The term “STEM education” refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes educational activities across all grade levels—
from pre-school to post-doctorate—in both formal (e.g., classrooms) and informal (e.g.,
American high school students rank alarmingly low among students of industrialized
countries when it comes to achievement in science and mathematics. The poor
performance of American students in the vital fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (the STEM fields) is a fact borne out in test scores and
other assessments of academic achievement. Nationally, only about a third of
American students in grades 4 and 8 performed at or above proficient in these
subjects, while more than a third scored below the basic level in mathematics and
science on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009.
1
In grade 12,
only a quarter of students performed at or above proficient in mathematics.2
These alarming trends have led to the formation of a broad reform movement
encapsulated by the acronym “STEM.” This acronym was first used by the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to refer to programming dealing with science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.3
Although the NSF was the organization to develop
this acronym, it did not provide an explicit definition of “STEM.” This has led to the
existence of differing definitions and operational applications across the nation and
within organizations. Though these definitions are not necessarily incompatible with
each other, multiple interpretations have created confusion among many educators.