ipl-logo

Misconceptions Of The Current US Education System

1380 Words6 Pages

Former secretary of education, Williams J. Bennett, said, “If the United States wishes to remain the most completist ever and innovative county in the constellation of industrial nations--this cannot stand.” (#8-153) Bennett was talking about the current U.S. education system and how it treats STEM education. STEM is science, technology, engineering, and maths. There’s a high demand for STEM jobs, and the demand isn’t going away. “According to Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, Kansas and Missouri will need 185,000 additional people completing post secondary degrees by 2018” (#1-NP). Many of those jobs that will be needed are STEM related. However, there is a major problem with the STEM program that cause a lack of interest …show more content…

These misconceptions seem small in a high school classroom, but they majorly impact the types of jobs those individuals get. In 2013, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and development measured students in science and math (#8-153). The U.S was below average. In that same year, 33% of Americans rejected the theory of evolution. “The U.S ranked last of 19 nations in math, reading and writing” (#7-18). STEM can help citizens compete for better jobs in the global economy (#6-NP). The U.S is only ahead of 4 countries in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (#2-NP). World leaders want their citizens to compete for better jobs in the global economy. It helps the country prosper. Young girls are discouraged from STEM jobs and taking interest in STEM classes. “Even if a girl is equally qualified as her male companion, she is still 50%-70% less likely to complete an education in STEM due to social pressures” (#4-NP). Noticeable differences in math and science started around the age fifteen— if not even earlier in a girl’s educational career. STEM education must be reformed in order to remain economically competitive with other …show more content…

Teachers who are uninterested in the subject they teach will also drive away people with potential. If a teacher is not enthusiastic, then the student will not feel enthusiastic for that subject. Students in high school experience this effect currently; students have potential, but hard classes weed those people out. While STEM is a rigidous program, the most successful people have been made. Many of the famous minds, like Albert Einstein, were horrible at STEM classes in school. Many classes in STEM are designed to weed-out those students who aren’t seen as “fit” for a STEM career. Math is generally the class that drives students away. However, math is the basis for all the other STEM disciplines; it’s important to understand. Math has to be made exciting on its own in order to increase interest in it

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Sanford J. Ungar's Essay: The New Liberal Arts

    1337 Words  | 6 Pages

    “Geoffrey Garin, president of Hart Research Associates, suggest that studying liberal arts is actually best form of career education (Ungar 657).” He has clearly done research to know that liberal arts are proven to prepare students for numerous careers that require a form of the arts, while the STEM majors seem to

    Read More

  • How Liberal Arts Colleges Are Failing America By Lloyd Bentsen

    1040 Words  | 5 Pages

    The value of the STEM system (science, technology, engineering, and math) is steering the education world in a new and positive direction, although some may believe otherwise. In Lloyd Bentsen’s article, “the United States educational system will continue to fail our children,” he talks about how he disagrees with Zakaria, another writer stating his views on the STEM system. Bentsen believes the STEM system will benefit America. In Scott Gerber’s article, “How Liberal Arts Colleges Are Failing America,” he talks about how people can correlate their majors into entrepreneurship. Lastly, in Fareed Zakaria’s article, “Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous,” he shares his belief that our obsession with STEM is just a way to overlook

    Read More

  • Summary Of We Can T All Be Math Nerds And Science Geeks

    751 Words  | 4 Pages

    He also provided the reader with opinions from other well-known liable people. Zakaria claimed that having a broad general education helps foster critical thinking and creativity. The author insisted that America will not show progress by the 21st century because they are making cheap computer chips instead of focusing on how new technology interact with people. The author supported his claim by stating that the American economy has changed historically which resulted in success shifting from one generation to the next. Zakaria believes that educational systems focusing on STEM courses are not reasonable because people don’t want to only learn one specific skill for

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Is Science Too Straight By Manil Suri

    907 Words  | 4 Pages

    Because of this I stopped liking science and turned to other activities not related to STEM. When reading Suri’s article, he explains how STEM is unwelcoming to the L.G.B.T. community, which will make them not want to join STEM, and that is what happened to me, and maybe it has happened to other people as

    Read More

  • Liberal Arts Argument In STEM Field

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    I’ve seen students struggle with being literate and numerate so I’m not even sure they could begin to concern themselves with becoming competent in STEM fields during high school. It would seem that educators might be more helpful to encourage students to use high school to build a breadth of knowledge in many different areas, knowing that college will be the time to build depth. High school could be used to develop the basics and apply elements from many, non-science fields to their work similar to a liberal arts approach. Providing students with a broad-based high school foundation before entering college would help develop them into well-rounded students prepared for whichever program they choose whether it’s a STEM program or not.

    Read More

  • We Don T Need More Humanities Majors By Edward Conard

    805 Words  | 4 Pages

    But that growth is constrained in two ways. It is constrained by the amount of properly trained talent, which is needed to produce innovation. And it is constrained by this talent's willingness to take the entrepreneurial risks critical to commercializing innovation" and then goes on saying that "it is hard to believe humanities degree programs are the best way to train America's most talented students" (469-471). The reality is, humanities sheds a light on the huge influence science has had, and does have on shaping society and the quality of people's lives, both negatively and positively (Dalbert, 2011). To excel in the STEM world, we must understand the impact that STEM and medicine has had on society and understand the future scientific needs.

    Read More

  • Summary Of We Can T All Be Math Nerds And Science Geeks

    749 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Fareed Zakaria’s we can’t all be math nerds & science geeks he effectively persuades the readers that school curricula should push beyond STEM education by establishing credibility, using facts, and connecting with the audience. Zakaria establishes his credibility by quoting several notable innovators and using personal experience. Throughout his article, Zakaria

    Read More

  • Summary Of We Can T All Be Math Nerds And Science Geeks

    753 Words  | 4 Pages

    How exciting would the world be if everyone was either a scientist or mathematician? What would the world be like? Of course there will be a bountiful supply of scientific breakthroughs thank we can bank on, but what how will all of the other aspects of the world fare? As of currently, all across the country there has been a jolt of urgency for the incorporation of a more STEM based education in schools. A more “STEM” based education like the type described in We Can’t All Be Math Nerds and Science Geeks by Fareed Zakaria narrows student’s once broad-based learning foundation and directs it into a more specific line of learning, which is the reasoning behind Zakaria’s disapproval of the movement.

    Read More

  • Bill Nye: A Positive Role Model

    997 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to a study published in the Career Development Quarterly, “Findings suggest that students’ confidence level in their academic and mathematics abilities makes a significant difference in their initial STEM major choice.” Although this study may suggest confidence level is the most influential aspect in choosing a major, the existence of positive role models is much more important. Role models can empower students to be confident in their abilities in the first place, which directly empowers them to choose a major they feel confident in

    Read More

  • Anti-Intellectualism In America

    289 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, “Anti-Intellectualism and the “Dumbing Down” of America” Ray Williams discusses the increasing trend of anti-intellectualism in American culture. There is an anti-intellectualism that exists in American culture that is the result of the unpopularity of being smart in High School, the lack of the importance of teachers in the U.S. compared to Japan and the effect of reality TV and pop culture. Williams indicates that one of the reasons that anti-intellectualism exists is that education in the United States is not as strong as it once was. Williams says, “After leading the world for decades in 24-34 year olds with university degrees, the U.S. is now in 12th place. The World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. at 52nd among 139 nations

    Read More

  • STEAM Rising Why We Need To Put The Arts Into STEM Education

    264 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the contrary, Lloyd M. Bentsen IV, a researcher with National Center for Policy Analysis, states that STEM is struggling with the major problem of student engagement. Him, as well as other critics, believe that there

    Read More

  • The Art Of Persuasion: Rhetoric Analysis

    995 Words  | 4 Pages

    Specifically, ENG205 is an interdisciplinary course, which means students look at rhetoric through scientific, philosophical, visual, and many other lenses. If we consider that the U.S. Department of Education states that during the 2011-2012 school year 33% of undergraduate students changed their major at least once, and 9% changed it two or more times and that according to Statistics Canada only 30% of women and 60% of men who graduated with a degree in STEM ended up working in their field in 2016, we can see that there is a problem with how students choose their

    Read More

  • Women In STEM Field: Article Analysis

    1023 Words  | 5 Pages

    Women comprise 48 percent of the United States workforce, but just 24 percent of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. A study by Gaucher found that job advertisements for male-dominated careers tended to use more argentic words (or words denoting agency, such as "leader" and "goal-oriented") associated with male stereotypes. The stereotype threat is one of the important reasons domestic females are underrepresented in STEM field. Because stereotype threats bring females extra stresses, they could lead to negative academic performances for females, especially for those studying mathematics and science. Meg Urry is a professor of physics and astronomy at Yale.

    Read More

  • STEM Education Controversies

    1552 Words  | 7 Pages

    STEM Labor and Supply Controversies Throughout the years, America experienced a developing controversy over whether or not science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has had a positive impact on the growing economy. The K-12 education systems across the nation have actively enforced STEM in order to attract students into these fields of study. The 2005 reports, Rising Above The Gathering Storm, Tapping America’s Potential, and Innovative America, all address the issues concerning teacher quality, an adequate amount of workers, international test rankings, H1-B visa permits, and achievement gaps, which could all be factors in hurting the economy. The United States is making an effort to improve STEM education in order

    Read More

  • Single Sexed Schools Research Paper

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    Indeed, at the 26 Girls’ Day School Trust schools and academies, girls are more than twice more likely to opt for science or engineering degrees at university level than girls nationally.”

    Read More

More about Misconceptions Of The Current US Education System

Open Document