9 Benefits That STEM Education Method Brings
STEM education is an educational method that is receiving a lot of attention. This method is actively applied in educational programs in developed countries (such as the US, Germany, France, Japan…). The STEM educational method plays an important role in the educational career.
What is the STEM education method?
STEM education is an educational method that integrates 4 subjects, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. According to the “National Association of Science Teachers of America” (NSTA), the special feature of this method is the interdisciplinary approach to the learning process and the integration of theoretical knowledge in a practical context. As a result, students have a view that is both multi-dimensional and highly applicable.
STEM lessons are always based on stories or real-life problems. As a result, students feel the lessons become lively and close. Topics of study are diverse, not only in science but also in society, culture, and the arts. There, students are encouraged to apply their creativity in the arts, knowledge of history, and humanities to create a new, valuable and meaningful product for society.
STEM lessons are often integrated with learning projects that typically last several lessons that require students to work in groups or individually, applying the knowledge of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary lessons to create products associated with reality. Depending on the level of the class, the projects can go from simple to complex, implemented in the classroom, at home, in the field, or learn from data sources from the internet, libraries, and museums.
With the 5E teaching model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Reinforce, Evaluate, students step by step discover new knowledge based on prior knowledge. Previously known knowledge through practice and experience.
Teaching according to the technology design process not only helps students practice skills like real engineers in product research and development departments, but more importantly, helps students feel more confident in them when I can solve problems on my own.
The technology design process includes problem statement – solution proposal – plan development – idea implementation – testing and evaluation. If a problem is found or incomplete, the student can adjust or reinforce it. Finally, students will have the opportunity to share their work with friends or the community. Based on community feedback, new issues arise and the process repeats itself.
Strengths of STEM education
STEM is an integrated education method in an interdisciplinary approach and through practice and application. Instead of teaching the four subjects as separate and discrete subjects, STEM combines them into a cohesive learning model based on real-world applications. Thereby, students both learn scientific knowledge and learn how to apply that knowledge in practice.
Applying STEM education methods will break the gap between academia and practice, creating people who are capable of working “instantly” in a highly creative working environment with jobs that require intelligence. The mind of the 21st century. This is consistent with the integrated approach in the new general education curriculum. Therefore, this idea of STEM education needs to be exploited and strongly included in the new General Education Program.
STEM education emphasizes the formation and development of problem-solving abilities for learners. In each STEM-themed lesson, students are presented with a situation with a real-world problem to solve related to scientific knowledge. To solve that problem, students must explore and research the knowledge of subjects related to the problem (through textbooks, learning materials, experimental equipment, and technological equipment) and use them to solve the problem posed. This knowledge and skills must be integrated, integrated and complementary to help students not only understand the principles but also be able to practice and create products in daily life. This ideology of STEM education also needs to be exploited and strongly included in the new General Education Program.
STEM education promotes a new learning style for learners, which is creative learning. Putting learners in the role of an inventor, learners will have to understand the essence of the knowledge they are equipped with; must know how to expand knowledge; must know how to repair and reprocess them to suit the problem situation that learners are having to solve. The absorption of knowledge in such a way is one of the directions that education needs to approach. However, it can be seen that this method of teaching is not easy even in the world, not only in our current conditions.
9 Benefits of STEM Education
Develop creative ingenuity
Children’s ingenuity and creativity are stimulated by STEM, helping them invent innovative ideas and projects. Without creativity, the recent great developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital education would not have happened. Only creative people can think of these breakthrough technologies, they understand that what the human mind can think of, it will be possible to become a reality. What they all have in common is being taught by a great STEM teacher.
Teach children problem-solving skills
STEM education enhances critical thinking skills and teaches the students how to solve problems. When experiencing STEM education methods, children will learn how to analyze problems and plan to solve them.
Endurance Training
In STEM education activities, students learn in a safe environment where they are free to fail and then try again. The STEM education method values failure as a valuable teaching tool, it teaches students to value failure, and accept it as an inevitable part of the learning process. This helps students practice confidence and perseverance, two indispensable virtues so that they can overcome difficulties later on. Because after all, difficulties and failures are an inevitable part of the road to success.
Experiments are encouraged
Without a little risk and experimentation, many of the great technological advances of the past decades would not have happened. Most of these inventions when proposed are considered fanciful, but the great people – the author behind the work replied: “Let’s try”. It is this perspective and perspective that is what STEM education wants to encourage during the K-12 school years. How to achieve that? By allowing students to safely experiment and risk learning activities.
Encourage teamwork
The STEM education approach can be applied to students of all levels. Students with different backgrounds can still work in the same team to solve problems, record data, write reports, give presentations, and more. As a result, students are able to cooperate with each other and develop together in an environment that requires high teamwork ability.
Encourage the application of knowledge in practice
In STEM education, students are taught skills that can be applied in real life. This motivates them to learn, as they know these skills can be used immediately to make their lives better for themselves and their families. The ability to apply knowledge to practical tasks will be an effective tool for them in the future working environment.
Encourage the use of technology
STEM education teaches children the power of technology and inventions. Therefore, when children are exposed to new technology, they will be ready to embrace it instead of hesitant or afraid. This will give them a great advantage in a global environment that is becoming increasingly technological.
Encourage Adaptation
To be successful in life, students need the ability to apply what they learn to different situations. STEM education for kids helps to enhance the ability to apply concepts learned appropriately according to the problem presented.
Highly Entertaining
Learning with robots is a fun way to learn
Moderately Competitive
Students experience success as well as failure through robot competitions. Through it, children develop intellectually in a healthy way.
