9 Ways to Get Students Interested in STEM
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education can introduce students to a world of innovation and rewarding professions. However, some students require extra motivation to help them see the benefits and their skills' compatibility with these areas.
With four ways to encourage STEM education and five engaging STEM-related activities, this guide explores various ways to inspire students to become more involved in these fields.
Table of Contents
- How Does STEM Education Help Students?
- When Do Students Lose Interest in STEM?
- How to Get Students Interested in STEM
- 5 STEM Activities for Students
- Browse STEM Academic Planners
How Does STEM Education Help Students?
STEM education helps students build important skills for the workplace and get jobs in these fields, which are growing faster than non-STEM industries. These subjects and skills also enhance a student's college application when they're ready to attend higher education institutions.
STEM education benefits students in various ways:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills: STEM projects and activities encourage students to analyze, think critically, create solutions and solve problems. This causes students to learn and become proficient in skills essential to the workplace.
- Leadership and collaboration: Science fair experiments and team projects require students to collaborate with classmates and lead teams to work toward common goals.
- Hands-on experiences: STEM projects allow students to go beyond theoretical knowledge and build and design things themselves, allowing them to gain practical skills.
- Creativity and innovation: Students gain the skills and experience to try new ideas and test creative, innovative solutions by conducting research.
When Do Students Lose Interest in STEM?
Studies show that a declining interest in science is to be expected as students transition from primary to secondary school. Some of the biggest STEM challenges for students include:
- Gender and racial gap: Studies show that more boys are interested in STEM than girls. Certain ethnic groups, such as whites and Hispanics, fill the STEM workforce more than African Americans and Asians.
- Misconceptions and stereotypes: When students see that only certain races or more boys pursue STEM subjects, it creates a misconception that those subjects are only suitable to those types of people. This discourages participation in activities they might have been interested in otherwise.
- Lack of engagement: Some students may lose interest in STEM over time when topics become too challenging to understand. This can happen when there is a lack of real-world correlation, ultimately decreasing their motivation.
- Lack of resources: Effective STEM programs involve up-to-date resources and engaging materials. When schools lack the necessary resources and technology, students may be unable to reach their full potential. This makes it essential to secure funding to support STEM education.
How to Get Students Interested in STEM
Here are four ways to encourage STEM education:
1. Emphasize STEM-Related Skills
Ensure students understand the benefits and importance of STEM-related skills in helping them learn more about the world.
Instead of providing all the answers, ask students questions like “how,” “why” and “what if.” This encourages them to engage in critical thinking, observation, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, curiosity and communication.
2. Recognize People in STEM
Connect STEM to real life by pointing out real people with jobs in the STEM field. Pointing out people students know also makes it easier for them to picture themselves in those roles.
Another strategy is reading a book or watching a movie clip with students. Once done, discuss characters in STEM careers and their main characteristics. This helps students identify whether they have those same interests and traits.
3. Encourage Experiential Learning
Allow students to apply what they learned to real-world projects. Hands-on activities help students understand concepts more thoroughly. Give students opportunities to discover concepts independently through group activities or individual projects.
4. Encourage Competition and Collaboration
Rather than simply providing a slideshow or class lesson, incorporate classroom competition to keep students engaged and focused. Friendly competitions and collaboration add excitement to lessons, improving students' memory retention. They also encourage students to challenge themselves and work harder to achieve a common goal.
5 STEM Activities for Students
Various types of STEM activities can inspire and challenge students. Here are five valuable activities to promote STEM education.
1. Lemon Batteries
Lemon batteries help students understand the basics of energy and engineering principles. This is a great STEM activity for elementary or middle school children. This project requires lemons, lead wires, a copper coin, copper electrodes, zinc electrodes, an LED component and alligator clips. Make a class activity to see whether any other fruits, like oranges, apples, limes or tomatoes, could do better.
2. Build a Solar Oven
To help your students spark an interest in renewable energy and thermodynamics, teach them to build a solar oven. This involves using aluminum foil, cardboard and a glass pane to use the sun's energy for cooking. Encourage students to experiment with different insulation materials, shapes and reflective surfaces to improve heat distribution and retention.
3. Math Escape Room
Try to make mathematics more fun and challenging with an escape room concept. You can do this by placing various clues around the classroom. These clues will be math problems students must solve together within a certain time frame. Students should then combine these answers to reveal a hidden message that allows them to leave the classroom.
4. Magnet Slime
If you teach elementary students and know a few kids who love slime, making liquid magnetic slime is a must! All you need is a strong magnet, white glue, iron oxide powder and liquid starch.
After some kneading, students can play with the slime and see how it is attracted to the magnet. Use this opportunity to teach students about magnetism principles and how magnetism is related to engineering, technology and the earth's magnetic field.
5. Develop a Mobile App
If you want a more technology-focused STEM activity idea for high school students, introduce them to the app development world.
Encourage them to create a mobile app that solves a real-world issue. Have them start by brainstorming ideas, discussing ways to make the app engaging and the technical considerations.
They can then use a platform like Java or Swift to code and design the app. Along the way, they'll enhance their creativity and learn about database management, software architecture and interface design.
Promote STEM Education in Your Classroom With Success by Design
The right STEM activities can be a powerful tool for introducing students to intriguing career fields and allowing them to develop the necessary skills early on. Using STEM planners from Success by Design is a great way to support their growth consistently.
Our STEM student planners allow students to organize their week while providing descriptions of various STEM careers to help students gain interest. This enables students to consider the possibilities of their future every day. Each planner also has a monthly STEM topic, a question of the week and facts regarding educational requirements and salaries for different careers.
To learn more, browse our STEM planners, available for elementary, middle and high school students today.
- SBD, Inc.