A Research On The K-12 Afterschool STEM Programs In America

With the development of the global economy and the intensification of international competition,cultivating scientific talents becomes indispensable on the promotion of international status and international competitiveness of countries around the world.Because of the emphasis on scientific talents,the United States has proposed to develop STEM education.STEM education is divided into after-school period and in-school period.After-school period gets more advantages on flexibility,autonomy,and intuitiveness.It is not only a supplement and improvement of STEM in the school,but also enriches the overall composition of STEM education.The article with a view of unmanned after-school,to explore how to train the student in science literacy and scientific spirit in United States after-school,and how to solve the unwatched after-school problem.Aim to solve the "three and a half" problem in China.At the same time,the America K-12 Afterschool STEM project has certain reference significance on China's after-school science and technology courses,and provides useful experience for the development of after-school science and technology courses in China.Through reading Chinese and foreign literature,this research uses the literature method and comparative method to systematically study the background,function,content,implementation,results and impact of the America K-12 Afterschool STEM project,and analyzes the specific cases.Analysis shows that the America K-12 Afterschool STEM program can improve learners' scientific literacy,inquiry ability,and self-learning ability.It enriches students' emotional cognition and social interaction ability in individual thoughts and attitudes,and enhances students' interest in learning STEM,reflecting students' dominant position.Complements the learner's social experience,satisfies their social practice needs,and helps them accurate position,and reasonable adjustments to career options before graduate.