For a time, this acronym, which consists of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, made the whole society fidgety.
But behind the prosperity, it seems that few people ask about the origin. What is STEM? How to do STEM education in China?
Concept: cognitive confusion
The United States first put forward the STEM education strategy in the 1980s, because there was a shortage of science and engineering talents in the United States at that time, but in contrast, China was not so short of science and engineering talents. ? Li Chunmi, a professor of physics at Beijing Normal University who made a comparative study on the national policy of STEM education in his early years, told reporters.
According to Wei Rui, vice president of China Institute of Educational Innovation, Beijing Normal University, STEM is not a brand-new concept. It was put forward as early as 1980s? STS education? (science, technology, society) is similar to STEM, which also emphasizes interdisciplinary, technology and engineering and faces practical problems.
Li Chunmi absolutely agrees with the introduction of STEM education concept into China itself, because it cultivates students' interdisciplinary thinking, critical thinking, cooperation ability and problem-solving ability, which is of far-reaching significance to the cultivation of innovative talents.
There is nothing wrong with the concept of STEM education itself, but the problem is that many schools just put on a STEM education hat and play with novel concepts, and there is no substance. ? Li Chunmi stressed.
Now the equipment company selling 3D printers is on fire. ? Professor Hu Weiping, deputy director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Quality Monitoring of Basic Education in China, conducted a survey on the schools that launched STEM education in the market in recent years. It was found that although many schools introduced 3D printers, they only let students learn the skills of operating 3D printers, and what's more, they only used these instruments as decorations.
Li Chunmi also noticed this phenomenon. In his view, STEM education in China is mainly provided by commercial organizations? Kidnapping. ? Unlike American companies that provide public welfare support for STEM, China companies first consider profitability. ?
He believes that the key to this situation lies in the lack of top-level design of stem, and academic circles have failed to form a systematic theoretical system about STEM. The cognition of STEM needs to be standardized.
There is a certain relationship among the four dimensions of STEM. Science and mathematics are the foundation, engineering is the goal, and technology is the means and process to achieve the goal.
Li Chunmi made an image metaphor with a cup. To make a cup, the volume, size and shape are all mathematics; Scientific hardness, strength and temperature resistance of materials; What kind of process is used to make it is technology; And the final product of this cup is engineering. ?
Now STEM education mainly falls on the technical level. For example, general computer, programming and other information technologies and Internet plus content, but in real life, energy, environmental problems, urban construction planning and other issues can not be solved by these alone. ? Wei Rui stressed.
Li Chunmi also observed a common phenomenon, which is to combine STEM education with maker education, which is mainly carried out in primary schools and junior high schools. He thinks this is a kind of? Run away? Because primary school students have not accumulated enough scientific knowledge, and? Maker? Need to have certain professional accumulation and thinking ability. ? STEM education can be done in primary school, but it is more important to cultivate children's academic foundation. ?
In Wei Rui's view, this is related to the impetuousness of the current education circle. ? Many schools are seeking novelty and difference, but few people calm down to temper the STEM concept and dig deep into what is really valuable. ?
Dilemma:? Software? And the lack of teachers.
If external equipment is the hardware of stem education, then the curriculum system is STEM? Software? And then what? Software? It is precisely the lack of STEM education in China at present. Wei Rui attributed it to the lag of educational system reform and the imperfection of market mechanism.
On the one hand, the education procurement system mainly supports hardware, but the support for courses and other software is not strong enough to accurately evaluate, which leads to the difficulty and confusion of school procurement courses.
From the enterprise's point of view, because the intellectual property rights of R&D and innovation are not protected at this stage, enterprises will not invest too much money to develop the STEM curriculum system, and selling equipment and consumables is the most direct means of profit.
And then what? Software? The lack of rational spirit in STEM education also leads to the lack of rational spirit, which makes STEM education stay in the hands-on stage without paying attention to cultivating children's rational thinking, which is close to the rational thinking in STEM education. Soul? Links in. After contact with many enterprises, Wei Rui found that even though some of them are under the slogan of cultivating children's design thinking, their efforts are still far from enough.