STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific

disciplines science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an

interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as
separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning
paradigm based on real-world applications.
Though the United States has historically been a leader in these fields, fewer
students have been focusing on these topics recently. According to the U.S.
Department of Education, only 16 percent of high school students are interested in a
STEM career and have proven a proficiency in mathematics. Currently, nearly 28
percent of high school freshmen declare an interest in a STEM-related field,
a department website says, but 57 percent of these students will lose interest by the
time they graduate from high school.
As a result, the Obama administration announced the 2009 "Educate to Innovate"
campaign to motivate and inspire students to excel in STEM subjects. This campaign
also addresses the inadequate number of teachers skilled to educate in these
subjects. The goal is to get American students from the middle of the pack in science
and math to the top of the pack in the international arena.
Thirteen agencies are partners in the Committee on Stem Education (CoSTEM),
including mission science agencies and the U.S. Department of Education. CoSTEM
is working to create a joint national strategy to invest federal funds in K-12 STEM
education, increasing public and youth STEM engagement, improving the STEM
experience for undergraduates, reaching demographics underrepresented in STEM
fields, and designing better graduate education for the STEM workforce. The
Department of Education now offers a number of STEM-based programs, including
research programs with a STEM emphasis, STEM grant selection programs and
general programs that support STEM education.
The Obama administration's 2014 budget invests $3.1 billion in federal programs on
STEM education, with an increase of 6.7 percent over 2012. The investments will be
made to recruit and support STEM teachers, as well as support STEM-focused high
schools with STEM Innovation Networks. The budget also invests into advanced
research projects for education, to better understand next-generation learning
technologies.
The importance of STEM education
All of this effort is to meet a need. According to a report by the
website STEMconnector.org, by 2018, projections estimate the need for 8.65 million
workers in STEM-related jobs. The manufacturing sector faces an alarmingly large
shortage of employees with the necessary skills nearly 600,000. The field of cloud
computing alone will have created 1.7 million jobs between 2011 and 2015,
according to the report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2018,
the bulk of STEM careers will be:
Computing 71 percent
Traditional Engineering 16 percent
 Physical sciences 7 percent
Life sciences 4 percent
Mathematics 2 percent
STEM jobs do not all require higher education or even a college degree. Less than
half of entry-level STEM jobs require a bachelor's degree or higher. However, a four-
year degree is incredibly helpful with salary the average advertised starting salary
for entry-level STEM jobs with a bachelor's requirement was 26 percent higher than
jobs in the non-STEM fields, according to the STEMconnect report. For every job
posting for a bachelor's degree recipient in a non-STEM field, there were 2.5 entry-
level job postings for a bachelor's degree recipient in a STEM field.
This is not a problem unique to the United States. In the United Kingdom, the Royal
Academy of Engineering reports that the Brits will have to graduate 100,000 STEM
majors every year until 2020 just to meet demand. According to the report, Germany
has a shortage of 210,000 workers in the mathematics, computer science, natural
science and technology disciplines.
Blended learning
What separates STEM from the traditional science and math education is the
blended learning environment and showing students how the scientific method can
be applied to everyday life. It teaches students computational thinking and focuses
on the real world applications of problem solving. As mentioned before, STEM
education begins while students are very young:
Elementary school STEM education focuses on the introductory level
STEM courses, as well as awareness of the STEM fields and occupations.
This initial step provides standards-based structured inquiry-based and real
world problem-based learning, connecting all four of the STEM subjects. The
goal is to pique students' interest into them wanting to pursue the courses, not
because they have to. There is also an emphasis placed on bridging in-school
and out-of-school STEM learning opportunities.

Middle school At this stage, the courses become more rigorous and
challenging. Student awareness of STEM fields and occupations is still
pursued, as well as the academic requirements of such fields. Student
exploration of STEM related careers begins at this level, particularly for
underrepresented populations.

High school The program of study focuses on the application of the

subjects in a challenging and rigorous manner. Courses and pathways are
now available in STEM fields and occupations, as well as preparation for post-
secondary education and employment. More emphasis is placed on bridging
in-school and out-of-school STEM opportunities.
Much of the STEM curriculum is aimed toward attracting underrepresented
populations. Female students, for example, are significantly less likely to pursue a
college major or career. Though this is nothing new, the gap is increasing at a
significant rate. Male students are also more likely to pursue engineering and
technology fields, while female students prefer science fields, like biology, chemistry,
and marine biology. Overall, male students are three times more likely to be
interested in pursuing a STEM career, the STEMconnect report said.
Ethnically, Asian students have historically displayed the highest level of interest in
the STEM fields. Prior to 2001, students of an African-American background also
showed high levels of interest in STEM fields, second only to the Asian
demographic. However, since then, African-American interest in STEM has dropped
dramatically to lower than any other ethnicity. Other ethnicities with high STEM
interest include American Indian students.
STEM is an educational program developed to prepare primary and secondary
students for college and graduate study in the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to subject-specific learning,
STEM aims to foster inquiring minds, logical reasoning, and collaboration skills.
In the United States, the program helps immigrants with skills in the STEM subjects
obtain work visas. In addition, STEM focuses on perceived education quality
shortcomings in these fields, with the aim of increasing the supply of qualified high-
tech workers.
Educators break STEM down into seven standards of practice (or skill sets) for
educating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students:

Learn and apply content

Integrate content
Interpret and communicate information
Engage in inquiry
Engage in logical reasoning
Collaborate as a team
Apply technology appropriately
STEM Education
STEM is the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and
encompasses a vast array of subjects that fall into each of those terms. While it is
almost impossible to list every discipline, some common STEM areas include:
aerospace engineering, astrophysics, astronomy, biochemistry, biomechanics,
chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, mathematical
biology, nanotechnology, neurobiology, nuclear physics, physics, and robotics,
among many, many others. As evidenced by the multitude of disciplines, its clear
that STEM fields affect virtually every component of our everyday lives.
In the United States, STEM is of the utmost importance because of the role these
subjects play at multiple levels of society, and the tremendous impact they have. Our
countrys entire economy revolves around mathematics: accounting, economics,
functions and logarithms, and calculus. The architecture industry is centered on
math, as is urban development and city planning. Medical research is fueled by the
study of chemistry and biology, and environmental efforts like sustainable energy
and nuclear power are also steeped in the sciences. Its impossible to find a part of
society that does not, in some way, interact with these subjects, and since so many
of these industries are coordinated by or connected to our government at some level,
its safe to say that the very governing of our country depends on them. STEM is
essential to our education system, as school districts across the country strive to
build a stronger curriculum around these subjects.

STEM and Education

Todays students are tomorrows leaders. Occupations in STEM-related careers are
some of the fastest growing and best paid of the 21st century, and they often have
the greatest potential for job growth. As America strives to keep up with the current
and projected demand for STEM output, it is important that our country remains
competitive in fields of science, technology, medicine, and all of the other STEM
fields we have mentioned so far. The best way to ensure future success and
longevity it is to make sure that American students are well versed in these subjects.
Building a solid STEM foundation through a well-rounded curriculum is the best way
to ensure that students are exposed to math, science, and technology throughout
their educational career.
Students are extremely curious and impressionable, so instilling an interest at an
early age could spark a lasting desire to pursue a career in any of these fields. By
the time a student is ready to enter the work force, they must have enough
knowledge to make invaluable contributions to our nations STEM industries. It is
also important that schools have an ample amount of teachers who are experts in
STEM, and these subjects should always be considered as high demand subjects.
Teachers who follow an alternative route to teacher certification are at an advantage
to teach in a STEM field if they majored in one, or are transitioning from a STEM-
related career. If you are interested in becoming a teacher and you have studied
chemistry, biology, physics, calculus, engineering, or any other STEM subject, you
will be a great asset to your school.

PBS Teachers External link has an abundance of professional development

resources External link to train educators on teaching STEM classes, as well as a
useful STEM Resources Center External link for those who already teach STEM
and are looking to further enrich their lessons.

STEM Initiatives
Despite Americas competitive edge in STEM industries, our nation has been
experiencing a decline in the output of STEM talent that is not conducive to high
demands. School curricula have been lacking in their math and science components,
and in response to this decrease in STEM education, several initiatives have been
started to reclaim the lead and produce literate, savvy, and driven young talent that
will leave their indelible marks on STEM industries.

The American Competitiveness Initiative

The American Competitiveness Initiative External link was instituted by President
George W. Bush in 2006 to address the shortfalls in federal support of STEM
educational development. The initiative called for a significant increase in federal
funding with the hopes of seeing an increase in college graduates with STEM
degrees. It sought to double federal spending for advanced research in physical
sciences, and to improve science and mathematics education in public schools. It
also aimed to provide additional training for teachers in science, math, and
technology. The American Competitiveness Initiative has since been replaced by the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 External link .

The STEM Education Coalition

The STEM Education Coalition External link supports STEM programs for teachers
and students at agencies that offer STEM related programs, such as the US
Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. The STEM
Education Coalition defines itself External link as an alliance of more than 500
business, professional, and education organizations, [that] works aggressively to
raise awareness in Congress, the Administration, and other organizations about the
critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic
and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century.
100Kin10
100Kin10 External link is a new initiative founded by the Carnegie Corporation of
New York, Opportunity Education, and NewSchools Venture Fund to recruit,
prepare, retain, and support 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the coming 10
years in order to prepare all students with the high-quality STEM knowledge and
skills needed to address the most pressing national and global challenges of
tomorrow. Since their inception in January 2011, they have recruited over 80 partner
organizations that have committed External link to help increase the supply of
teachers, develop and retain excellent teachers, and ensure that all students are
literate enough in STEM to become excellent contributors to society.

Corporations and Institutions Promoting STEM Education

Rossier School of Education, USC

In June 2011, Karen Symms Gallagher, dean of the University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education participated in the inaugural Clinton Global Initiative
(CGI) America. CGI America united over 600 business, nonprofit, and governmental
leaders to brainstorm initiatives for increasing economic growth in the United States.
USC Rossier External link is a part of 100Kin10, thus becoming the first school to
join that Initiative. Dean Gallagher and 100Kin10 joined the Opportunity Equation,
Teach for America, the National Math + Science Initiative, and many others at CGI in
being recognized by Bill Clinton for a commitment to increasing the supply of
excellent teachers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics.

Northeastern University
Northeastern University's Center for STEM Education External link offers support
and resources for STEM related scholarships, education programs and more.

Intel
One of the leaders in innovative computer technology, Intel External link , has
demonstrated their commitment to STEM. As a prime example of a company
completely centered around STEM, Intel represents one of many industries whos
prosperity, and therefore the prosperity of our country, relies on future generations
interest in these fields. Their Education External link page seeks to help teachers
enrich their STEM classes and inspire students to become future leaders in the
industry. Through guidance for lesson plans External link , curriculum design
External link , and interactive multimedia resources External link , Intel empowers
teachers to create fun and exciting lessons that will engage with their students while
also bringing STEM to the forefront of the classroom.
1) Pembelajaran berasaskan project-based yang diintegrasikan
2) Pembelajaran berasaskan real-world yang dibantu oleh internship dan mentor
3) Guru dilatih untuk bekerja dalam bidang STEM tertentu
4) Lebih banyak peluang belajar di peringkat tinggi

Keberhasilan pendidikan STEM adalah untuk melahirkan murid yang berkebolehan

mereka cipta, berfikiran secara logik, menggunakan teknologi, menyelesaikan
masalah dan mencipta idea atau sesuatu yang baharu melalui pembelajaran
bersepadu yang merangkumi Sains, Teknologi, Kejuruteraan dan Matematik yang
mengaplikasikan konteks dunia sebenar.
Sebanyak 15 inisiatif perkukuhan STEM di Malaysia telah dirancangkan bagi tahun
2017. Ianya adalah merangkumi inisiatif terhadap murid, guru, pemimpin sekolah
dan juga ibubapa. Antaranya adalah :

01. Jerayawara Inisiatif Perkukuhan STEM 2017

02. Kelab STEM+
03. School Lab 2017
04. Audit Peralatan Makmal Sains
05. Kajian Kesedaran STEM
06. Kajian PCG STEM
07. Bahan Exemplar STEM
08. Permainan Digital Berasaskan STEM
09. Program Rintis Amali Sains
10. Penilaian Kompetensi Guru STEM
11. Latihan Guru STEM
12. Latihan Pembantu Makmal
13. Program TV Realiti (Robotik)
14. Kolokium Pendidikan STEM
15. Persidangan Pendidikan STEM Peringkat Antarabangsa
Memberikan definisi Mengenai Pembelajaran berbasis Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Eureka Pendidikan. STEM merupakan singkatan dari sebuah pendekatan
pembelajaran interdisiplin antara Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics. Torlakson (2014) menyatakan bahwa pendekatan dari keempat aspek
ini merupakan pasangan yang serasi antara masalah yang terjadi di dunia nyata dan
juga pembelajaran berbasis masalah. Pendekatan ini mampu menciptakan sebuah
sistem pembelajaran secara kohesif dan pembelajaran aktif karena keempat aspek
dibutuhkan secara bersamaan untuk menyelesaikan masalah. Solusi yang diberikan
menunjukkan bahwa peserta didik mampu untuk menyatukan konsep abstrak dari
setiap aspek.

Tantangan dari seorang pendidik adalah menyediakan sebuah sistem pendidikan

yang menciptakan kesempatan kepada peserta didik untuk menghubungkan antara
pengetahuan dan keterampilan sehingga menjadi familiar bagi setiap peserta didik.
Kesempatan tidak akan tercipta jika pengetahuan dan keterampilan dipisahkan
dalam suatu proses pembelajaran. Pfeiffer, Ignatov, & Poelmans (2013) menyatakan
bahwa dalam pembelajaran STEM keterampilan dan pengetahuan digunakan secara
bersamaan oleh peserta didik. Perbedaan dari aspek pada STEM akan
membutuhkan sebuah garis penghubung yang membuat seluruh aspek dapat
digunakan secara bersamaan dalam pembelajaran. Peserta didik mampu
menghubungkan seluruh aspek dalam STEM merupakan indikator yang baik bahwa
ada pemahaman metakognisi yang dibangun oleh peserta sehingga bisa merangkai
4 aspek inter disiplin dalam STEM.

Setiap aspek dari STEM memiliki ciri-ciri khusus yang membedakan antara ke empat
aspek tersebut. Masing-masing dari aspek membantu peserta didik menyelesaikan
masalah jauh lebih komprehensif jika diintegrasikan. Adapun ke empat ciri tersebut
berdasarkan defenisi yang dijabarkan oleh Torlakson (2014) yakni: (1) sains yang
mewakili pengetahuan mengenai hukum-hukum dan konsep-konsep yang berlaku di
alam; (2) teknologi adalah keterampilan atau sebuah sistem yang digunakan dalam
mengatur masyarakat, organisasi, pengetahuan atau mendesain serta
menggunakan sebuah alat buatan yang dapat memudahkan pekerjaan; (3) teknik
atau Engineering adalah pengetahuan untuk mengoperasikan atau mendesain
sebuah prosedur untuk menyelesaikan sebuah masalah; dan (4) matematika adalah
ilmu yang menghubungkan antara besaran, angka dan ruang yang hanya
membutuhkan argument logis tanpa atau disertai dengan bukti empiris. Seluruh
aspek ini dapat membuat pengetahuan menjadi lebih bermakna jika diintegrasikan
dalam proses pembelajaran.
Pembelajaran dengan menggunakan pendekatan STEM secara langsung
memberikan latihan kepada peserta didik untuk dapat mengintegrasikan masing-
masing aspek sekaligus. Proses pembelajaran yang melibatkan keempat aspek
akan membentuk pengetahuan tentang subjek yang dipelajari lebih dipahami. Bybee
(2010) dalah karakter dalam pembelajaran STEM adalah kemampuan peserta didik
mengenali sebuah konsep atau pengetahuan dalam sebuah kasus. Sebagaimana
dalam pembelajaran fisika, maka STEM membantu peserta didik untuk
menggunakan teknologi dan merangkai sebuah sebuah percobaan yang dapat
membuktikan sebuah hukum atau konsep sains. Kesimpulan tersebut didukung oleh
data yang telah dikelola secara matematis.

Tujuan dari pembelajaran dengan pendekatan STEM cocok untuk diterapkan pada
pembelajaran sekolah menengah yang subjek dalam pembelajarannya
membutuhkan pengetahuan yang komplek. Gonzalez & Kuenzi (2010) menemukan
bahwa STEM memiliki arti pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang berkaitan dengan
bidang Sains, Teknologi, Engineering dan Matematika. Pendekatan STEM tidak
hanya dapat dilakukan dalam tingkat pendidikan dasar dan menengah saja, tetapi
juga dapat dilaksanakan sampai tingkat kuliah bahkan sampai jenjang postdoctoral.
Manfaat dari pembelajaran STEM yang berkelanjutan sebaiknya mulai ditunjukkan
oleh pendidikan sejak dini dan pada tahap peserta didik sudah mampu
mengkombinasikan antara pengetahuan kognitif dan psikomotorik.

Penggunaan pendekatan STEM dalam bidang pendidikan memiliki tujuan untuk

mempersiapkan peserta didik agar dapat bersaing dan siap untuk bekerja sesuai
bidang yang ditekuninya. Penelitian yang dilakukan oleh lembaga penelitian
Hannover (2011) menunjukkan bahwa tujuan utama dari STEM Education adalah
sebuah usaha untuk menunjukkan pengetahuan yang bersifat holistik antara subjek
STEM. Keterpaduan dalam sistem pembelajaran STEM dapat dikatakan berhasil jika
seluruh aspek yang ada dalam STEM terdapat dalam setiap proses pembelajaran
untuk masing-masing subjek. Defining STEM - ie-services.com

Pada masa pendidikan sekolah menengah atas program ilmu alam, peserta didik
sebaiknya disiapkan untuk dilatih dalam menggunakan segala sumber daya yang
dimiliki. Bekal ini ini selanjutnya digunakan peserta didik setelah menempuh jenjang
pendidikan SMA. White (2010) menyatakan bahwa pendekatan STEM dalam
pembelajaran akan memberikan pengenalan yang bagi peserta didik pasca melewati
masa sekolah. Pengenalan ini sangat bermanfaat bagi peserta didik dalam
melanjutkan pendidikan pada tingkat universitas baik itu untuk ilmu murni maupun
pada pendidikan sains terapan.
Penerapan pendekatan STEM dalam pembelajaran tentunya terintegrasi selama
proses pembelajaran. Keempat aspek dalam STEM mengambil bagian dalam setiap
pelaksanaan langkah-langkah pembelajaran. Adapun langkah-langkah dari setiap
pelaksanaan aspek tersebut adalah sebagai berikut; (1) Aspek Science dalam
pendekatan STEM didefinisikan oleh Hannover (2011) adalah keterampilan
menggunakan pengetahuan dan proses sains dalam memahami gejala alam dan
memanipulasi gejala tersebut sehingga dapat dilaksanakan; (2) Aspek Technology
adalah keterampilan peserta didik dalam mengetahui bagaimana teknologi baru
dapat dikembangkan, keterampilan menggunakan teknologi dan bagaimana
teknologi dapat digunakan dalam memudahkan kerja manusia; (3) Aspek
Engineering memiliki lima tahap fase dalam proses pembelajaran; dan (4) Aspek
Mathematics adalah keterampilan yang digunakan untuk menganalisis, memberikan
alasan, mengkomunikasikan idea secara efektif, menyelesaikan masalah dan
menginterpretasikan solusi berdasarkan perhitungan dan data dengan matematis.

Aspek engineering dalam pendekatan STEM adalah keterampilan yang dimiliki

seseorang untuk mengoperasikan ata merangkai sesuatu. Bligh, (2015)
mengklasifikasikan aspek engineering merujuk pada aplikasi dari pengetahuan sains
dan keterampilan dalam menggunakan teknologi dalam menciptakan suatu cara
yang memiliki manfaat. Pada pembelajaran fisika tingkat sekolah menengah aspek
ini diimplementasikan sebagai keterampilan dalam menggunakan alat dan
menyusun suatu rancangan untuk mencapai suatu tujuan seperti keterampilan
memasukkan bahasa matematis dalam bahasa program.

Source: http://www.eurekapendidikan.com/2017/03/pembelajaran-berbasis-science-
Technology-Engineering-Mathematics-STEM.html
Disalin dan Dipublikasikan melalui Eureka Pendidikan

Sumber Rujukan: Bligh, A. (2015) Towards a 10-year plan for science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and skills in Queensland.
Queensland: Department of Education, Training and the Arts Gonzalez, H.B. &
Kuenzi, J. J. (2012). Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education: A Primer. Congressional Research Service.[di akses 5-2-2014].
Hannover Research. (2011) Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective
Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. National
Academies Press. NW, Suite 300, P 202.756.2971 F 866.808.6585]. Washington,
DC: U.S. --------, (2014). Future Trends in K-12 Education. [1101 Connecticut Ave.
NW, Suite 300, Desember 2013. Washington, DC: U.S. Distric Administration
Practice Pfeiffer, H.D, Ignatov, D.I., & Poelmans, J (2013) Conceptual Structures for
STEM Research and Education. 20th International Conference on Conceptual
Structures, ICCS 2013 Mumbai, India, January 10-12, 2013Proceedings. Springger.
ISBN 978-3-642-35785-5. Torlakson. T, 2014. Innovate: A Blueprint For Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in California Public Education. California:
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. White, D.W., (2010) What Is STEM
Education and Why Is It Important?. Florida Association of Teacher Educators
Journal Volume 1 Number 14 2014 1-9. http://www.fate1.org/journals/2014/white.pdf

Source: http://www.eurekapendidikan.com/2017/03/pembelajaran-berbasis-science-
Technology-Engineering-Mathematics-STEM.html
Disalin dan Dipublikasikan melalui Eureka Pendidikan