STEAM
WHAT IS STEAM OR STEAM EDUCATION?
STEM
creates a pathway to a brighter future, opening up a wide range of interesting
and exciting career opportunities” (Central Office of Information, 2008).
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts and
Mathematics education. It is grouped together because of the current push in
education to include a greater focus in schools to bridge the gap between
education and the shifting 21st century job market. STEAM was
originally STEM without ‘The Arts’ inclusion and there is some debate by those
in STEM careers about the benefits of including ‘The Arts’ in this acronym.
In this American article there
is discussion about there being an oversupply of arts based graduates from
universities and that a focus on just the STEM subjects will increase the
number of students interested in pursuing careers in these areas. It also says
there is an under representation of females in these careers and that focusing
on this in primary and secondary school will lead to a correction in this
balance.
We cannot deny that, particularly in New Zealand many of our jobs are kinaesthetically based. With the rise in civil, construction and mechanical engineering;
and IT fields there is a constant struggle to fill roles in these sectors. However,
as also described in this article the
great inventors and engineers throughout history had a good basis in both the
arts and STEM subjects, not one or the other. Steve Jobs, for example, was a genius
when it came to STEM subjects but was also creative and innovative. Was this
because he had a good all round education that included the imaginativeness of
the arts? This research
conducted by the University of Florida suggests yes. It shows that students who
study a mixture of arts and technology subjects score higher than those that
study one or the other.
Of course there is also research to counteract the movement too. The
American Psychology Association journal article talks about research by New Zealand
psychologist Michael Corballis that shows that brains with no cerebral
dominance can often lead to mental dysfunction as the brain has a more
difficult job when having to cross information over the corpus callosum (area
between the left and right cortex).
As the job market changes and moves more towards the use, and invention
of, more highly advanced machines we must ask ourselves whether
schools/education include STEAM enough and just how they do. Educators are
schooled well in the Literacy and Mathematics curriculum but what about
knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and the Arts? Many teachers feel
ill equipped to take a lead in these areas and rely on outside providers or
other teachers with these as a strength. Science, Technology and Engineering
skills in primary teaching can be particularly hard to come by and some schools
include little of these because of that reason. So, that begs the question,
what can we do to change this? Perhaps we need to look at ITE and how these
curriculum areas are being properly serviced. Does the MoE need to put money
into providing professional development for teachers into these areas. IT, and
in some cases ‘The Arts’ being serviced in many schools well but the other
areas are. NZCER research into
Science engagement in primary schools shows that there is no shortage of
enthusiasm in implementing in robust Science programmes in schools but that a
lot of these initiatives were fixed term and therefore the sustainability was
often an issue. “Although
some resourcing for these initiatives is available, it is usually insecure or
fixed term.”
Of course there is also research to counteract the movement too. The
American Psychology Association journal article talks about research by New Zealand
psychologist Michael Corballis that shows that brains with no cerebral
dominance can often lead to mental dysfunction as the brain has a more
difficult job when having to cross information over the corpus callosum (area
between the left and right cortex).
As the job market changes and moves more towards the use, and invention
of, more highly advanced machines we must ask ourselves whether
schools/education include STEAM enough and just how they do. Educators are
schooled well in the Literacy and Mathematics curriculum but what about
knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and the Arts? Many teachers feel
ill equipped to take a lead in these areas and rely on outside providers or
other teachers with these as a strength. Science, Technology and Engineering
skills in primary teaching can be particularly hard to come by and some schools
include little of these because of that reason. So, that begs the question,
what can we do to change this? Perhaps we need to look at ITE and how these
curriculum areas are being properly serviced. Does the MoE need to put money
into providing professional development for teachers into these areas. IT, and
in some cases ‘The Arts’ being serviced in many schools well but what about the other
areas? NZCER research into
Science engagement in primary schools shows that there is no shortage of
enthusiasm when implementing robust Science programmes in schools but that a
lot of these initiatives were fixed term and therefore the sustainability is often an issue. “Although
some resourcing for these initiatives is available, it is usually insecure or
fixed term.”
NZCER
research into the future of Science
Education in New Zealand shows that our students do well in Science achievement
and are in fact above the OECD average in this area. However, only 39% of
students studying Science would consider moving into more advanced scientific
research and occupations which is below the OECD average. It also shows that
our Maori and Pasifika students do poorly in Science. Studies show that 13% of
these students did not reach the lowest benchmark in the International
Mathematics and Science Study results. This is a very worrying statistic and we
must ask ourselves, how can educators become culturally responsive in the area
of Science teaching and learning.
STEM
creates a pathway to a brighter future, opening up a wide range of interesting
and exciting career opportunities” (Central Office of Information, 2008).
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts and
Mathematics education. It is grouped together because of the current push in
education to include a greater focus in schools to bridge the gap between
education and the shifting 21st century job market. STEAM was
originally STEM without ‘The Arts’ inclusion and there is some debate by those
in STEM careers about the benefits of including ‘The Arts’ in this acronym.
In this American article there
is discussion about there being an oversupply of arts based graduates from
universities and that a focus on just the STEM subjects will increase the
number of students interested in pursuing careers in these areas. It also says
there is an under representation of females in these careers and that focusing
on this in primary and secondary school will lead to a correction in this
balance.
We cannot deny that, particularly in New Zealand many of our jobs are kinaesthetically based. With the rise in civil, construction and mechanical engineering;
and IT fields there is a constant struggle to fill roles in these sectors. However,
as also described in this article the
great inventors and engineers throughout history had a good basis in both the
arts and STEM subjects, not one or the other. Steve Jobs, for example, was a genius
when it came to STEM subjects but was also creative and innovative. Was this
because he had a good all round education that included the imaginativeness of
the arts? This research
conducted by the University of Florida suggests yes. It shows that students who
study a mixture of arts and technology subjects score higher than those that
study one or the other.
Of course there is also research to counteract the movement too. The
American Psychology Association journal article talks about research by New Zealand
psychologist Michael Corballis that shows that brains with no cerebral
dominance can often lead to mental dysfunction as the brain has a more
difficult job when having to cross information over the corpus callosum (area
between the left and right cortex).
As the job market changes and moves more towards the use, and invention
of, more highly advanced machines we must ask ourselves whether
schools/education include STEAM enough and just how they do. Educators are
schooled well in the Literacy and Mathematics curriculum but what about
knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and the Arts? Many teachers feel
ill equipped to take a lead in these areas and rely on outside providers or
other teachers with these as a strength. Science, Technology and Engineering
skills in primary teaching can be particularly hard to come by and some schools
include little of these because of that reason. So, that begs the question,
what can we do to change this? Perhaps we need to look at ITE and how these
curriculum areas are being properly serviced. Does the MoE need to put money
into providing professional development for teachers into these areas. IT, and
in some cases ‘The Arts’ being serviced in many schools well but the other
areas are. NZCER research into
Science engagement in primary schools shows that there is no shortage of
enthusiasm in implementing in robust Science programmes in schools but that a
lot of these initiatives were fixed term and therefore the sustainability was
often an issue. “Although
some resourcing for these initiatives is available, it is usually insecure or
fixed term.”
Of course there is also research to counteract the movement too. The
American Psychology Association journal article talks about research by New Zealand
psychologist Michael Corballis that shows that brains with no cerebral
dominance can often lead to mental dysfunction as the brain has a more
difficult job when having to cross information over the corpus callosum (area
between the left and right cortex).
As the job market changes and moves more towards the use, and invention
of, more highly advanced machines we must ask ourselves whether
schools/education include STEAM enough and just how they do. Educators are
schooled well in the Literacy and Mathematics curriculum but what about
knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and the Arts? Many teachers feel
ill equipped to take a lead in these areas and rely on outside providers or
other teachers with these as a strength. Science, Technology and Engineering
skills in primary teaching can be particularly hard to come by and some schools
include little of these because of that reason. So, that begs the question,
what can we do to change this? Perhaps we need to look at ITE and how these
curriculum areas are being properly serviced. Does the MoE need to put money
into providing professional development for teachers into these areas. IT, and
in some cases ‘The Arts’ being serviced in many schools well but what about the other
areas? NZCER research into
Science engagement in primary schools shows that there is no shortage of
enthusiasm when implementing robust Science programmes in schools but that a
lot of these initiatives were fixed term and therefore the sustainability is often an issue. “Although
some resourcing for these initiatives is available, it is usually insecure or
fixed term.”
NZCER
research into the future of Science
Education in New Zealand shows that our students do well in Science achievement
and are in fact above the OECD average in this area. However, only 39% of
students studying Science would consider moving into more advanced scientific
research and occupations which is below the OECD average. It also shows that
our Maori and Pasifika students do poorly in Science. Studies show that 13% of
these students did not reach the lowest benchmark in the International
Mathematics and Science Study results. This is a very worrying statistic and we
must ask ourselves, how can educators become culturally responsive in the area
of Science teaching and learning.
This article from New Geography asks students to consider their marketability and asks the question, how will they make themselves unique from the thousands of others out
there? With such a shortage in these areas we need to be including them as part
of our curriculum to close this gap. Careers New Zealand (see link) lists these are the emerging and future jobs in the New Zealand job
market that will grow:
·
biotechnology – especially medical drugs and equipment
They also list these as jobs that have recently
emerged and tipped to grow
·
web developer
An interesting and not
surprising look at the future of the New Zealand job market. If we look at this
list we can attribute learning in the area of STEAM to most of these roles. In STEM Education: Proceed with caution
(Williams, Design and Technology Education: An International Journal 16.1)
Williams states that the rationale for the inclusion of STEAM are varied and
many but that the overarching reason advocated is the“… shifts in workforce patterns and downward trends in economic
indicators.” There is a changing landscape in what we can expect, especially with the
effects of globalisation, the internet and the accelerated invention of new
technologies. We cannot with any great certainty predict what the future jobs
will be, particularly if we think about the later years of our student’s lives.
So what
do we need to do to serve the growth needed in STEAM?
Provide professional
development to educators so they are ready and motivated to serve our students.
“New
kinds of teacher professional learning are needed to scaffold the change…” (Gilbert &
Bull, 2003). A top down approach starting with more of a focus through the
Ministry of Education in this area with associated professional development and
funding. Discussion is also needed
between schools, the STEAM community and greater New Zealand communities to
decide on a nationwide vision on what we would like this education to provide
in the future in terms of outcomes. “Developing science education that is a better
fit for the times we live in is a massive undertaking and it is unrealistic for
schools to do it on their own.” (Gilbert & Bull, 2003). Lastly, we need to
be culturally aware when designing a New Zealand outlook on STEAM education. Showing
the relevance of STEAM subjects for our Maori and Pasifika students is
paramount. Cowie, Jones and Otrel-Cass (2011), discuss the importance of
showing relevance of these subjects and how they might fit into their future
opportunities. “For some, there is a
tendency to ‘opt out’ of sciences and mathematics, often citing not being able
to see the relevance to what they are learning or not being able to identify a
career option that utilises the curriculum content.” Auckland University of Technology’s STEM department (http://www.stemtec.aut.ac.nz/) advocates promotion of the “…utility and intrinsic value of STEM subjects at schools and in the
wider community to attract more students to study STEM subjects especially from
groups that are traditionally under-represented (Maori, Pasifika, women)”
and this is also what is needed in primary STEAM education.
STEAM
education is a necessary and central part of future focused education so it is
our job to become promoters for its inclusion in everyday classroom learning.
·
biotechnology – especially medical drugs and equipment
·
food and beverage – our dairy, seafood, and
wine industries continue to grow with a insatiable demand from
consumers for fresher, tastier products
·
creative – movie-making is well established and tipped
to grow
·
information technology – our fastest-growing export
sector.
They also list these as jobs that have recently
emerged and tipped to grow
·
web developer
·
social media manager
·
3-D animator
·
sustainability manager
·
carbon emissions trader
·
mobile phone applications developer.
An interesting and not
surprising look at the future of the New Zealand job market. If we look at this
list we can attribute learning in the area of STEAM to most of these roles. In STEM Education: Proceed with caution
(Williams, Design and Technology Education: An International Journal 16.1)
Williams states that the rationale for the inclusion of STEAM are varied and
many but that the overarching reason advocated is the“… shifts in workforce patterns and downward trends in economic
indicators.” There is a changing landscape in what we can expect, especially with the
effects of globalisation, the internet and the accelerated invention of new
technologies. We cannot with any great certainty predict what the future jobs
will be, particularly if we think about the later years of our student’s lives.
So what
do we need to do to serve the growth needed in STEAM?
Provide professional development to educators so they are ready and motivated to serve our students. “New kinds of teacher professional learning are needed to scaffold the change…” (Gilbert & Bull, 2003). A top down approach starting with more of a focus through the Ministry of Education in this area with associated professional development and funding. Discussion is also needed between schools, the STEAM community and greater New Zealand communities to decide on a nationwide vision on what we would like this education to provide in the future in terms of outcomes. “Developing science education that is a better fit for the times we live in is a massive undertaking and it is unrealistic for schools to do it on their own.” (Gilbert & Bull, 2003). Lastly, we need to be culturally aware when designing a New Zealand outlook on STEAM education. Showing the relevance of STEAM subjects for our Maori and Pasifika students is paramount. Cowie, Jones and Otrel-Cass (2011), discuss the importance of showing relevance of these subjects and how they might fit into their future opportunities. “For some, there is a tendency to ‘opt out’ of sciences and mathematics, often citing not being able to see the relevance to what they are learning or not being able to identify a career option that utilises the curriculum content.” Auckland University of Technology’s STEM department (http://www.stemtec.aut.ac.nz/) advocates promotion of the “…utility and intrinsic value of STEM subjects at schools and in the wider community to attract more students to study STEM subjects especially from groups that are traditionally under-represented (Maori, Pasifika, women)” and this is also what is needed in primary STEAM education.
Provide professional development to educators so they are ready and motivated to serve our students. “New kinds of teacher professional learning are needed to scaffold the change…” (Gilbert & Bull, 2003). A top down approach starting with more of a focus through the Ministry of Education in this area with associated professional development and funding. Discussion is also needed between schools, the STEAM community and greater New Zealand communities to decide on a nationwide vision on what we would like this education to provide in the future in terms of outcomes. “Developing science education that is a better fit for the times we live in is a massive undertaking and it is unrealistic for schools to do it on their own.” (Gilbert & Bull, 2003). Lastly, we need to be culturally aware when designing a New Zealand outlook on STEAM education. Showing the relevance of STEAM subjects for our Maori and Pasifika students is paramount. Cowie, Jones and Otrel-Cass (2011), discuss the importance of showing relevance of these subjects and how they might fit into their future opportunities. “For some, there is a tendency to ‘opt out’ of sciences and mathematics, often citing not being able to see the relevance to what they are learning or not being able to identify a career option that utilises the curriculum content.” Auckland University of Technology’s STEM department (http://www.stemtec.aut.ac.nz/) advocates promotion of the “…utility and intrinsic value of STEM subjects at schools and in the wider community to attract more students to study STEM subjects especially from groups that are traditionally under-represented (Maori, Pasifika, women)” and this is also what is needed in primary STEAM education.
STEAM
education is a necessary and central part of future focused education so it is
our job to become promoters for its inclusion in everyday classroom learning.
University of Florida’s Online Master of Arts in Art Education
References
Careers New Zealand. Updated 28 September 2015. The Future of Work. Retrieved from https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs/whats-happening-in-the-job-market/the-future-of-work/
on 23 October 2015.
Central Office of Information
(2008) Retrieved from http://www.coi.gov.uk/press.php?release=217 on Feb 1,
2010.
Cowie, Jones and Otrel-Cass.
2011. Re-engaging students in science:
issues of assessment, funds of knowledge and sites for learning. International
Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
April 2011, Volume
9, Issue 2, pp 347-366.
Edudemic Staff.
January 21, 2015. STEM vs. STEAM: Why
The “A” Makes a Difference. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/stem-vs-steam-why-the-a-makes-all-the-difference/
on 23 October 2015.
Gilbert & Bull. 2003. Building a future-oriented science education system in New Zealand:
How are we doing?
Jelski,
D. 2012. New Geography. The Three Laws
of Future Employment. Retrieved from http://www.newgeography.com/content/002656-the-three-laws-future-employment
on 23 October 2015.
Price, M. 2009. The American Psychological
Association: 2009, Vol 40, No. 1. The left brain knows what the right hand is doing. Retrieved
from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/01/brain.aspx
on 23 October 2015.
University of Florida. STEM vs. STEAM. Retrieved from http://education.arts.ufl.edu/resources/stem-vs-steam-girl/
on 23 October 2015.
Williams, Prof J. Design and
Technology Education: An International Journal 16.1. STEM Education: Proceed with caution. Centre for Science and
Technology Education Research, University of Waikato, New Zealand.
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