<p>Advancing the “E” in K-12 STEM Education</p>

Abstract

Technological fields, like engineering, are in desperate need of more qualified workers, yet not enough students are pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) that would prepare them for technical careers. Unfortunately, many students have no interest in STEM careers, particularly engineering, because they are not exposed to topics in these fields during their K-12 studies. Most K-12 teachers have not been trained to integrate relevant STEM topics into their classroom teaching and curriculum materials. This article explores best practices for bringing engineering into the science and mathematics curriculum of secondary school classrooms by describing a project that utilizes concepts representing the merger of medicine, robotics, and information technology. Specific examples demonstrating the integration into the teaching of physics, biology, and chemistry are provided. Also considered are the critical issues of professional development for classroom teachers, improved preparation of future teachers of STEM, and the development of curriculum materials that address state and national content standards.

Promoting Students’ Interest, Attitude and Intrinsic Motivation Towards Learning STEM Through Minimalist Robot Education Programme

“…The positive significance between the variable proves that students are aware that the robotic activities in the programmes does have links to knowledge of Mathematics. This result concurs with the study of Ronald et al (2010) which indicated that robotics is part of the STEM field.…”

“…The field of robotics was chosen as robotics is considered as the core integration of mechanical, engineering, computer science and technology field. It is regarded as part of the STEM field (Ronald et al, 2010). The use of robots in education is considered demanding as the skills acquired by students venturing into the field are relevant to the current demand of work field (World Economic Forum, 2016).…”

Systematic Review of Research Trends in Robotics Education for Young Children

“…Through several screenings, we reviewed the abstracts of the articles and we excluded the following types of articles from this literature review study: (1) duplicate studies by exactly the same authors; (2) articles that aimed at investigating the effects of robotics kits and robotics environments with the objective of rehabilitation or with a clinical approach; (3) articles that targeted teachers as the main participants; (4) studies which used only software programs with virtual robots (not physical robots); and (5) research that included young children only for the purpose of user tests to develop robotics technology. Overall, 47 relevant articles were finally selected for our analysis ( Figure 1).…”

“…Robotics education provides learners with practical experiences for understanding technological and mechanical language and systems; accepting and adapting to constant changes driven by complex environments; and utilizing knowledge in real situations or across time, space, and contexts [1]. In addition, along with the growing attention to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, robotics has been suggested as an innovative solution [2,3]. Regardless of the economic and societal needs for new types of innovative and knowledgeable citizens, robotics has the attention of scholars as a means of "empowering learners" and providing "authentic learning".…”

The Impact of an Integrated Robotics STEM Course with a Sailboat Topic on High School Students’ Perceptions of Integrative STEM, Interest, and Career Orientation

“…The literature has pointed out that to change students' interest in STEM or their future career tendencies, STEM-related activities and curricula need to be added in high school (Rockland, Bloom, Carpinelli, Burr-Alexander, Hirsch, & Kimmel, 2010).To strengthen national competitiveness, there is a need to develop a large number of STEM talents (Langdon, McKittrick, Beede, Khan, & Doms, 2011). Therefore, it is very important to enhance high school students' awareness of STEM's application in the social environment and the cultivation of future professional interest.…”