David L. Blustein Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational PsychologyLYNCH SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONBOSTON COLLEGE

STEM Education and Career Development

Goals for the PresentationTo consider the rationale for linking career exploration and STEM (science, math, and technology) educationTo consider how educators and school counselors can work together in this effort

The Workforce of the 21st Century

The United States is underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers globally, with minorities and women especially underrepresentedSTEM fields function as a gateway to high paying, challenging, and abundant job options

The Challenge: An American Imperative

From the Business/Higher Education Forum While the U.S. economy today is robust, productive, and remarkably innovative, it faces important competitive challenges. American business and educational leaders know that to remain competitive at home and abroad.It is essential not only to transform the way we workbut also the way we educate and prepare future generations of Americans, especially those students who come from poor and historically disadvantaged backgrounds.

An American ImperativeFrom our perspectives in business and higher education, we are deeply concerned by the shortfalls we see in Americas ability to remain competitive in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. These areas are cornerstones, fundamental to our ability to develop the skill sets and knowledge that will keep the United States intellectually vibrant and economically competitive.In particular, we believe that there is more that we can doand that we must doto transform teaching with the goal of improving student learning

Why the focus on STEM?Moral issue:Skills in STEM, even outside of STEM careers, are associated with greater access to career opportunities and rewarding work lives.STEM skills are increasingly underscoring differences between those with privilege and those without.Educational and career access is associated with STEM knowledge.

STEM Knowledge and Social JusticePoor and working class students without adequate STEM skills are preparing for 20th century jobs.Consider the current workforce:How many jobs are left that do not require a good education?What are these jobs like?

STEM Knowledge and Social JusticeAchievement gaps also exist among U.S. students based on race and ethnicity, and the gaps are even more dramatic when gender is added.Hispanic and black students lag behind white students on practically every measure of science and math proficiency.On the mathematics portion of the SAT college entrance exam, Asian-American and white students scores are much higher and are increasing more rapidly than those of black and Hispanic students.Boys significantly outperform girls across all four race/ethnicity categories.Cited from ACTE report

Why the focus on STEM?The Economic Competitive IssueThe US is no longer even close to leading in research and development.Our capacity to create wealth is becoming compromised by the decline in the quality of our workforce.

Why the focus on STEM?STEM skills are important in all field.Skill sets enhanced by STEM include:Analyzing problemsQuantitative skillsCritical thinkingScientific methodLogicCreativity based on existing knowledge

Are we talking about only Ph.D.s?Demand for STEM professionals with education and training above a high school diploma but below a bachelors degree is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.For example, veterinary technicians, nursing assistants, pharmacy technicians, forensic-science technicians and dental hygienists are all among the fastest-growing occupations projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The STEM Crisis:ACTE reportWhile some of the deficit in STEM professionals can be attributed to lack of interest, there is growing concern that students are not gaining the foundational skills necessary to be successful in STEM career areas even if they choose that path.To what extent will students consider paths in which they do not feel competent?

The Skills GapLow student performance is evidenced on the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).Math scores for 17-year-olds were essentially unchanged from 2004 to 2008, despite the fact that students are taking more and higher-level math courses in high school.In fact, test results showed that 41 percent of those students did not even have an understanding of moderately complex math procedures and reasoning, such as finding averages and making decisions based on graphs.Cited from ACTE report

What is Globalization?Relentless and unpredictable changeCultural interchangesVictory of free market capitalismProduct of human innovation and technology Redistribution of wealth and resources internationally (although not always equitably)All of the above???

History of GlobalizationBegan when one tribe of humans exchanged ideas and goods with other tribes.Culminates in this very momentNCDA Conference: 2007Questioning old boundariesExchanging ideas and products.Ideally, we are poised to grow from this exchange

Three Stages of Globalization1492-1800: Period of exploration and conquest1800 to roughly 2000: Multinational companies weaving together the economies of different countries 2000-presentThe world is flatIndividuals can compete and collaborate globally.Greater involvement of non-western and non-white communities and workers

Contemporary Manifestations of GlobalizationFall of the Berlin WallOutsourcing of jobs to nations that we had thought of as third world.Call centers in India, South AmericaShifts in national and regional economiesWhither Made in the USAIncreasingly, knowledge will be what we export

A Human VoiceThe message we're getting now is that the company doesn't owe you anything. Consultants have told us that the company is not there for your emotional support, that they don't owe you raises or job security, just honesty. And that a day's pay for a day's work is honest. Everyone is shocked. The drones are panicking and looking for someone to tell them what to do. The better ones are looking for opportunity. (Kahn, 1996, p. 160)

Implications of Globalization:Career DevelopmentDevelopment of the boundaryless careerMovement from career counseling to career coaching and career managementLoss of the career contractShift in the grand career narrative of the 20th century

Implications of Globalization:EducationWorld class education is needed for everyone, not just the elites.Interpersonal skills have become increasingly importantMulticultural communities and cultural competencies thrive in the global economy

The Crossroad: Stagnation vs. InclusivenessWe are at a crossroads wherein our world is changing rapidly.We have multiple options here:

A New SynthesisThis crisis has called for a new integration of science education and career/school counseling.The UEI program represents an exemplar of this synthesis

ProblemHow to motivate young people to develop and sustain interest in science and technology?How to help students become all that they can be in school and work?

A Two-Pronged PlanWe need to enhance the quality and quantity of students in the STEM pipeline.In order to accomplish this goal, we need to improve the quality and quantity of science teachers.

Career EducationHelp motivate students to internalize the connection between school and future work opportunities

Builds sense of relevance, motivation for both content and work habits

Challenge and opportunity: To develop coherent ways of infusing transferable skills with STEM career exploration into high school curriculums to encourage more young Americans to pursue STEM careersHelp counselors and educators to increase understanding of STEM skills and STEM careers, knowledge of the impact of globalization and the potential opportunity for students

Transferable skillsCore elements of knowledge and capacity that emerge in education and trainingPremise: teachers and counselors can enhance the impact of STEM education by focusing on the transferable skills that are gained in the science and math curricula

Efficacy as obstacleSome students are dissuaded to explore careers in science and technology because they do not realize their own competence and potential to succeedPremise: Being made aware that those jobs require the same skills they have already shown competence in may help students feel encouraged

Components of student intervention

Identify and emphasize connections between skills learned during lessons and science and technology careers and daily life. Explore careers in science and technology that use these skills Identify internal and external barriers to advancement in science and technology and resources to overcome those barriers Develop a career map with specific steps for reaching a goal

Biacoustics example: Transferable skillsInterpreting qualitative dataObservational skillsMaking predictions/HypothesizingInferringCommunication skillsDraw meaningful conclusions

Biacoustics example: Transferable skillsInterpret qualitative dataObservational skillsMake predictions/HypothesizingMaking inferencesCommunication skillsDraw meaningful conclusions

Identify Related jobs at varied levels of educationBroadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators: Set up, operate, and maintain a wide variety of electrical and electronic equipment involved in almost any radio or television broadcast, concert, play, musical recording, television show, or movie. Education: Technical school or community collegeSalary: $30,000Job outlook: Fairly good

Physicians and surgeons serve a fundamental role in our society and have an effect upon all our lives. They diagnose illnesses and prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease.Education: College and Medical schoolSalary: Large variation $150,000-300,000Job outlook: Very good

Other activitiesConnecting skills to career activity: Students are asked to think about what types of skills individuals use while working in a common job which is not limited to science. Examples include jobs such as zoologist, lawyer, athlete, chemist, or musician. Students are asked to refer to the transferable skills glossary which contains skills they are presently using in class.

Research a scientist: This is a lesson where students use the internet (students involved with the present project have laptops in the classroom) to search for information about a minority or woman scientist chosen from a list we provide of important historical and contemporary scientists. Students gather some of the following types of information: individuals contribution to science, type of science(s) they used, obstacles and barriers they had to overcome.

Transferable Skills: A Collaboration of Teachers and Counselors Each lesson in STEM can be evaluated for transferable skillsThe skill set should be presented in a generic way.Once the skills are identified, teachers can list them and discuss how they will be learned

Transferable Skills: A Collaboration of Teachers and CounselorsThe transferable skills can then be applied to a wide range of occupations.

Teachers can discuss how students can explore these careers.

Exploration and RelevanceThe goals of the transferable skills process are as follows:Engender explorationEnhance relevance of STEM courses

ExplorationSelf explorationWho am I?Identify attributes, interests, skills, and valuesExploration of school and workHow do we apply our self-knowledge to the world of work?The O*netCounselingGuidance curriculum

Self-knowledge: Coat of Arms

Connecting self and careerInterest inventory assessmentCareer exploration paper: Focuses on a field of interest or a specific occupation of interestIntegration of self-knowledge with information about careers and occupations.We are promoting the ideal of having choice on ones work life.

Connecting self and careerInterest inventory assessmentCareer exploration paper: Focuses on a field of interest or a specific occupation of interestIntegration of self-knowledge with information about careers and occupations.We are promoting the ideal of having choice on ones work life.

Steps to the Future: Goal Maps

Final PointsCareer development is essential in helping to enhance the relevance of an improved STEM curriculum.Lets review the following issueTo what extent are we promoting self-determination in encouraging STEM career exploration?

Globalization has examined within economics and capital, media information and communication technologies, large-scale immigration and cultural production and consumption.Consider this a multiple choice questionwhich is the right answerGlobalization is not newit is part of the human experience.Also, it is important to note that I am not taking a stand on globalizationit is a phenomenon that is taking on a life of its own.

The manifestations of globalization are evident throughout so many aspects of our lives. The shifts that globalization are evoking are affecting the entire enterprise of career counseling. Our field is a very different one than the one I learned about three decades ago in my training. It will be different in ways that we cannot even fathom in a decade or so!