Sharon Gillette analyses why social studies subjects should be given equal weight in the classroom as STEM focused subjects, and the possible effects this sometimes weighted focus towards STEM may have on our future society
The focus on and implementation of STEM programs has often come at the expense of humanities based courses such as social studies
In 2001, the United States’ National Science Foundation (NSF) called for a sweeping revision to the American education system to address student deficits when compared to countries around the world. By focusing on a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), American schools and the students they educated would regain their ‘edge’ and the country would prosper in the global community. Funding and support for STEM programs was provided by both federal government agencies, including the NSF, as well as private corporations. It was not long before STEM became not only the focus of American education, but also swept across the international teaching field. However, despite recent attempts to shoehorn arts into the mix and create the STEAM acronym, the focus on and implementation of STEM programs has often come at the expense of humanities based courses such as social studies.
The Beginning of the STEM era
I began my social studies teaching career at the beginning of the STEM era in Florida, just down the road from the Kennedy Space Center. In fact, most of my students had at least one parent who was employed by the aerospace industry and a large number of my students went on to pursue careers in STEM fields. Standardized testing focused on English, mathematics, and science, so some elementary teachers would often skip or shorten social studies lessons in favor of science lessons when in a time crunch. Science and computer labs were prioritized in school budgets and students at the secondary level were encouraged to enroll in science research courses and Advanced Placement level STEM classes.
When I made the decision to move, and teach at an international school in East Asia in 2013, I was excited by the prospect of cultural exchanges and historical research opportunities. However, my students in Korea were even less receptive to learning social studies than the ones I had in the US. I had one grade 7 student who would fall fast asleep in homeroom because she was studying calculus at an academy in the evening. Other students told me they thought history was boring because it was just memorizing a lot of names and dates. I sought to change their minds about social studies by incorporating project based learning and focusing on skills through research projects such as those sponsored by National History Day (NHD).
Social Studies
Social studies, especially history and geography, should have equal importance to STEM in education because through these courses students learn about the world beyond their physical space and how to interact with people from other cultures and perspectives. History, when taught well, requires students to become critical thinkers through the analysis of events which have shaped the world in which we live. Teaching students to examine the causes and consequences of the past through a variety of primary and secondary sources helps build a basis of knowledge by which they can understand global politics and economies. Historical thinking and research skills strengthen student ability to assess the credibility of sources, discern between various points of view, and evaluate data. These skills are increasingly more important with the vast amount of information available on the internet and are applicable and easily transferable to other subjects, such as STEM.
Physical as well as human geography should be required for every student as it helps students connect social structures with the environments in which they developed
Advances in technology have not only increased the amount of information we have access to, but also caused the world to shrink in ways that were unimaginable even 20 years ago. The rapid spread of COVID-19 in the last year highlights this trend. While most international school students are better traveled than their US counterparts, will pursue university education in a country other than the one of their birth, and have careers with multi-national companies, many of them cannot locate countries or bodies of water on a map and have little to no knowledge of the cultures and customs beyond their own country. Physical, as well as human geography as a stand alone course, should be required for every student as it helps students connect social structures with the environments in which they developed. Understanding geography allows students to better understand current events which impact all of us, such as climate change, global politics and conflicts, and resource management. Geography education matters because we are all interconnected.
While recognizing the need to bolster student learning and attainment of skills in STEM areas in order to meet the demands of an increasingly global technology-driven workplace, educators, and perhaps more importantly, education policy makers, must not lose sight of the need for social studies education and the crucial role it plays in developing the next generations of global citizens and leaders.