Research On The Development Of STEM Education In The United States

As a strategic measure to meet the challenge of talent needs in the 21 st century,the policy requirements and practice of STEM education in China are still on the rise.The basic research and theoretical results of the system are urgently needed.In contrast,as the first developed country to launch STEM education,United States has accumulated rich experience in the development of STEM education,which is of great significance for deepening the localized curriculum theory construction and practical innovation of STEM education in China.The beginning of STEM education was from the popularization of science education in the 1980 s.In the past thirty years,STEM education in the United States has completed the evolution from an educational thought that secretly immersed in the reform of science education to the explicit curriculum,and is embedded into the curriculum system in the form of "compulsory courses" in STEM schools.From the perspective of social history of school subjects,the difference between the talent supply of school education and the labor demand of social development constitutes the development space of STEM education.The multiple contradictions between the demand for social labor and the curriculum goals,curriculum content,curriculum implementation methods,curriculum evaluation,and curriculum management mechanism of school education constitute the motivations for the development of STEM education.Taking the structural change of conflict between school education and social development as a clue,and based on the change of dominance of different actors,the development of STEM education can be divided into four stages: the germination of STEM education thoughts,the initial construction of STEM curriculum system,the institutionalization of STEM education development,and the construction of a standardized STEM curriculum system.This development process not only reflects the response of school education to the needs of socio-economic development,but also condenses the efforts of scientific elites,civil society groups,and government and other different stakeholders to use education reform to achieve social reform.The germination period of STEM education was from 1980 s to 2000.The new pattern of political and economic development in the United States has brought a lot of demand for high-quality labor.Structuralist education which focus on a few elites has been difficult to meet the needs of the new talent structure.In order to resolve this contradiction,the science and education elites initiated a popularizational science education reform,such as the STS movement and the 2061 plan,to change the goals of elite school education.These reforms brought new features of science education,including popularization,literacy orientation,interdisciplinary integration,and standardization.The cores of the STEM education concept,including the educational goals oriented to the needs of the country's labor force,integrated curriculum content,adhering to the teaching methods in constructivism,and standardized course evaluations,have been gradually built up in the process.Although the term "STEM" has not yet appeared,its ideological bud has been born in the reform of science education.However,due to the lack of engineering education in STEM integration,STEM education has not yet formed a formal concept,and was also difficult to be independent of science education.Marked by the appearance of the term “STEM education” in 2001,the initial stage of the STEM curriculum system was from 2001 to 2005.Due to the softening of the industrial structure and the occupation of the STEM field by overseas experience,hard science has continued to decline in school education.This appeal opens up a channel for engineering education to enter the basic education system,and enables STEM education to obtain the "engineering" puzzle and realize the complete construction of its concept.with completed concept construction,STEM education has achieved great progress in curriculum development,instructional design,and professional development of teachers under the guidance of large academic groups.The curriculum system construction has begun to take shape.However,due to the lack of unity among development subjects,the construction of the curriculum system of STEM education also presents shortcomings such as uneven development of various curriculum elements and limited development momentum.To cope with the surge in STEM labor demand that comes with the re-industrialization strategy,it is necessary to make adjustments in the curriculum management system and achieve overall advancement under the promotion of a stronger force.The institutionalization of STEM education was from 2006 to 2011.With the release of the report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” in 2006,STEM education officially entered the Federal vision.In order to support the re-industrialization strategy,the government has led the development of STEM education through financial support,master planning,project guidance and legal support methods,and has formed a joint development force by integrating various stakeholders to achieve STEM education strategic development.At this stage,STEM education has entered a period of vigorous development,and various STEM courses have been designed and implemented,which has accumulated rich practical experience.However,due to the sudden tilt of finances,STEM education in this period also showed a state of focusing on value discussions and underrating the quality of practice,which led to the crisis of utilitarianism and formalism.Starting with the National Academy of Sciences' quality review of STEM education projects across the United States in 2012,STEM education has entered a period of standardized curriculum construction.In order to deal with the crisis of formalism and utilitarianism in the development of STEM education,the once-missing course experts re-hosted the STEM curriculum reform.Led by curriculum experts,various development forces have developed a horizontal and vertical consistent curriculum system,an instructional design that focus on students' independent inquiry,and state-level STEM curriculum implementation standards.A "federal-led,local regulations,autonomous schools offer" curriculum implementation system has also been built up.So far,STEM education has relied on STEM schools to gain a place in the curriculum system as a required course.Throughout the development path of STEM education,we can find that all stages of STEM education are closely connected with specific social and economic development backgrounds.STEM education has a unique development mechanism,including an external-to-internal motivation mechanism,an interdisciplinary content integration mechanism based on engineering,and a curriculum implementation mechanism that moves from diversity to unification.China's STEM education is in the initial stage of development.The characteristics include the spontaneity of development forces,the diversification of curriculum development mechanisms and the fragmentation of curriculum practice.Sorting out relevant experiences,lessons and development mechanisms in the development process of STEM education in the U.S.from the perspective of social history of school subjects.Meanwhile,considering the current situation of STEM educational localization development in China.This study believes that the development of STEM education in China should first be moderately exposed to the contradictions between socioeconomic development and school education;Secondly,it is necessary to unite the “actors” of various parties to give play to the multi-subjects and jointly advance the effectiveness;Finally,the general law of subject development should be followed,especially in terms of the content development mechanism and the practice mechanism,which must meet the current educational development background and education requirements of China,and choose an adapted development path.