Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education has gotten a lot of attention in Singapore, but what does that mean and why is it so important?
Since Singapore’s curriculum was put in place in 2014, there has been an increase in the number of parents who want their children to start participating in STEM-related activities in pre-school.
But it can be hard to jump on the bandwagon before you know how the process works and why it’s important for your child.
This is why I made this guide for you: to help you understand STEM education in Singapore and why it’s so important for your child to start learning about these subjects at a young age.
Know that this guide is based on a lot of research, and that all of the information you will find here is real and true. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s start.
What is STEM Education in Singapore?
STEM is an abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These are the four areas of study that make up STEM. Students in Singapore take part in something called STEM education, which is a curriculum that focuses on teaching students about science, math, engineering, and technology.
In other countries, STEM is taught in a more traditional way. STEM classes in Singapore, on the other hand, combines all four subfields into a single learning model that focuses on real-world applications.
Singapore’s Ministry of Education is committed to promoting STEM education, and in recent years it has become more involved in making sure that students get the most out of the way they learn. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has joined forces with STEM inc, a new unit at the Singapore Science Center, to help improve STEM education in Singapore.
Despite this, STEM courses in Singapore start in preschool. Introducing children to the model at such a young age is done to help them be ready to understand more complicated things later on in life.
Why is education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) so important? is one of the most common questions parents ask today.
To keep up with the fast changes in technology, students need to improve their skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
How STEM Education in Singapore Works
You need to realize that putting STEM into place doesn’t mean you have to completely change the way education works now. Still, STEM teachers can teach children important STEM words by using words and phrases like “experiment” and “models” in their lessons.
The Ministry of Education has also been pushing for a system where students can use iPads and computers while they are in class. Technology like iPads and PCs is already being used in classrooms, thanks to the Ministry of Education’s encouragement and help.
Students also learn through stories. They read stories that have STEM ideas in them, pick out a problem from the story, and then come up with a solution to the problem they chose. A model of the STEM-based education system is made up of the following parts:
- Identifying a real-world problem
- Coming up with a working hypothesis
- Coming up with possible solutions
- research and investigation
How STEM Education is Different
Learning in schools is gradually moving away from the conventional method, in which students learn by limiting themselves to books and classrooms, and toward the experimental method, in which students learn by conducting experiments.
The curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is quite different from the standard educational model in many respects. The following is a list of the distinguishing characteristics that set the STEM method of education apart from other educational approaches:
Knowledge VS Implementation
Knowledge is emphasized as the primary learning objective of the conventional schooling system. It focuses far too much on texts and theories, with comparatively little consideration given to actual-life situations.
On the other hand, STEM focuses not only on instructing children in scientific concepts but also on demonstrating how these concepts may be applied in the actual world.
Replication VS Creation
Learning through traditional methods involves focusing on recreating what already exists, such as recreating the hypothesis.
On the other hand, STEM education places an emphasis on cultivating students’ creative abilities and teaching them to think “beyond the box.”
Learning VS Doing
Reading and learning from books and tests are the cornerstones of the traditional educational system. On the other side, the emphasis of the STEM educational system is placed on hands-on experience gained via experimentation. It encourages children to develop a sense of natural curiosity, which in turn makes them better explorers of the world.
The differences between the traditional education system and the STEM education system are summarized by the three points that were discussed above. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s delve further and examine the STEM education system in Singapore.
Why Start STEM Education When Young
Numerous studies demonstrate that providing kids with an introduction to STEM education at an early age enables them to comprehend more complex ideas as they progress through their academic careers.
In light of this, the sooner you begin your child’s exposure to STEM education, the more likely it is that your child will acquire an intense interest in and a solid comprehension of STEM education.
Because children have a natural and instinctive curiosity to learn more about what is happening around them, it is not difficult to educate kids STEM subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of teachers to cultivate an atmosphere of learning that encourages children to inquire about and engage in activities relevant to STEM subjects.
The third and last benefit is that children who begin their STEM education in preschool are better prepared to comprehend the many advances in technology that will occur throughout their life.
In addition, by the time they reach the preschool level, children who participate in the STEM system of learning have developed problem-solving skills that will assist them in the future when confronted with technological challenges.
The importance of STEM education
In the 21st century, a strong background in science, technology, engineering, and math is probably more important than it has ever been for the progress of humanity. But it’s hard to think of a time when it was more important.
Because technology is so important in the world today, Singaporean students need to start learning how to use it at a young age if they want to stay competitive in the current job market.
Since it is expected that the effects of technology will continue to grow in the coming years, the skills that are taught in STEM education will be essential for the vast majority of workers over the next 50 years.
Also, having a workforce that knows about science will help us build new infrastructure that is better for the environment, which is important as the world continues to face new environmental problems. This will be good for the earth, which in turn will be good for us.
Also, if we look back over the course of human history, we can see that societies with people who are knowledgeable in scientific fields have always had more economic success than those who haven’t.
Final words
To sum up, getting an education in the STEM fields has a lot of benefits. Children are encouraged to try new things such as lego coding, robotics class, and scratch coding, which make them more interested in the world around them.
Another option is for kids to work together on a STEM project. This will definitely help create an environment that values teamwork and cooperation.
Children are also encouraged to use what they have learned in real-life situations and to use technology to find answers to problems. In the long run, they will definitely be better off because of all of this.
So, if you were worried about whether or not the STEM system is right for your child, you can stop worrying about it now. After reading about all of the benefits of using this method, I hope you are now convinced of its effectiveness.
