STEMming the tide of student non-engagement

Abstract

Ireland faces a crisis. The uptake of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) at secondary levels is declining. Students are disengaging from these subjects at a growing rate. Research reveals that this disengagement happens early in the Junior Cycle when some students start to enjoy their schoolwork less as they move through the system. In Ireland there is an urgent need to counteract this decline. As Ireland becomes a global scientific hub, the market’s demand for a scientifically literate workforce is ever increasing. In a few years the demand on a scientifically literate workforce will surpass the number of science graduates. So is there a way to avoid this crisis? In recent years, the Irish Government and the EU have committed to investing in the education of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The attention is now on developing strategies to improve science teaching. For example, the EU ...