Necessary Growth: An Exploration of the Blossoming Need for STEM Education

1633 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Technology and its influence on the education system

Today, countries and their education systems are in a mad race to keep up with the world’s technological advances. Unfortunately for the residents of the United States, one of the country’s most debilitating problems is that it is falling behind is the lack of STEM (Science, Technology, Math and Engineering) Education directed towards all students, both male and female, in its school systems. Attempts to remedy this are currently in progress, but the nation has fallen drastically behind other global powers concerning its STEM- literate workforce. This is a result of educational failures, particularly the failure of education opportunities to bridge the gender gap. Improving the diversity and knowledge of the technological workforce is the only way to return America to a position of technological prowess. Creating an environment that disregards gender and other “traditional” points of discrimination will allow females to expand into these traditionally male-dominated fields without facing undue bias. This means that efforts to offer additional, and encourage pre-existing, STEM-related educational opportunities are of critical importance. An improvement in the technological prowess of the United States and gender-related social dynamics of can only come with a reform of the education system to meet the needs of today.
Recently, Americans are no longer enjoying the excellence and distinction in STEM fields that they once held. This is due to an education system which does not prepare students for activity in key fields. In a set of shocking statistics from the National Math and Science Initiative it is revealed that United States students are going through school unprepared and graduating in much fewer numbers than the current clima...

... middle of paper ...

... evident. These sorts of programs, these detailed reforms to specific areas and direct interactions with students, are what will truly lead to the improvement of American’s STEM education. There is only one way to truly solve this nation’s STEM education crisis, and that is to cultivate a school environment that will foster the growth and development of STEM literacy in this budding generation.

Works Cited

Bohannon, John. "Both Genders Think Women Are Bad at Basic Math " Latest News ATOM. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Chemaly, Soraya. "In Tech World, Women Ignored." CNN. Cable News Network, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
Huhman, Heather R. "STEM Fields And The Gender Gap: Where Are The Women?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 20 June 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Join the Movement." The STEM Crisis. National Math and Science Initiative, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Women’s Rights: How Far Have We Really Come?

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    United States Census. Disparities in STEM Employment by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin. American Community Survey Reports. 2013.

    Read More

  • Taking Responsibility: Women in STEM Fields

    2654 Words  | 6 Pages

    "Why STEM Fields Still Don't Draw More Women." Chronicle Of Higher Education (2012): 3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Magnet School

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    It brings the four subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics together by using technology to create a way to practice, solve, and apply what has been learned. It was created to provide students with education and skills that would enable them to begin working directly after high school (Introduction to Teaching, 6th Edition). STEM schools have many pros to them. STEM schools provide greater job opportunities. In The Rising Popularity of STEM: A Crossroads in Public Education or a Passing Trend, Chen writes, ".The

    Read More

  • Gender Roles During The Flapper's Movement

    1559 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the working environment, there is focus on females having unequal salaries with males or where women are lacking. Sociology Professor of University of British Columbia, Neil Guppy, reveals statistics that point out males are more likely to become engineers; “. . .men with lower mathematics test scores are significantly more likely to enter and graduate from STEM degree fields” (Guppy 248). Additionally, “. . . domestic labor continues to be segregated into blue and pink jobs, with women disproportionately doing routine housework and childcare, and men concentrating most on non-routine domestic labor (e.g. fixing things)” (Guppy 251). Feminists have every right to argue for female inequality in the working environment; if women are able to score higher mathematics scores than males then they should have every right to obtain a STEM degree and enter fields of engineering. If women are able to prove throughout the course of the feminist movement that they are strong, they should be able to perform careers when they fix things. However, the perspective this writing takes doesn’t address how males fall victim to such careers; males are discriminated into performing non-routine domestic labor because they are supposed to be the “breadwinners” or perform physically demanding jobs. Just as females are disproportionately forced into domestic labor, so are males in STEM and engineering fields; if

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Gender Diversity

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    First, our company should understand the importance of gender diversity. In the first article “Why Workplace Gender Diversity Matters”, Anne Marsan pointed out directly that most tech companies lack of gender diversity. Then she explained several reasons why gender diversity matters to companies. Using logos, she mentioned that women in U.S. purchased 50 percent of computers, 50 percent of cars and 80 percent of consumer goods. In other words, organizations with gender diversity are better to connect with

    Read More

  • Gender Wage Gap Essay

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women are overrepresented in low-income service sectors and public sectors, while underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and high-income private sectors, especially in top managerial positions. In other words, the concentration of women in the lower-income workforce contributes greatly to the overall gender wage gap.

    Read More

  • Gender Equity in Education

    2931 Words  | 6 Pages

    Klein, S. Ortman, P. and Friedman, B. What is the field of gender equity in education. Koch, J. and Irby, B. (2002) Defining and redefining gender equity in education. (pp. 3- 27) Connecticut: Information Age Publishing.

    Read More

  • Gender Meditation Analysis: Gender Bias In Stem Careers

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Sexist discrimination in STEM is such incredibly old news that it is a serious wonder we have not discovered the words “Women cannot be trusted to add” in cave paintings.”(JR Thorpe)

    Read More

  • 19th Century Attitudes Toward Women

    1263 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example, even though the number of women going into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields has increased, they still are underrepresented in the field with men making up 76% of the STEM field jobs and women comprise a mere 24% (Beede et al. 1). In regard to women’s pay, women are underpaid when compared men; in STEM field positions, men are paid approximately 14% more than women, and, in non-STEM field positions, men are paid 21% more than women (Beede et al. 4). Moreover, since the 1950s, the number of single mothers has increased by 36% (Badger). Therefore, women find it harder to support their children when they continually get misrepresented and underpaid when going into the labor

    Read More

  • What Is The Gender Gap In STEM

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    Some boys around the age of seven, are reported to believe that their male peers are better at math than fellow female students. As for girls at this age, believe that both male and female students are equally capable in math, until the age of 10. This is where female students begin to believe that males students are better in the math areas. However, during adolescence years, boys begin to agree that girls and boys are equally good at math, as girls continue to state males are more successful in math (Saucerman and

    Read More

  • Women and Engineering

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    Carol B. Muller, “The Underrepresentation of Women in Engineering and Related Sciences: Pursuing Two Complementary Paths to Parity.” National Academies Press (US); Web. 2003.

    Read More

  • STEM Education

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rosalind Brewer is the Chief Executive Officer of Sam’s Club. However, many do not know that her undergraduate area of study was chemistry. After graduating from Spelman College in 1984, Brewer took a job as a chemist with Kimberly-Clark, working in a lab. (Daniels). Five years later, she made the transition to the business side. She worked at Kimberly-Clark for twenty-two years. She gradually became the president of the global nonwoven fabrics business. In 2006, Walmart invited her to head stores in Georgia. Brewer benefited the business by raising their profits and eventually became president of Walmart’s United States East business unit. She was responsible for more than one hundred billion dollars in revenue (Daniels). She is now one of the nine executives who report directly to Walmart’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael T. Duke. In 2012, Brewer was named one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes magazine, which is a highly respectable title. Brewer does not ignore her STEM background. She credits her chemistry degree with sharpening her analytical skills and helping her to stand out in the business world. Individuals entering the workforce can expect to move throughout various job and career fields over their lifetime. Knowing how to learn and think critically is becoming more important than learning a particular occupation, or vocational training. A STEM education combined with a liberal arts education can open doors to multiple job and career opportunities, as well as prepare workers for an ever-changing job market.

    Read More

  • Teacher Ethics

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hanson K., & Shwartz W. (1992). Equal mathematics education for female students, 78. 4. Retrieved November 4, 2002. ERIC Digest.

    Read More

  • Bridging the Gap

    2437 Words  | 5 Pages

    Quillen, Ian. "Educational Technology Rides Stimulus Funding Wave." Education Week. 09 Feb 2011: 15. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Mar 2012.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Education Gaps: Why Boys Fail

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the United States, many lack the skills necessary for college. Unfortunately, the education system fails to prepare some of its students for work or higher learning. Despite these circumstances, teachers and bureaucrats seek improvements to obtain higher success. In spite of the pressure for success, the current situation is not yielding the desired results. Moreover, in the recent State of the Union Address in early 2014, President Barack Obama stated the need for improved education, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM fields. Yet, what should reformers pursue? Researchers have observed recurring problems to direct the improvement of education. The information presented, particularly over the past ten years, has revealed a need to involve the students that lag the most. Education risks excluding k-12 boys and minorities, as well as remedial education collegians, in higher education.

    Read More

More about Necessary Growth: An Exploration of the Blossoming Need for STEM Education

Open Document