SINGAPORE (Jan 17): About 90% of students in Singapore enjoy one or more Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects, according to Edelman’s STEM Education in Asia Pacific Survey.
These students are also more likely to major in one of them post-secondary school than other countries in the Asia Pacific.
The survey found that 78% of students like Technology subjects, while 73% of students like Science subjects.
However, there remains a gap in engaging student and equipping teachers.
About 40% of teachers feel that there is an over-emphasis on teaching students the facts, rather than cultivating the student’s love for the subject, while 70% of teachers feel students should be taught how people use STEM subjects in the real world to make the subjects more appealing.
Meanwhile, 51% of students want a more interesting curriculum to enhance the appeal of STEM subjects. The survey showed that 84% of students would prefer more hands-on activities, while 78% of them would like access to quality experiments.
So, what can be done to make STEM more engaging for students and to equip teachers in their professional development?
Amgen Biotech is one company which has introduced hands-on biology lessons to spark interest in scientific discovery within students and teachers.
The curriculum includes procedures that led to important breakthroughs in biotechnology and learning about elements that go into developing life-saving medicines for diseases such as diabetes.
