Science and mathematics are not cool subjects, say students.
Consequently, if these subjects are compulsory, students opt for an
easier stream in secondary school and are less likely to transition to
university science programs. In addition, female students are
under-represented in areas such as mathematics, physics and astronomy.
Around the world, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics) are in grave trouble in secondary and tertiary
institutions. But worse, STEM university graduates may not work in a
field of their expertise, leaving STEM agencies and organizations to
hire from a shrinking pool.
In
1995, 14 percent of Year 12 secondary school mathematics students
studied advanced mathematics, while 37 percent studied elementary
mathematics, according to the Australian Mathematical Science Institute.
Fifteen years later, in 2010, 10 percent were studying advanced
mathematics and 50 percent took the easier option of elementary
mathematics. The Australian Mathematical Science Institute revealed that
basic mathematics was growing in popularity among secondary students to
the detriment of intermediate or advanced studies. This has resulted in
fewer universities offering higher mathematics courses, and
subsequently there are reduced graduates in mathematics. There have also
been reduced intakes in teacher training colleges and university
teacher education departments in mathematics programs, which have
resulted in many low-income or remote secondary schools without higher
level mathematics teachers, which further resulted in fewer science
courses or the elimination of specific topics from courses. For some
mathematics courses, this is producing a continuous cycle of low supply,
low demand, and low supply.
But is it actually a dire problem?
The first question is one of supply. Are universities producing enough
quality scientists, technology experts, engineers, and mathematicians?
Harold Salzman of Rutgers University and his research colleague, B.
Lindsay Lowell of Georgetown University in Washington D.C., revealed in a
2009 study that, contrary to widespread perception, the United States
continued to produce science and engineering graduates. However, fewer
than half actually accepted jobs in their field of expertise. They are
moving into sales, marketing, and health care jobs.
The second
question is one of demand. Is there a continuing demand for STEM
graduates? An October 2011 report from the Georgetown University's
Centre on Education and the Workforce confirmed the high demand for
science graduates, and that STEM graduates were paid a greater starting
salary than non-science graduates. The Australian Mathematical Science
Institute said the demand for doctorate graduates in mathematics and
statistics will rise by 55 percent by 2020 (on 2008 levels). In the
United Kingdom, the Department for Engineering and Science report, The
Supply and Demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical
Skills in the UK Economy (Research Report RR775, 2004) projected the
stock of STEM graduates to rise by 62 percent from 2004 to 2014 with the
highest growth in subjects allied to medicine at 113 percent,
biological science at 77 percent, mathematical science at 77 percent,
computing at 77 percent, engineering at 36 percent, and physical science
at 32 percent.
Fields of particular growth are predicted to be
agricultural science (food production, disease prevention, biodiversity,
and arid-lands research), biotechnology (vaccinations and pathogen
science, medicine, genetics, cell biology, pharmagenomics, embryology,
bio-robotics, and anti-ageing research), energy (hydrocarbon, mining,
metallurgical, and renewable energy sectors), computing (such as video
games, IT security, robotics, nanotechnologies, and space technology),
engineering (hybrid-electric automotive technologies), geology (mining
and hydro-seismology), and environmental science (water, land use,
marine science, meteorology, early warning systems, air pollution, and
zoology).
So why aren't graduates undertaking science careers? The
reason is because it's just not cool -- not at secondary school, nor at
university, nor in the workforce. Georgetown University's CEW reported
that American science graduates viewed traditional science careers as
"too socially isolating." In addition, a liberal-arts or business
education was often regarded as more flexible in a fast-changing job
market.
How can governments make science cool? The challenge, says
Professor Ian Chubb, head of Australia's Office of the Chief Scientist,
is to make STEM subjects more attractive for students, particularly
females -- without dumbing down the content. Chubb, in his Health of
Australian Science report (May 2012), indicated that, at research level,
Australia has a relatively high scholarly output in science, producing
more than 3 percent of world scientific publications yet accounting for
only about 0.3 percent of the world's population. Australian-published
scholarly outputs, including fields other than science, grew at a rate
of about 5 percent per year between 1999 and 2008. This was considerably
higher than the global growth rate of 2.6 percent. But why isn't this
scholarly output translating into public knowledge, interest, and
participation in science?
Chubb promotes a two-pronged approach to
the dilemma: 1. science education: enhancing the quality and engagement
of science teaching in schools and universities; and 2. science
workforce: the infusion of science communication into mainstream
consciousness to promote the advantages of scientific work.
Specifically,
Chubb calls for creative and inspirational teachers and lecturers, as
well as an increase in female academics, for positive role modeling, and
to set science in a modern context. Instead of restructuring and
changing the curriculum, he advocates training teachers to create ways
to make mathematics and science more relevant to students' lives.
Communicating about science in a more mainstream manner is also critical
to imparting the value of scientific innovation. Chubb is a fan of
social media to bring science into the mainstream and to change people's
perception of science careers and scientists. Social media can also
bring immediacy to the rigor, analysis, observation and practical
components of science.
In practical terms, the recent findings on
student attitudes to STEM subjects, their perception of scientific work,
and the flow of STEM graduates to their field of expertise, may be
improved by positively changing the way governments, scientists, and
educators communicate science on a day-to-day level.
Contextual,
situational, relevant science education is more likely to establish
links between theory and practical application. This can be demonstrated
through real-world applications, including science visits and
explorations in the local environment, at all levels of education. Even
university students should avoid being cloistered in study rooms, and be
exposed to real world, real environment situations. Furthermore,
science educators advocate the use of spring-boarding student queries,
interests, and motivation into extra-curriculum themes that capture
their imagination and innovation. Therefore, enabling students to expand
core curricula requirements to include optional themes, projects,
competitions, and activities chosen by individual students, groups, or
school clusters lead to increased student (and teacher) motivation and
participation. In addition, integrating and cross-fertilizing science
with non-science subjects and day-to-day activities (e.g. the science of
chocolate, sport science, technical drawings, artistic design, and
clothing design) can powerfully place STEM subjects firmly into
practical applications. "Scientists in residence" programs, in which
local scientists work periodically in school and university settings,
can inspire students and provide two-way communication opportunities. In
addition, international collaborations between schools of different
regions or countries through a range of technologies demonstrate and
reinforce collaboration in the scientific workplace -- as a way to build
a cadre of experts, exchange ideas, network, cooperate, economize, and
create culturally diverse outcomes of excellence.