STEM Education: Thriving or Dying?

STEM education has grown in popularity in recent decades, but is it still a success?

By Roan Fair 

 

Over the past few decades, high school STEM programs have encouraged students to pursue collegiate degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Providing high schoolers with hands-on experiences in manufacturing, design, and computer systems, these programs are critically important to attract young talent to a growing employment market.

But are STEM programs still attracting students? Experience and data say otherwise.

 

STEM at its BEST

On October 26, Grove City College hosted the BEST Robotics Competition, a high school STEM program which promotes STEM education in a unique way. The Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Competition requires teams of students to build a robot capable of performing tasks in a times competition. However, BEST also tasks teams to design a company marketing plan to simulate selling their robot as a product.

This combination of marketing and engineering appeals to a broader range of students than typical robotics competitions because students gain experience in manufacturing and STEM technologies while developing an understanding of what it takes to run a business.

But STEM’s best days may be behind it.

 

Declining Interest

Despite continued funding and support for STEM programs like BEST, the United States is facing a gradual decline in interest in such programs. A recent study found that only about 20% of high school students are interest in STEM related careers or classes.

If true, this statistic could prove detrimental to the country’s booming technology industries. Colleges across the nation have also reported a diminished enrollment in STEM related majors.

Grove City’s BEST Robotics Competition reflects these declining trends. In the past five years, the competition lost several teams due to a lack of students and the overall team sizes have dramatically shrunk. A competition which five years ago packed the Wolverine Den now barely fills half of the stands.

                       

 

Decreasing Attention Span

The declining interest in STEM programs causes many to question why this once preeminent curriculum is losing much of its student participation. One proposed answer focuses on the rapid decrease in attention span. (READ MORE: The Heartbreaking Reality of Social Media)

This drastic decrease is deeply concerning to educators nationwide.

Because STEM programs require time to understand tasks and perform, the decrease in attention span is detrimental to competitions like BEST. If high school students are unwilling or unable to dedicate time to understanding these complex studies, the STEM field will see an even greater reduction in interest.

 

Economic Implications

One of the most important implications of the declining interest in STEM programs concerns the global economy. Over the last 50 years, technological and scientific innovations have integrated STEM into our daily lives. From social media to medicine to manufacturing to online shopping, the world’s economy is increasingly reliant on STEM-oriented industries.

The next decade will be the true test of STEM education. With more and more students losing interest in hands-on STEM programs, educators and industry leaders face growing concerns about the next generation of workers. Although funding is plentiful, will educators be able to reinvigorate student interest?

 

 

About the Author 

Roan Fair is a History and Political Science double major at Grove City College. On campus, he is the Senior Articles Editor for the Grove City College Journal of Law and Public Policy, serves as a student executive for the BEST Robotics Competition, a high school program hosted by the college, and is the Vice President for the college’s Federalist Society chapter. Additionally, Roan serves as a TA for Dr. Verbois in the political science department. His interests include early American history, political theory, and the legal field. After graduation, Roan plans on attending law school and pursuing a career in private practice.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates.

Cover Image: Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash (Cropped).