Brief History of the Curriculum Development
The US educational system is seen as one of the most effective in the world. The ability to develop an efficient curriculum has been one of the pillars of this success. Mohr-Schroeder, Cavalcanti, and Blyman (2015) note that one of the major stimuli for the development of the educational system in the country was the fear to lag behind the Soviet Union in the distant 1960s. A lot has changed since then, but the focus on problems rather than memorization of facts was brought to the fore at that period.
It is necessary to note that educators in Texas have developed curriculum by standards as well as trends and beliefs that have existed in the American society. Thus, 15 years ago, teachers concentrated on the development of a problem-centered curriculum while some started insisting on the use of a more student-centered approach. Teachers seemed to find the balance ten years ago although there are still numerous debates on the matter (Knezek, Christensen, & Tyler-Wood, 2015).
The development of technology has brought new issues to the fore. For example, modern educators have to make sure that students can use technology to be successful in their career or academic lives. Besides, teachers also start paying more attention to the development of the so-called soft skills of students and their ability to learn throughout their lives. This paper outlines some peculiarities of the modern STEM curriculum and includes several recommendations concerning the improvement of this process.
Today’s Use of Curriculum
Technology
As has been mentioned above, modern STEM teachers pay specific attention to the incorporation of technology into their curricula. Researchers and practitioners stress that post-Millennials will be digital natives, which is associated with the need to make technology an indispensable part of the school experience (Mohr-Schroeder et al., 2015). It is clear that STEM education is closely related to technology, and it is but natural that teachers should use the latest technology to deliver educational services. At that, there are various barriers to this process. One of the major obstacles is the lack of the necessary skills as modern teachers (especially older ones) are still not accustomed to using technology extensively.
Higher Education
A lot of effort has been invested in the aligning school curriculum with higher education, and higher education curriculum with young people’s future career needs. Page, Lewis, Autenrieth, and Butler-Purry (2013) note that the requirements and expectations of employers are rapidly changing due to the development of technology and new trends in the society, but educators often fail to keep up with the changes. Thus, graduates tend to lack certain skills or knowledge, which makes them less competitive in the labor force market (Capraro & Slough, 2013).
Soft Skills
Researchers also note that the development of soft skills are also important when it comes to STEM curriculum. For instance, communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are some of the most important skills that can help future scientists and researchers become successful in their career paths (Christensen & Knezek, 2015). Therefore, modern teachers start paying more attention to this aspect. They try to incorporate the teaching of soft skills into the curriculum.
Students’ Engagement
Apart from particular skills, teachers also focus on students’ engagement. Recent research shows that young people’s interest in STEM disciplines is declining, which brings to the fore the need to engage and motivate students (Mohr-Schroeder et al., 2015). Therefore, teachers try to make sure that the corresponding teaching practices are incorporated into the curriculum.
Changes to Be Implemented
It is necessary to note that a lot has been done to address the challenges mentioned above. For instance, educators are developing various teacher training programs to help colleagues to adapt to the changes (Chauvot & Lee, 2015). One of the major focuses is the use of technology and its incorporation in the curriculum. Clearly, this is an effective strategy, but it is not sufficient. Technology should be an indispensable part of students’ and teachers’ school experiences, which makes it important to make it a part of the schools’ culture. Thus, the administration should make sure that teachers are encouraged to use certain software and devices. Educators should be able to teach digital natives and make them prepared to enter the labor force market of the future. Of course, proper funding is also crucial. As for the rest of the challenges, training, as well as effort invested in the development of efficient standards, will be beneficial. The focus on the problem-centered and student-centered approaches has proved to be effective, and there is no need to introduce any changes in this model. However, there is a lack of particular strategies and practices that can bring the model to life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the process of curriculum development has undergone various transformations. The modern US curriculum (including that of Texas) is based on the problem- and student-centered paradigms. Teachers concentrate on such aspects as the alignment of societal demands and curriculum, technology, soft skills, and students’ engagement in STEM education. Clearly, there are still challenges to address, but the focus on the elements mentioned above will allow educators to make the educational system effective and capable of fostering successful younger generations.
References
Capraro, R.M., & Slough, S.W. (2013). Why PBL? Why STEM? Why now? An introduction to STEM project-based learning: an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics approach. In R.M. Capraro, M.M. Capraro, & J.R. Morgan (Eds.), STEM project-based learning: An integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) approach (pp. 1-7). Boston, MA: Sense Publishers.
Chauvot, J., & Lee, M. (2015). Online instruction about integration of science and mathematics with middle-grades teachers: Four years in and aiming for sustainability. The Internet and Higher Education, 24, 46-52.
Christensen, R., & Knezek, G. (2015). Active learning approaches to integrating technology into a middle school science curriculum based on 21st century skills. In X. Ge, D. Ifenthaler, & J.M. Spector (Eds.), Emerging technologies for STEM education: Full STEM ahead (pp. 17-39). Denton, TX: Springer.
Knezek, G., Christensen, R., & Tyler-Wood, T. (2015). Teacher dispositions toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In L. Liu & D.C. Gibson (Eds.), Research highlights in technology and teacher education 2015 (pp. 45-53). Waynesville, NC: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Mohr-Schroeder, M.J., Cavalcanti, M., & Blyman, K. (2015). STEM education: Understanding the changing landscape. In A. Sahin (Ed.), A practice-based model of STEM teaching: STEM students on the stage (SOS)TM (pp. 3-15). Boston, MA: Sense Publishers.
Page, C.A., Lewis, C.W., Autenrieth, R.L., & Butler-Purry, K.L. (2013). Enrichment experiences in engineering (E3) for teachers summer research program: An examination of mixed-method evaluation findings on high school teacher implementation of engineering content in high school STEM classrooms. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 14(3), 27-33.