS or ICE announced an expanded list of STEM-designated degree programs that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an optional practical training (OPT) extension. Under the OPT program, international students who graduate from colleges and universities in the United States can stay in the country and receive up to twelve months of training through work experience. Students who graduate from a designated STEM degree program can stay for an additional seventeen months on an OPT STEM extension.
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As of 2023, the U.S. faces a shortage of high-skilled workers in STEM, and foreign talents must navigate difficult hurdles to immigrate. Meanwhile, some other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, have introduced programs to attract talent at the expense of the United States. In the case of China, the United States risks losing its edge over a strategic rival.
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==== Education ====
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By cultivating an interest in the natural and social sciences in preschool or immediately following school entry, the chances of STEM success in high school can be greatly improved. In his 2012 budget, President Barack Obama renamed and broadened the "Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP)" to award block grants to states for improving teacher education in those subjects.
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Calculus AB and Statistics are two of the most popular Advanced Placement (AP) exams, as of 2025.
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Students with the highest standardized test scores commonly pick the STEM subjects as their majors while those with the lowest were more likely to choose education and agriculture.
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During the 2010s, STEM has grown in popularity at the expense of the liberal arts and humanities.
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STEM education often uses new technologies such as 3D printers to encourage interest in STEM fields. STEM education can also leverage the combination of new technologies, such as photovoltaics and environmental sensors, with old technologies such as composting systems and irrigation within land lab environments.
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In 2006 the United States National Academies expressed their concern about the declining state of STEM education in the United States. Its Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy developed a list of 10 actions. Their top three recommendations were to:
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Increase America's talent pool by improving K–12 science and mathematics education
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Strengthen the skills of teachers through additional training in science, mathematics, and technology
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Enlarge the pipeline of students prepared to enter college and graduate with STEM degrees
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also has implemented programs and curricula to advance STEM education to replenish the pool of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will lead space exploration in the 21st century.
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Individual states, such as California, have run pilot after-school STEM programs to learn what the most promising practices are and how to implement them to increase the chance of student success. Another state to invest in STEM education is Florida, where Florida Polytechnic University, Florida's first public university for engineering and technology dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), was established. During school, STEM programs have been established for many districts throughout the U.S. Some states include New Jersey, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, and Ohio.
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Continuing STEM education has expanded to the post-secondary level through masters programs such as the University of Maryland's STEM Program as well as the University of Cincinnati.
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==== Racial gap in STEM fields ====
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In the United States, the National Science Foundation found that the average science score on the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress was lower for black and Hispanic students than for white, Asian, and Pacific Islanders. In 2011, eleven percent of the U.S. workforce was black, while only six percent of STEM workers were black. Though STEM in the U.S. has typically been dominated by white males, there have been considerable efforts to create initiatives to make STEM a more racially and gender-diverse field. Some evidence suggests that all students, including black and Hispanic students, have a better chance of earning a STEM degree if they attend a college or university at which their entering academic credentials are at least as high as the average student's.
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==== Gender gaps in STEM ====
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Although women make up 47% of the workforce in the U.S., they hold only 24% of STEM jobs. Research suggests that exposing girls to female inventors at a young age has the potential to reduce the gender gap in technical STEM fields by half. Campaigns from organizations like the National Inventors Hall of Fame aimed to achieve a 50/50 gender balance in their youth STEM programs by 2020.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Intersectionality in STEM ====
|
||||
STEM fields have been recognized as areas where underrepresentation and exclusion of marginalized groups are prevalent. STEM poses unique challenges related to intersectionality due to rigid norms and stereotypes, both in higher education and professional settings. These norms often prioritize objectivity and meritocracy while overlooking structural inequities, creating environments where individuals with intersecting marginalized identities face compounded barriers.
|
||||
For instance, individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups may experience a phenomenon known as "chilly climates" which refers to incidents of sexism, isolation, and pressure to prove themselves to peers and high level academics. For minority populations in STEM, loneliness is experienced due to lack of belonging and social isolation.
|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
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|
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|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:26.781638+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
==== American Competitiveness Initiative ====
|
||||
In the State of the Union Address on January 31, 2006, President George W. Bush announced the American Competitiveness Initiative. Bush proposed the initiative to address shortfalls in federal government support of educational development and progress at all academic levels in the STEM fields. In detail, the initiative called for significant increases in federal funding for advanced R&D programs (including a doubling of federal funding support for advanced research in the physical sciences through DOE) and an increase in U.S. higher education graduates within STEM disciplines.
|
||||
The NASA Means Business competition, sponsored by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, furthers that goal. College students compete to develop promotional plans to encourage students in middle and high school to study STEM subjects and to inspire professors in STEM fields to involve their students in outreach activities that support STEM education.
|
||||
The National Science Foundation has numerous programs in STEM education, including some for K–12 students such as the ITEST Program that supports The Global Challenge Award ITEST Program. STEM programs have been implemented in some Arizona schools. They implement higher cognitive skills for students and enable them to inquire and use techniques used by professionals in the STEM fields.
|
||||
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a provider of STEM education curricular programs to middle and high schools in the United States. Programs include a high school engineering curriculum called Pathway To Engineering, a high school biomedical sciences program, and a middle school engineering and technology program called Gateway To Technology. PLTW programs have been endorsed by President Barack Obama and United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as well as various state, national, and business leaders.
|
||||
|
||||
==== STEM Education Coalition ====
|
||||
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM-related programs. Activity of the STEM Coalition seems to have slowed since September 2008.
|
||||
Founded in 2001, STEM.org Educational Research™ is a private organization that operates a global trustmark framework for STEM education. Its credentialing system, which includes distinctions for educational programs, products, and professionals, is used to verify STEM authenticity and quality in over 80 countries.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Scouting ====
|
||||
In 2012, the Boy Scouts of America began handing out awards, titled NOVA and SUPERNOVA, for completing specific requirements appropriate to the scouts' program level in each of the four main STEM areas. The Girl Scouts of the USA has similarly incorporated STEM into their program through the introduction of merit badges such as "Naturalist" and "Digital Art".
|
||||
SAE is an international organization, and provider specializing in supporting education, award, and scholarship programs for STEM matters, from pre-K to college degrees. It also promotes scientific and technological innovation.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Department of Defense programs ====
|
||||
|
||||
eCybermission is a free, web-based science, mathematics, and technology competition for students in grades six through nine sponsored by the U.S. Army. Each webinar is focused on a different step of the scientific method and is presented by an experienced eCybermission CyberGuide. CyberGuides are military and civilian volunteers with a strong background in STEM and STEM education, who can provide insight into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to students and team advisers.
|
||||
STARBASE is an educational program, sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. Students interact with military personnel to explore careers and make connections with the "real world". The program provides students with 20–25 hours of experience at the National Guard, Navy, Marines, Air Force Reserve, and Air Force bases across the nation.
|
||||
SeaPerch is an underwater robotics program that trains teachers to teach their students how to build an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in an in-school or out-of-school setting. Students build the ROV from a kit composed of low-cost, easily accessible parts, following a curriculum that teaches basic engineering and science concepts with a marine engineering theme.
|
||||
|
||||
==== NASA ====
|
||||
|
||||
NASAStem is a program of the U.S. space agency NASA to increase diversity within its ranks, including age, disability, and gender as well as race/ethnicity.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Legislation ====
|
||||
The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110–69) became law on August 9, 2007. It is intended to increase the nation's investment in science and engineering research and in STEM education from kindergarten to graduate school and postdoctoral education. The act authorizes funding increases for the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science over FY2008–FY2010. Robert Gabrys, Director of Education at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, articulated success as increased student achievement, early expression of student interest in STEM subjects, and student preparedness to enter the workforce.
|
||||
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|
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|
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|
||||
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|
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|
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|
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|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:26.781638+00:00"
|
||||
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|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
==== Jobs ====
|
||||
In November 2012 the White House announcement before the congressional vote on the STEM Jobs Act put President Obama in opposition to many of the Silicon Valley firms and executives who bankrolled his re-election campaign. The Department of Labor identified 14 sectors that are "projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries or are being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new sets of skills for workers." The identified sectors were as follows: advanced manufacturing, Automotive, construction, financial services, geospatial technology, homeland security, information technology, Transportation, Aerospace, Biotechnology, energy, healthcare, hospitality, and retail.
|
||||
The Department of Commerce notes STEM fields careers are some of the best-paying and have the greatest potential for job growth in the early 21st century. The report also notes that STEM workers play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy, and training in STEM fields generally results in higher wages, whether or not they work in a STEM field.
|
||||
In 2015, there were around 9.0 million STEM jobs in the United States, representing 6.1% of American employment. STEM jobs were increasing by around 9% percent per year. Brookings Institution found that the demand for competent technology graduates will surpass the number of capable applicants by at least one million individuals.
|
||||
According to Pew Research Center, a typical STEM worker earns two-thirds more than those employed in other fields.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Recent progress ====
|
||||
According to the 2014 US census "74 percent of those who have a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering and math — commonly referred to as STEM — are not employed in STEM occupations."
|
||||
In September 2017, several large American technology firms collectively pledged to donate $300 million for computer science education in the U.S.
|
||||
PEW findings revealed in 2018 that Americans identified several issues that hound STEM education which included unconcerned parents, disinterested students, obsolete curriculum materials, and too much focus on state parameters. 57 percent of survey respondents pointed out that one main problem of STEM is the lack of students' concentration in learning.
|
||||
The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report card made public technology as well as engineering literacy scores which determines whether students can apply technology and engineering proficiency to real-life scenarios. The report showed a gap of 28 points between low-income students and their high-income counterparts. The same report also indicated a 38-point difference between white and black students.
|
||||
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) announced the release of a five-year strategic plan by the Committee on STEM Education of the National Science and Technology Council on December 4, 2018. The plan is entitled "Charting a Course for Success: America's Strategy for STEM Education." The objective is to propose a federal strategy anchored on a vision for the future so that all Americans are given permanent access to premium-quality education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In the end, the United States can emerge as a world leader in STEM mastery, employment, and innovation. The goals of this plan are building foundations for STEM literacy; enhancing diversity, equality, and inclusion in STEM; and preparing the STEM workforce for the future.
|
||||
The 2019 fiscal budget proposal of the White House supported the funding plan in President Donald Trump's Memorandum on STEM Education which allocated around $200 million (grant funding) for STEM education every year. This budget also supports STEM through a grant program worth $20 million for career as well as technical education programs.
|
||||
|
||||
==== Events and programs to help develop STEM in US schools ====
|
||||
FIRST Tech Challenge
|
||||
VEX Robotics Competitions
|
||||
FIRST Robotics Competition
|
||||
|
||||
=== Vietnam ===
|
||||
In Vietnam, beginning in 2012 many private education organizations have STEM education initiatives.
|
||||
In 2015, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Liên minh STEM organized the first National STEM Day, followed by many similar events across the country.
|
||||
in 2015, the Ministry of Education and Training included STEM as an area that needed to be encouraged in the national school year program.
|
||||
In May 2017, the Prime Minister signed a Directive No. 16 stating: "Dramatically change the policies, contents, education and vocational training methods to create a human resource capable of receiving new production technology trends, with a focus on promoting training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), foreign languages, information technology in general education; " and asking "Ministry of Education and Training (to): Promote the deployment of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in general education program; Pilot organize in some high schools from 2017 to 2018.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Zimbawe ===
|
||||
The gender gap in Zimbabwe's STEM fields is significant, with only 28.79% of women holding STEM degrees compared to 71.21% of men.
|
||||
|
||||
== Women ==
|
||||
|
||||
Women constitute 47% of the U.S. workforce and perform 24% of STEM-related jobs. In the UK women perform 13% of STEM-related jobs (2014). In the U.S. women with STEM degrees are more likely to work in education or healthcare rather than STEM fields compared with their male counterparts.
|
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date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:26.781638+00:00"
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|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
The gender ratio depends on the field of study. For example, in the European Union in 2012 women made up 47.3% of the total, 51% of the social sciences, business, and law, 42% of the science, mathematics, and computing, 28% of engineering, manufacturing, and construction, and 59% of PhD graduates in Health and Welfare.
|
||||
In a study from 2019, it was shown that part of the success of women in STEM depends on the way women in STEM are viewed. In a study that researched grants given based primarily on a project versus primarily based on the project lead there was almost no difference in the evaluation between projects from men or women when evaluated on the project, but those evaluated mainly on the project leader showed that projects headed by women were given grants four percent less often.
|
||||
Improving the experiences of women in STEM is a major component of increasing the number of women in STEM. One part of this includes the need for role models and mentors who are women in STEM. Along with this, having good resources for information and networking opportunities can improve women's ability to flourish in STEM fields.
|
||||
A 2018 study suggested the propensity for women to pursue college degrees in STEM fields declines consistently as countries become more wealthy and egalitarian. However, a 2019 correction to the study outlined that the authors had created a previously undisclosed and unvalidated method to measure "propensity" of women and men to attain a higher degree in STEM, as opposed to the originally claimed measurement of "women's share of STEM degrees." Harvard researchers were unable to recreate the results of the study, thus highlighting problems with the interpretation of the data in the original paper.
|
||||
|
||||
== LGBTQ+ ==
|
||||
|
||||
People identifying within the group LGBTQ+ have faced discrimination in STEM fields throughout history. Few were openly queer in STEM; however, a couple of well-known people are Alan Turing, the father of computer science, and Sara Josephine Baker, an American physician and public-health leader.
|
||||
Despite recent changes in attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people, discrimination still permeates throughout STEM fields. A recent study has shown that sexual minority students were less likely to have completed a bachelor's degree in a STEM field, having opted to switch their major. Those that remained in a STEM field were however more likely to participate in undergraduate research programs. According to the study sexual minorities did show higher overall retention rates within STEM related fields as compared to heterosexual women. Another study concluded that queer people are more likely to experience exclusion, harassment, and other negative impacts while in a STEM career while also having fewer opportunities and resources available to them.
|
||||
Multiple programs and institutions are working towards increasing the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in STEM. In the US, the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) has organized people to address homophobia since the 1980s and now promotes activism and support for queer scientists. Other programs, including 500 Queer Scientists and Pride in STEM, function as visibility campaigns for LGBTQ+ people in STEM worldwide.
|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:26.781638+00:00"
|
||||
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|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
== Criticism ==
|
||||
The focus on increasing participation in STEM fields has attracted criticism. In the 2014 article "The Myth of the Science and Engineering Shortage" in The Atlantic, demographer Michael S. Teitelbaum criticized the efforts of the U.S. government to increase the number of STEM graduates, saying that, among studies on the subject, "No one has been able to find any evidence indicating current widespread labor market shortages or hiring difficulties in science and engineering occupations that require bachelor's degrees or higher", and that "Most studies report that real wages in many—but not all—science and engineering occupations have been flat or slow-growing, and unemployment as high or higher than in many comparably-skilled occupations." Teitelbaum also wrote that the then-current national fixation on increasing STEM participation paralleled previous U.S. government efforts since World War II to increase the number of scientists and engineers, all of which he stated ultimately ended up in "mass layoffs, hiring freezes, and funding cuts"; including one driven by the Space Race of the late 1950s and 1960s, which he wrote led to "a bust of serious magnitude in the 1970s."
|
||||
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, various STEM occupational outlooks have shown slowing growth or declines for several years.
|
||||
IEEE Spectrum contributing editor Robert N. Charette echoed these sentiments in the 2013 article "The STEM Crisis Is a Myth", also noting that there was a "mismatch between earning a STEM degree and having a STEM job" in the United States, with only around 1⁄4 of STEM graduates working in STEM fields, while less than half of workers in STEM fields have a STEM degree.
|
||||
Economics writer Ben Casselman, in a 2014 study of post-graduation earnings in the United States for FiveThirtyEight, wrote that, based on the data, science should not be grouped with the other three STEM categories, because, while the other three generally result in high-paying jobs, "many sciences, particularly the life sciences, pay below the overall median for recent college graduates."
|
||||
A 2017 article from the University of Leicester concluded, that
|
||||
"maintaining accounts of a 'crisis' in the supply of STEM workers has usually been in the interests of industry, the education
|
||||
sector and government, as well as the lobby groups that represent them. Concerns about a shortage have meant the allocation of significant additional resources to the sector whose representatives have, in turn, become powerful voices in advocating for further funds and further investment."
|
||||
A 2022 report from Rutgers University stated:
|
||||
"In the United States, the STEM crisis theme is a perennial policy favorite, appearing every few years as an urgent concern in the nation's competition with whatever other nation is ascendant, or as the cause of whatever problem is ailing the domestic economy. And the solution is always the same: increase the supply of STEM workers through expanding STEM education. Time and again, serious and empirically grounded studies find little evidence of any systemic failures or an inability of market responses to address whatever supply is required to meet workforce needs."
|
||||
A study of the UK job market, published in 2022, found similar problems, which have been reported for the USA earlier: "It is not clear that having a degree in the sciences, rather than in other subjects, provides any sort of advantage in terms of short- or long-term employability... While only a minority of STEM graduates ever work in highly-skilled STEM jobs, we identified three particular characteristics of the STEM labour market that may present challenges for employers: STEM employment appears to be predicated on early
|
||||
entry to the sector; a large proportion of STEM graduates are likely to never work in the sector; and there may be more movement out of HS STEM positions by older workers than in other sectors... "
|
||||
|
||||
== See also ==
|
||||
|
||||
== References ==
|
||||
|
||||
== Further reading ==
|
||||
David Beede; et al. (September 2011). "Education Supports Racial and Ethnic Equality in STEM" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
|
||||
David Beede; et al. (August 2011). "Women in STEM: An Opportunity and An Imperative" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
|
||||
Kaye Husbands Fealing, Aubrey Incorvaia, and Richard Utz, "Humanizing Science and Engineering for the Twenty-First Century." Issues in Science and Technology, Fall issue, 2022: 54–57.
|
||||
David Langdon; et al. (July 2011). "STEM: Good Jobs Now and For the Future" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
|
||||
Arden Bement (May 24, 2005). "Statement To House & Senate Appriopriators In Support Of STEM Education And NSF Education" (PDF). STEM Coalition. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
|
||||
Carla C. Johnson, et al., eds. (2020) Handbook of research on STEM education (Routledge, 2020).
|
||||
Mary Kirk (2009). Gender and Information Technology: Moving Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership. IGI Global Snippet. ISBN 978-1-59904-786-7.
|
||||
Shirley M. Malcom; Daryl E. Chubin; Jolene K. Jesse (2004). Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM Educators in the Post-Michigan Era. American Association for the Advancement of Science. ISBN 0-87168-699-6.
|
||||
Unesco publication on girls education in STEM – Cracking the code: girls' and women's education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) "http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0025/002534/253479E.pdf "
|
||||
Wing Lau – Chief Engineer at the Department of Physics, Oxford University (Oct 12, 2017). "STEM Re-vitalisation, not trivialisation". OpenSchool. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
|
||||
|
||||
== External links ==
|
||||
Media related to STEM at Wikimedia Commons
|
||||
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|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Science, technology, society and environment education"
|
||||
chunk: 1/3
|
||||
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|
||||
category: "reference"
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|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:28.027323+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Science, technology, society and environment (STSE) education, originates from the science technology and society (STS) movement in science education. This is an outlook on science education that emphasizes the teaching of scientific and technological developments in their cultural, economic, social and political contexts. In this view of science education, students are encouraged to engage in issues pertaining to the impact of science on everyday life and make responsible decisions about how to address such issues (Solomon, 1993 and Aikenhead, 1994)
|
||||
|
||||
== Science technology and society (STS) ==
|
||||
|
||||
The STS movement has a long history in science education reform, and embraces a wide range of theories about the intersection between science, technology and society (Solomon and Aikenhead, 1994; Pedretti 1997). Over the last twenty years, the work of Peter Fensham, the noted Australian science educator, is considered to have heavily contributed to reforms in science education. Fensham's efforts included giving greater prominence to STS in the school science curriculum (Aikenhead, 2003). The key aim behind these efforts was to ensure the development of a broad-based science curriculum, embedded in the socio-political and cultural contexts in which it was formulated. From Fensham's point of view, this meant that students would engage with different viewpoints on issues concerning the impact of science and technology on everyday life. They would also understand the relevance of scientific discoveries, rather than just concentrate on learning scientific facts and theories that seemed distant from their realities (Fensham, 1985 & 1988).
|
||||
|
||||
However, although the wheels of change in science education had been set in motion during the late 1970s, it was not until the 1980s that STS perspectives began to gain a serious footing in science curricula, in largely Western contexts (Gaskell, 1982). This occurred at a time when issues such as, animal testing, environmental pollution and the growing impact of technological innovation on social infrastructure, were beginning to raise ethical, moral, economic and political dilemmas (Fensham, 1988 and Osborne, 2000). There were also concerns among communities of researchers, educators and governments pertaining to the general public's lack of understanding about the interface between science and society (Bodmer, 1985; Durant et al. 1989 and Millar 1996). In addition, alarmed by the poor state of scientific literacy among school students, science educators began to grapple with the quandary of how to prepare students to be informed and active citizens, as well as the scientists, medics and engineers of the future (e.g. Osborne, 2000 and Aikenhead, 2003). Hence, STS advocates called for reforms in science education that would equip students to understand scientific developments in their cultural, economic, political and social contexts. This was considered important in making science accessible and meaningful to all students—and, most significantly, engaging them in real world issues (Fensham, 1985; Solomon, 1993; Aikenhead, 1994 and Hodson 1998).
|
||||
|
||||
== Goals of STS ==
|
||||
The key goals of STS are:
|
||||
|
||||
An interdisciplinary HI approach to science education, where there is a seamless integration of economic, ethical, social and political aspects of scientific and technological developments in the science curriculum.
|
||||
Engaging students in examining a variety of real world issues and grounding scientific knowledge in such realities. In today's world, such issues might include the impact on society of: global warming, genetic engineering, animal testing, deforestation practices, nuclear testing and environmental legislations, such as the EU Waste Legislation or the Kyoto Protocol.
|
||||
Enabling students to formulate a critical understanding of the interface between science, society and technology.
|
||||
Developing students’ capacities and confidence to make informed decisions, and to take responsible action to address issues arising from the impact of science on their daily lives.
|
||||
|
||||
== STSE education ==
|
||||
|
||||
There is no uniform definition for STSE education. As mentioned before, STSE is a form of STS education, but places greater emphasis on the environmental consequences of scientific and technological developments. In STSE curricula, scientific developments are explored from a variety of economic, environmental, ethical, moral, social and political (Kumar and Chubin, 2000 & Pedretti, 2005) perspectives.
|
||||
At best, STSE education can be loosely defined as a movement that attempts to bring about an understanding of the interface between science, society, technology and the environment. A key goal of STSE is to help students realize the significance of scientific developments in their daily lives and foster a voice of active citizenship (Pedretti & Forbes, 2000).
|
||||
|
||||
=== Improving scientific literacy ===
|
||||
Over the last two decades, STSE education has taken a prominent position in the science curricula of different parts of the world, such as Australia, Europe, the UK and USA (Kumar & Chubin, 2000). In Canada, the inclusion of STSE perspectives in science education has largely come about as a consequence of the Common Framework of science learning outcomes, Pan Canadian Protocol for collaboration on School Curriculum (1997)[2]. This document highlights a need to develop scientific literacy in conjunction with understanding the interrelationships between science, technology, and environment. According to Osborne (2000) & Hodson (2003), scientific literacy can be perceived in four different ways:
|
||||
|
||||
Cultural: Developing the capacity to read about and understand issues pertaining to science and technology in the media.
|
||||
Utilitarian: Having the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential for a career as scientist, engineer or technician.
|
||||
Democratic: Broadening knowledge and understanding of science to include the interface between science, technology and society.
|
||||
Economic: Formulating knowledge and skills that are essential to the economic growth and effective competition within the global market place.
|
||||
However, many science teachers find it difficult and even damaging to their professional identities to teach STSE as part of science education due to the fact that traditional science focuses on established scientific facts rather than philosophical, political, and social issues, the extent of which many educators find to be devaluing to the scientific curriculum.
|
||||
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|
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|
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|
||||
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|
||||
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|
||||
category: "reference"
|
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tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:28.027323+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
=== Goals ===
|
||||
In the context of STSE education, the goals of teaching and learning are largely directed towards engendering cultural and democratic notions of scientific literacy. Here, advocates of STSE education argue that in order to broaden students' understanding of science, and better prepare them for active and responsible citizenship in the future, the scope of science education needs to go beyond learning about scientific theories, facts and technical skills. Therefore, the fundamental aim of STSE education is to equip students to understand and situate scientific and technological developments in their cultural, environmental, economic, political and social contexts (Solomon & Aikenhead, 1994; Bingle & Gaskell, 1994; Pedretti 1997 & 2005). For example, rather than learning about the facts and theories of weather patterns, students can explore them in the context of issues such as global warming. They can also debate the environmental, social, economic and political consequences of relevant legislation, such as the Kyoto Protocol. This is thought to provide a richer, more meaningful and relevant canvas against which scientific theories and phenomena relating to weather patterns can be explored (Pedretti et al. 2005).
|
||||
In essence, STSE education aims to develop the following skills and perspectives
|
||||
|
||||
Social responsibility
|
||||
Critical thinking and decision-making skills
|
||||
The ability to formulate sound ethical and moral decisions about issues arising from the impact of science on our daily lives
|
||||
Knowledge, skills and confidence to express opinions and take responsible action to address real world issues
|
||||
|
||||
=== Curriculum content ===
|
||||
Since STSE education has multiple facets, there are a variety of ways in which it can be approached in the classroom. This offers teachers a degree of flexibility, not only in the incorporation of STSE perspectives into their science teaching, but in integrating other curricular areas such as history, geography, social studies and language arts (Richardson & Blades, 2001). The table below summarizes the different approaches to STSE education described in the literature (Ziman, 1994 & Pedretti, 2005):
|
||||
|
||||
=== Summary table: Curriculum content ===
|
||||
|
||||
=== Opportunities and challenges of STSE education ===
|
||||
Although advocates of STSE education keenly emphasize its merits in science education, they also recognize inherent difficulties in its implementation. The opportunities and challenges of STSE education have been articulated by Hughes (2000) and Pedretti & Forbes, (2000), at five different levels, as described below:
|
||||
Values & beliefs: The goals of STSE education may challenge the values and beliefs of students and teachers—as well as conventional, culturally entrenched views on scientific and technological developments. Students gain opportunities to engage with, and deeply examine the impact of scientific development on their lives from a critical and informed perspective. This helps to develop students' analytical and problem solving capacities, as well as their ability to make informed choices in their everyday lives.
|
||||
As they plan and implement STSE education lessons, teachers need to provide a balanced view of the issues being explored. This enables students to formulate their own thoughts, independently explore other opinions and have the confidence to voice their personal viewpoints. Teachers also need to cultivate safe, non-judgmental classroom environments, and must also be careful not to impose their own values and beliefs on students.
|
||||
|
||||
Knowledge & understanding: The interdisciplinary nature of STSE education requires teachers to research and gather information from a variety of sources. At the same time, teachers need to develop a sound understanding of issues from various disciplines—philosophy, history, geography, social studies, politics, economics, environment and science. This is so that students’ knowledge base can be appropriately scaffolded to enable them to effectively engage in discussions, debates and decision-making processes.
|
||||
This ideal raises difficulties. Most science teachers are specialized in a particular field of science. Lack of time and resources may affect how deeply teachers and students can examine issues from multiple perspectives. Nevertheless, a multi-disciplinary approach to science education enables students to gain a more rounded perspective on the dilemmas, as well as the opportunities, that science presents in our daily lives.
|
||||
Pedagogic approach: Depending on teacher experience and comfort levels, a variety of pedagogic approaches based on constructivism can be used to stimulate STSE education in the classroom. As illustrated in the table below, the pedagogies used in STSE classrooms need to take students through different levels of understanding to develop their abilities and confidence to critically examine issues and take responsible action.
|
||||
Teachers are often faced with the challenge of transforming classroom practices from task-oriented approaches to those which focus on developing students' understanding and transferring agency for learning to students (Hughes, 2000). The table below is a compilation of pedagogic approaches for STSE education described in the literature (e.g. Hodson, 1998; Pedretti & Forbes 2000; Richardson & Blades, 2001):
|
||||
|
||||
== Projects in the field of STSE ==
|
||||
|
||||
=== Science and the City ===
|
||||
STSE education draws on holistic ways of knowing, learning, and interacting with science. A recent movement in science education has bridged science and technology education with society and environment awareness through critical explorations of place. The project Science and the city, for example, took place during the school years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 involving an intergenerational group of researchers: 36 elementary students (grades 6, 7 & 8) working with their teachers, 6 university-based researchers, parents and community members. The goal was to come together, learn science and technology together, and use this knowledge to provide meaningful experiences that make a difference to the lives of friends, families, communities and environments that surround the school. The collective experience allowed students, teachers and learners to foster imagination, responsibility, collaboration, learning and action. The project has led to a series of publications:
|
||||
@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Science, technology, society and environment education"
|
||||
chunk: 3/3
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_society_and_environment_education"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:28.027323+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Alsop, S., & Ibrahim, S. 2008. Visual journeys in critical place based science education. In Y-J. Lee, & A-K. Tan (Eds.), Science education at the nexus of theory and practice. Rotterdam: SensePublishers 291–303.
|
||||
Alsop, S., & Ibrahim, S. 2007. Searching for Science Motive: Community, Imagery and Agency. Alberta Science Education Journal (Special Edition, Shapiro, B. (Ed.) Research and writing in science education of interest to those new in the profession). 38(2), 17–24.
|
||||
Science and the city: A Field Zine
|
||||
One collective publication, authored by the students, teachers and researchers together is that of a community zine that offered a format to share possibilities afforded by participatory practices that connect schools with local-knowledges, people and places.
|
||||
*Alsop, S., Ibrahim, S., & Blimkie, M. (Eds.) (2008) Science and the city: A Field Zine. Toronto: Ontario.
|
||||
[An independent publication written by students and researchers and distributed free to research, student and parent communities].
|
||||
|
||||
=== Tokyo Global Engineering Corporation, Japan (and global) ===
|
||||
Tokyo Global Engineering Corporation is an education-services organization that provides capstone STSE education programs free of charge to engineering students and other stakeholders. These programs are intended to complement—but not to replace—STSE coursework required by academic degree programs of study. The programs are educational opportunities, so students are not paid for their participation. All correspondence among members is completed via e-mail, and all meetings are held via Skype, with English as the language of instruction and publication. Students and other stakeholders are never asked to travel or leave their geographic locations, and are encouraged to publish organizational documents in their personal, primary languages, when English is a secondary language.
|
||||
|
||||
== See also ==
|
||||
Citizen Science, cleanup projects that people can take part in.
|
||||
Educational assessment
|
||||
Learning theory (education)
|
||||
Science
|
||||
STEM fields
|
||||
|
||||
== Notes ==
|
||||
|
||||
== Bibliography ==
|
||||
Aikenhead, G.S. (2003) STS Education: a rose by any other name. In A Vision for Science Education: Responding to the world of Peter J. Fensham, (ed.) Cross, R.: Routledge Press.
|
||||
Aikenhead, G.S. (1994) What is STS science teaching? In Solomon, J. & G. Aikenhead (eds.), STS Education: International Perspectives in Reform. New York: Teacher's College Press.
|
||||
Alsop, S. & Hicks, K. (eds.), (2001) Teaching Science. London: Kogan Page.
|
||||
Bencze, J.L. (editor) (2017). Science & technology education promoting wellbeing for individuals, societies & environments. Dordrecht: Springer.
|
||||
Bingle, W. & Gaskell, P. (1994) Science literacy for decision making and the social construction of scientific knowledge. Science Education, 78(2): pp. 185–201.
|
||||
Bodmer, W., F.(1985) The Public Understanding of Science. London: The Royal Society
|
||||
Durant, J., R., Evans, G.A., & Thomas, G.P. (1989) The public understanding of science. Nature, 340, pp. 11–14.
|
||||
Fensham, P.J. (1985) Science for all. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 17: pp415–435.
|
||||
Fensham, P.J. (1988) Familiar but different: Some dilemmas and new directions in science education. In P.J. Fensham (ed.), Developments and dilemmas in science education. New York: Falmer Press pp. 1–26.
|
||||
Gaskell, J.P. (1982) Science, technology and society: Issues for science teachers. Studies in Science Education, 9, pp. 33–36.
|
||||
Harrington, Maria C.R. (2009). An ethnographic comparison of real and virtual reality field trips to Trillium Trail: The salamander find as a Salient Event. In Freier, N.G. & Kahn, P.H. (Eds.), Children, Youth and Environments: Special Issue on Children in Technological Environments, 19 (1): [page-page]. http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye.
|
||||
Hodson, D. (1998)Teaching and Learning Science: Towards a Personalized Approach. Buckingham: Open University Press
|
||||
Hodson, D. (2003) Time for action: Science education for an alternative future. International Journal of Science Education, 25 (6): pp. 645–670.
|
||||
Hughes, G. (2000) Marginalization of socio-scientific material in science-technology-society science curricula: some implications for gender inclusivity and curriculum reform, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37 (5): pp. 426–40.
|
||||
Kumar, D. & Chubin, D.(2000) Science Technology and Society: A sourcebook or research and practice. London: Kluwer Academic.
|
||||
Millar, R. (1996) Towards a science curriculum for public understanding. School Science Review, 77 (280): pp. 7–18.
|
||||
Osborne, J. (2000) Science for citizenship. In Good Practice in Science Teaching, (eds.) Monk, M. & Osborne, J.: Open University Press: UK.
|
||||
Pedretti, E. (1996) Learning about science, technology and society (STS) through an action research project: co-constructing an issues based model for STS education. School Science and Mathematics, 96 (8), pp. 432–440.
|
||||
Pedretti, E. (1997) Septic tank crisis: a case study of science, technology and society education in an elementary school. International Journal of Science Education, 19 (10): pp. 1211–30.
|
||||
Pedretti, E., & Forbes (2000) From curriculum rhetoric to classroom reality, STSE education. Orbit, 31 (3): pp. 39–41.
|
||||
Pedretti, E., Hewitt, J., Bencze, L., Jiwani, A. & van Oostveen, R. (2004) Contextualizing and promoting Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE) perspectives through multi-media case methods in science teacher education. In D.B Zandvliet (Ed.), Proceedings of the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Vancouver, BC. CD ROM.
|
||||
Pedretti, E. (2005) STSE education: principles and practices in Aslop S., Bencze L., Pedretti E. (eds.), Analysing Exemplary Science Teaching: theoretical lenses and a spectrum of possibilities for practice, Open University Press, Mc Graw-Hill Education
|
||||
Richardson, G., & Blades, D. (2001) Social Studies and Science Education: Developing World Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Partnerships
|
||||
Solomon, J. (1993) Teaching Science, Technology & Society. Philadelphia, CA: Open University Press.
|
||||
Solomon, J. & Aikenhead, G. (eds.) (1994) STS Education: International Perspectives in Reform. New York: Teacher's College Press.
|
||||
Ziman, J. (1994) The rationale of STS education is in the approach. In Solomon, J. & Aikenhead, G. (eds.) (1994). STS Education: International Perspectives in Reform. New York: Teacher's College Press, pp. 21–31.
|
||||
|
||||
== Further reading ==
|
||||
These are examples of books available for information on STS/STSE education, teaching practices in science and issues that may be explored in STS/STSE lessons.
|
||||
|
||||
Alsop S., Bencze L., Pedretti E. (eds), (2005). Analysing Exemplary Science Teaching. Theoretical lenses and a spectrum of possibilities for practice, Open University Press, Mc Graw-Hill Education
|
||||
Bencze, J.L. (editor) (2017). Science & technology education promoting wellbeing for individuals, societies & environments. Dordrecht: Springer.
|
||||
Gailbraith D. (1997). Analyzing Issues: science, technology, & society. Toronto: Trifolium Books. Inc.
|
||||
Homer-Dixon, T. (2001). The Ingenuity Gap: Can We Solve the Problems of the Future? (pub.) Vintage Canada.
|
||||
|
||||
== External links ==
|
||||
|
||||
=== Samples of science curricula ===
|
||||
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
|
||||
The Councils of Ministers of Education, Canada, website is a useful resource for understanding the goals and position of STSE education in Canadian Curricula.
|
||||
|
||||
[3] STEPWISE Site
|
||||
UK Science Curriculum
|
||||
USA Science Curriculum Standards
|
||||
33
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science.ie-0.md
Normal file
33
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science.ie-0.md
Normal file
@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Science.ie"
|
||||
chunk: 1/1
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science.ie"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:29.221015+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
The Science.ie portal provides all sorts of information about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
== Overview ==
|
||||
Science.ie is an initiative of the Irish Government’s Discover Science & Engineering (DSE) awareness programme in Ireland. DSE is managed by Forfás on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
|
||||
The careers-related information on Science.ie has been moved to a new DSE website, which was launched in early October 2009. On MyScienceCareer.ie is:
|
||||
|
||||
Profiles of people currently working in STEM in Ireland
|
||||
Information on famous Irish scientists
|
||||
Links to many other career resources
|
||||
A redeveloped Science.ie was also launched in October 2009. The site has been redesigned and includes social media bookmarking and RSS feeds.
|
||||
Science.ie provides more general information on science in Ireland. This includes listings of science links, news and events. Its "Resources" section gives information on activities and visitor centres where you can learn about science.
|
||||
The site also provides a free newsletter relating to Irish science, technology and innovation news, events, research and facts which is issued monthly by email.
|
||||
DSE runs numerous other initiatives, including My Science Career, Project Blogger, Science Week Ireland and Discover Primary Science.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
== References ==
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
== External links ==
|
||||
Science.ie website
|
||||
My Science Career website from DSE
|
||||
Information about Science.ie on Discover-Science.ie
|
||||
@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ chunk: 1/1
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_theatre"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:17:13.289399+00:00"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:25.499618+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ chunk: 1/1
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_demonstration"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:54:19.850797+00:00"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:30.453485+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
42
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-0.md
Normal file
42
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-0.md
Normal file
@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Scientific literacy"
|
||||
chunk: 1/3
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:31.716579+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Scientific literacy or science literacy encompasses written, numerical, and digital literacy as they pertain to understanding science, its methodology, observations, and theories. Scientific literacy is chiefly concerned with an understanding of the scientific method, units and methods of measurement, empiricism and understanding of statistics in particular correlations and qualitative versus quantitative observations and aggregate statistics. It is also concerned with a basic understanding of core scientific fields, such as physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geology and computation.
|
||||
|
||||
== Definition ==
|
||||
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Framework (2015) defines scientific literacy as "the ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen." A scientifically literate person, therefore, is willing to engage in reasoned discourse about science and technology which requires the competencies to:
|
||||
|
||||
Explain phenomena scientifically – recognize, offer and evaluate explanations for a range of natural and technological phenomena.
|
||||
Evaluate and design scientific inquiry – describe and appraise scientific investigations and propose ways of addressing questions scientifically.
|
||||
Interpret data and evidence scientifically – analyze and evaluate data, claims and arguments in a variety of representations and draw appropriate scientific conclusions.
|
||||
According to the United States National Center for Education Statistics, "scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity". A scientifically literate person is defined as one who has the capacity to:
|
||||
|
||||
Understand, experiment, and reason as well as interpret scientific facts and their meaning.
|
||||
Ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences.
|
||||
Describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena.
|
||||
Read articles with understanding of science in the popular press and engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions.
|
||||
Identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed.
|
||||
Evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it.
|
||||
Pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately.
|
||||
Scientific literacy may also be defined in language similar to the definitions of ocean literacy, Earth science literacy and climate literacy. Thus a scientifically literate person can:
|
||||
|
||||
Understand the science relevant to environmental and social issues.
|
||||
Communicate clearly about the science.
|
||||
Make informed decisions about these issues.
|
||||
Finally, scientific literacy may involve particular attitudes toward learning and using science. Scientifically-literate citizens are capable of researching matters of fact for themselves.
|
||||
|
||||
== History ==
|
||||
Reforms in science education in the United States have often been driven by strategic challenges such as the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957 and the Japanese economic boom in the 1980s. The phrase science literacy was popularized by Paul Hurd in 1958, when he charged that the immediate problem in education was "one of closing the gap between the wealth of scientific achievement and the poverty of scientific literacy in America". For Hurd, rapid innovation in science and technology demanded an education "appropriate for meeting the challenges of an emerging scientific revolution." Underlying Hurd's call was the idea "that some mastery of science is essential preparation for modern life."
|
||||
Initial definitions of science literacy included elaborations of the content that people should understand, often following somewhat traditional lines (biology, chemistry, physics). Earth science was somewhat narrowly defined as expanded geological processes. In the decade after those initial documents, ocean scientists and educators revised the notion of science literacy to include more contemporary, systems-oriented views of the natural world, leading to scientific literacy programs for the ocean, climate, earth science, and so on.
|
||||
Since the 1950s, scientific literacy has increasingly emphasized scientific knowledge being as socially situated and heavily influenced by personal experience. Science literacy is seen as a human right and a working knowledge of science and its role in society is seen as a requirement for responsible members of society, one that helps average people to make better decisions and enrich their lives. In the United States, this change in emphasis can be noted in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the publication of Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy.
|
||||
The National Science Education Standards (1996) defined scientific literacy as "the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity". In addition, it emphasized that scientific literacy was not simply a matter of remembering specific scientific content. It involved the development of key abilities or skills. "Scientific literacy means that a person can ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena."
|
||||
Some emphasize the importance of an underlying "ethos" that makes it possible to participate in scientific debates and communities. Key norms are that the observations and hypotheses of scientific discovery are part of a communally shared process; that ideas are important, not the status of the person who voices them; that what matters is disinterested evidence, not desired outcomes; and that statements that go beyond observations should be subject to testing.
|
||||
More recently, calls for "scientific literacy" have identified misinformation and disinformation as dangers. They suggest that civic science literacy, digital media science literacy, and cognitive science literacy are all important components of education, if individuals are to be scientifically informed and engage in individual and collective decision-making in a democratic society.
|
||||
Comparisons of the views of citizens and scientists by the Pew Research Center suggest that they hold very different positions on a range of science, engineering and technology-related issues. Both citizens and scientists rate K–12 STEM education in the U.S. poorly.
|
||||
31
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-1.md
Normal file
31
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-1.md
Normal file
@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Scientific literacy"
|
||||
chunk: 2/3
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:31.716579+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
== Science, society, and the environment ==
|
||||
The interdependence of humans and our natural environment is at the heart of scientific literacy in the Earth systems. As defined by nationwide consensus among scientists and educators, this literacy has two key parts. First, a literate person is defined, in language that echoes the above definition of scientific literacy. Second, a set of concepts are listed, organized into six to nine big ideas or essential principles. This defining process was undertaken first for ocean literacy, then for the Great Lakes, estuaries, the atmosphere, and climate.
|
||||
Earth science literacy is one of the types of literacy defined for Earth systems; the qualities of an Earth science literate person are representative of the qualities for all the Earth system literacy definitions.
|
||||
According to the Earth Science Literacy Initiative, an Earth-science-literate person:
|
||||
|
||||
understands the fundamental concepts of Earth's many systems
|
||||
knows how to find and assess scientifically credible information about Earth
|
||||
communicates about Earth science in a meaningful way
|
||||
is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding Earth and its resources
|
||||
All types of literacy in Earth systems have a definition like the above. Ocean literacy is further defined as "understanding our impact on the ocean and the ocean's impact on us".
|
||||
Similarly, the climate literacy website includes a guiding principle for decision making; "humans can take action to reduce climate change and its impacts". Each type of Earth systems literacy then defines the concepts students should understand upon graduation from high school. Current educational efforts in Earth systems literacy tend to focus more on the scientific concepts than on the decision-making aspect of literacy, but environmental action remains as a stated goal.
|
||||
The theme of science in a socially-relevant context appears in many discussions of scientific literacy. Ideas that turn up in the life sciences include an allusion to ecological literacy, the "well-being of earth". Robin Wright, a writer for Cell Biology Education, laments "will [undergraduates'] misunderstandings or lack of knowledge about science imperil our democratic way of life and national security?" A discussion of physics literacy includes energy conservation, ozone depletion and global warming.
|
||||
The mission statement of the Chemistry Literacy Project includes environmental and social justice.
|
||||
Technological literacy is defined in a three-dimensional coordinate space; on the knowledge axis, it is noted that technology can be risky, and that it "reflects the values and culture of society".
|
||||
Energy literacy boasts several websites, including one associated with climate literacy.
|
||||
|
||||
== Attitudes about science ==
|
||||
Attitudes about science can have a significant effect on scientific literacy. In education theory, understanding of content lies in the cognitive domain, while attitudes lie in the affective domain. Thus, negative attitudes, such as fear of science, can act as an affective filter and an impediment to comprehension and future learning goals. In the United States, student attitudes toward science are known to decline beginning in fourth grade and continue to decline through middle and high school. This beginning of negative feelings about science stems from a greater emphasis put on grades. Students begin to feel that they are achieving less which causes them to lose motivation in the classroom and student participation drops. It has been well documented that students who retain high motivation for learning will have a more positive attitude toward the subject. Studies of college students' attitudes about learning physics suggest that these attitudes may be divided into categories of real world connections, personal connections, conceptual connections, student effort and problem-solving.
|
||||
The decision-making aspect of science literacy suggests further attitudes about the state of the world, one's responsibility for its well-being and one's sense of empowerment to make a difference. These attitudes may be important measures of science literacy, as described in the case of ocean literacy.
|
||||
In the K–12 classroom, learning standards do not commonly address the affective domain due to the difficulty in developing teaching strategies and in assessing student attitude. Many modern teaching strategies have been shown to have positive impacts on student attitudes toward science including the use of student-centered instruction, innovative learning strategies and utilizing a variety of teaching techniques. Project-based learning has also been shown to improve student attitudes about a subject and improve their scientific processing skills.
|
||||
Teachers can use Likert scales or differential scales to determine and monitor changes in student attitudes towards science and science learning.
|
||||
45
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-2.md
Normal file
45
data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy-2.md
Normal file
@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
title: "Scientific literacy"
|
||||
chunk: 3/3
|
||||
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy"
|
||||
category: "reference"
|
||||
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
||||
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:31.716579+00:00"
|
||||
instance: "kb-cron"
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
== Promoting and measuring ==
|
||||
Proponents of scientific literacy tend to focus on what is learned by the time a student graduates from high school. Science literacy has always been an important element of the standards movement in education. All science literacy documents have been drafted with the explicit intent of influencing educational standards, as a means to drive curriculum, teaching, assessment, and ultimately, learning nationwide. Moreover, scientific literacy provides an important basis for making informed social decisions. Science is a human process carried out in a social context, which makes it relevant as a part of our science education. In order for people to make evidence-informed decision, everyone should seek to improve their scientific literacy.
|
||||
Relevant research has suggested ways to promote scientific literacy to students more efficiently. Programs to promote scientific literacy among students abound, including several programs sponsored by technology companies, as well as quiz bowls and science fairs. A partial list of such programs includes the Global Challenge Award, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl and Action Bioscience.
|
||||
Some organizations have attempted to compare the scientific literacy of adults in different countries. The OECD found that scientific literacy in the United States is not measurably different from the OECD average. Science News reports "The new U.S. rate, based on questionnaires administered in 2008, is seven percentage points behind Sweden, the only European nation to exceed the Americans. The U.S. figure is slightly higher than that for Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. And it's double the 2005 rate in the United Kingdom (and the collective rate for the European Union)."
|
||||
University educators are attempting to develop reliable instruments to measure scientific literacy, and the use of concept inventories is increasing in the fields of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and earth science.
|
||||
|
||||
== See also ==
|
||||
|
||||
== Notes ==
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||||
|
||||
== References ==
|
||||
Adams, W. K.; Perkins, K. K.; Podolefsky, N. S.; Dubson, M.; Finkelstein, N. D.; Wieman, C. E. (2006). "A new instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey". Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research. 2 (1) 010101. Bibcode:2006PRPER...2a0101A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.010101.
|
||||
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993). Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508986-8.
|
||||
American Institute of Biological Sciences (2011). "Action Bioscience". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1969). Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-679-30211-7.
|
||||
Chemistry Literacy Project (2009). "Chemistry Literacy Project". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Climate Literacy Network (2011). "Climate Literacy". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Cudaback, Cynthia (2008). "Ocean Literacy: There's more to it than content". Oceanography. 21 (4): 10–11. Bibcode:2008Ocgpy..21d..10C. doi:10.5670/oceanog.2008.21.
|
||||
Earth Science Literacy Initiative (2009). "Earth Science Literacy Principles: The Big Ideas and Supporting Concepts of Earth Science". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Gamire, Elsa; Pearson, Greg, eds. (2006). Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy. National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/11691. ISBN 978-0-309-10183-7.
|
||||
Hobson, Art (2003). "Physics literacy, energy and the environment" (PDF). Physics Education. 38 (2): 109–114. Bibcode:2003PhyEd..38..109H. doi:10.1088/0031-9120/38/2/301. S2CID 250742800.
|
||||
Libarkin, J. C.; Ward, E. M. G.; Anderson, S. W.; Kortemeyer, G.; Raeburn, S. P. (2011). "Revisiting the Geoscience Concept Inventory: A call to the community". GSA Today. 21 (8): 26–28. Bibcode:2011GSAT...21h..26L. doi:10.1130/G110GW.1.
|
||||
Klymkowsky, Michael W.; Underwood, Sonia M.; Garvin-Doxas, R. Kathleen (2010). "Biological Concepts Instrument (BCI): A diagnostic tool for revealing student thinking". arXiv:1012.4501v1 [q-bio.OT].
|
||||
National Academy of Sciences (1996). National Science Education Standards (Report). National Academy Press.
|
||||
National Center for Education Statistics (2011). "International Mathematics and Science Literacy (Indicator 16-2011)". The Condition of Education. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
NOAA (2008). "Estuarine Literacy". estuaries.gov. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
"Ocean Literacy: Understanding the Ocean‵s influence on you and your influence on the Ocean". Ocean Literacy Network. 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Ohio Sea Grant College Program (2010). "Great Lakes Literacy". Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Rutherford, F. James; Ahlgren, Andrew (1991). Science for All Americans: Education for a changing future. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506771-2.
|
||||
Rutherford, F. James (1997). "Sputnik and science education". Reflecting on Sputnik: Linking the Past, Present and Future of Educational Reform. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.
|
||||
UCAR (2007). "Atmospheric Science Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Atmospheric Science". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
|
||||
Wright, Robin (2005). "Undergraduate Biology Courses for Nonscientists: Toward a Lived Curriculum". Cell Biology Education. 4 (3): 189–196. doi:10.1187/cbe.05-04-0075. PMC 1201698. PMID 16220140.
|
||||
Raloff, Janet (March 13, 2010). "Science literacy: U.S. college courses really count". Science News. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
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== Further reading ==
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Scientific misconceptions are commonly held beliefs about science that have no basis in actual scientific fact. Scientific misconceptions can also refer to preconceived notions based on religious and/or cultural influences. Many scientific misconceptions occur because of faulty teaching styles and the sometimes distancing nature of true scientific texts. Because students' prior knowledge and misconceptions are important factors for learning science, science teachers should be able to identify and address these conceptions.
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||||
|
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== Types ==
|
||||
Misconceptions (a.k.a. alternative conceptions, alternative frameworks, etc.) are a key issue from constructivism in science education, a major theoretical perspective informing science teaching. A scientific misconception is a false or incorrect understanding of a scientific concept or principle, often resulting from oversimplifications, inaccurate information, or the misapplication of intuitive knowledge. Misconceptions can arise due to a variety of factors, such as personal experiences, cultural beliefs, or the way information is presented in educational settings. Addressing scientific misconceptions is crucial for developing a more accurate understanding of the natural world and improving scientific literacy. In general, scientific misconceptions have their foundations in a few "intuitive knowledge domains, including folkmechanics (object boundaries and movements), folkbiology (biological species' configurations and relationships), and folkpsychology (interactive agents and goal-directed behavior)", that enable humans to interact effectively with the world in which they evolved. That these folksciences do not map accurately onto modern scientific theory is not unexpected. A second major source of scientific misconceptions are educational misconceptions, which are induced and reinforced during the course of instruction (in formal education).
|
||||
There has been extensive research into students' informal ideas about science topics, and studies have suggested reported misconceptions vary considerably in terms of properties such as coherence, stability, context-dependence, range of application etc. Misconceptions can be broken down into five basic categories:
|
||||
|
||||
preconceived notions
|
||||
nonscientific beliefs
|
||||
conceptual misunderstandings
|
||||
vernacular misconceptions
|
||||
factual misconceptions
|
||||
Preconceived notions are thinking about a concept in only one way. Once a person knows how something works it is difficult to imagine it working a different way. Nonscientific beliefs are beliefs learned outside of scientific evidence. For example, one's beliefs about the history of world based on the bible. Conceptual misunderstandings are ideas about what one thinks they understand based on their personal experiences or what they may have heard. One does not fully grasp the concept and understand it. Vernacular misconceptions happen when one word has two completely different meanings, especially in regard to science and everyday life. Factual misconceptions are ideas or beliefs that are learned at a young age but are actually incorrect.
|
||||
While most student misconceptions go unrecognized, there has been an informal effort to identify errors and misconceptions present in textbooks.
|
||||
|
||||
== Identifying student misconceptions ==
|
||||
In the context of Socratic instruction, student misconceptions are identified and addressed through a process of questioning and listening. A number of strategies have been employed to understand what students are thinking prior, or in response, to instruction. These strategies include various forms of "real type" feedback, which can involve the use of colored cards or electronic survey systems (clickers). Another approach is typified by the strategy known as just-in-time teaching. Here students are asked various questions prior to class, the instructor uses these responses to adapt their teaching to the students' prior knowledge and misconceptions.
|
||||
Finally, there is a more research-intensive approach that involves interviewing students for the purpose of generating the items that will make up a concept inventory or other forms of diagnostic instruments. Concept inventories require intensive validation efforts. Perhaps the most influential of these concept inventories to date has been the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Concept inventories can be particularly helpful in identifying difficult ideas that serve as a barrier to effective instruction. Concept inventories in natural selection and basic biology have been developed.
|
||||
While not all the published diagnostic instruments have been developed as carefully as some concept inventories, some two-tier diagnostic instruments (which offer multiple choice distractors informed by misconceptions research, and then ask learners to give reasons for their choices) have been through rigorous development. In identifying students' misconceptions, first teachers can identify their preconceptions. "Teachers need to know students' initial and developing conceptions. Students need to have their initial ideas brought to a conscious level." However, teachers' ability to diagnose misconceptions needs to be improved. When confronted with misconceptions about evolution, they only diagnose approximately half of these misconceptions. Thus, another approach for identifying misconceptions could be that not only teachers do it but the students themselves. With the help of lists with common misconceptions and examples, students can identify their own misconceptions and become metacognitively aware of these.
|
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== Addressing student misconceptions ==
|
||||
A number of lines of evidence suggest that the recognition and revision of student misconceptions involves active, rather than passive, involvement with the material. A common approach to instruction involves meta-cognition, that is to encourage students to think about their thinking about a particular problem. In part this approach requires students to verbalize, defend and reformulate their understanding. Recognizing the realities of the modern classroom, a number of variations have been introduced. These include Eric Mazur's peer instruction, as well as various tutorials in physics. Using a metacognitive approach, researchers have also found that making students metacognitively aware of their own intuitive conceptions through a self-assessment and supporting them in self-regulating their intuitive conceptions in scientific contexts enhances students' conceptual understanding. Scientific inquiry is another technique that provides an active engagement opportunity for students and incorporates metacognition and critical thinking.
|
||||
Success with inquiry-based learning activities relies on a deep foundation of factual knowledge. Students then use observation, imagination, and reasoning about scientific phenomena they are studying to organize knowledge within a conceptual framework. The teacher monitors the changing concepts of the students through formative assessment as the instruction proceeds. Beginning inquiry activities should develop from simple concrete examples to more abstract. As students progress through inquiry, opportunities should be included for students to generate, ask, and discuss challenging questions. According to Magnusson and Palincsan, teachers should allow multiple cycles of investigation where students can ask the same questions as their understanding of the concept matures. Through strategies that apply formative assessment of student learning and adjust accordingly, teachers can help redirect scientific misconceptions. Research has shown that science teachers have a wide repertoire to deal with misconceptions and report a variety of ways to respond to students' alternative conceptions, e.g., attempting to induce a cognitive conflict using analogies, requesting an elaboration of the conception, referencing specific flaws in reasoning, or offering a parallel between the student's conception and a historical theory. However, approximately half of the teachers do not address students' misconceptions, but instead agree with them, respond scientifically incorrect, or formulate the correct scientific explanation themselves without addressing the specific student conception.
|
||||
|
||||
== See also ==
|
||||
List of common misconceptions – Common misconceptions, including scientific ones
|
||||
Superseded theories in science
|
||||
List of fallacies
|
||||
Wiley Bad Science Series of books:
|
||||
Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax"
|
||||
Badastronomy.com blog
|
||||
|
||||
== Footnotes ==
|
||||
|
||||
== References ==
|
||||
Barker, V. 2004. Beyond appearances : students' misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd edition (accessed on-line 9 Sept. 2008)
|
||||
Charles, E.S. & S.T. d'Apollonia. 2003. A systems approach to education. PEREA report.
|
||||
Hake RR (1998). "Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: a six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses". Am J Phys. 66 (1): 64–74. Bibcode:1998AmJPh..66...64H. doi:10.1119/1.18809.
|
||||
Krebs, Robert E. (1999). Scientific development and misconceptions through the ages: a reference guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30226-8.
|
||||
Morton JP; Doran DA; Maclaren DP (June 2008). "Common student misconceptions in exercise physiology and biochemistry". Adv Physiol Educ. 32 (2): 142–6. doi:10.1152/advan.00095.2007. PMID 18539853. S2CID 8066357.
|
||||
Visscher PM; Hill WG; Wray NR (April 2008). "Heritability in the genomics era--concepts and misconceptions". Nature Reviews Genetics. 9 (4): 255–66. doi:10.1038/nrg2322. PMID 18319743. S2CID 690431.
|
||||
How Students Learn. 2005. A National Academy of Sciences Report.
|
||||
Fuchs, T.T., & Arsenault, M. (2017). Using test data to find misconceptions in secondary science. School Science Review 364(98) 31-36.
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