Why are STEM Subjects Important?

STEM subjects are the backbone of the science and engineering industries, and there are so many other overlaps between various industries that STEM subjects feed into.

National Science Week is celebrated between the 11th and 20th of March and answers the question ‘why are STEM subjects important’ while promoting the teaching of STEM subjects in school and how they can lead to some very exciting and fulfilling career paths.

This guide is going to look further into ‘why are STEM subjects important’ and how National Science Week is bringing more awareness to STEM subjects and careers.

1.?????What are STEM subjects?

2.?????Why are STEM subjects important?

3.?????What is National Science Week?

4.?????STEM Careers

5.?????Resources

1. What are STEM subjects?

The first step to figuring out why are STEM subjects important is knowing what STEM actually is! The acronym STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, but the list of STEM related topics is actually quite varied, especially so at Kings Monkton which we are very proud to offer our students.

So, what are the STEM subjects – we offer the following:

·???????Biology

·???????Chemistry

·???????Physics

·???????Design and technology

·???????Maths

·???????Information and communications technology (IT or ICT)

·???????Computer science

·???????Economics

·???????Geography

We always ensure to provide our students with a wide variety of educational choices so they can tailor their learning experience to their own interests and goals, and with our extensive list of STEM subjects, students will definitely find subjects best suited to themselves. They also have the opportunity to enter competitions such the Science Olympiad.

2. Why are STEM subjects important?

As we have already mentioned, STEM subjects are essential in many areas of life and career paths, and with the world around us constantly and rapidly changing all the time STEM subjects are more vital than ever.

But why exactly are STEM subjects so important? There are many benefits that come from participating in STEM subjects and education, such as:

Problem Solving

Some people will say they enjoy STEM subjects over Humanities as there is always a right answer with STEM, however, sometimes even STEM subjects need problems solved; think about the COVID-19 vaccine, there wasn’t a vaccine pre-made and scientists had to come together to solve the problem of a missing vaccine for the nation. Through problem solving comes improved communication and teamwork skills and these can be applied to any area of life.

Experimentation and Adaptation

STEM subjects are all about experimentation, from discovering if solutions are alkaline or acidic in chemistry to trying a new code in computer science, and this experimentation promotes curiosity in students. These experiments also teach the importance of learning to adapt; so that formula didn’t work out in biology, or the maths just doesn’t add up in mathematics, but through perseverance and adapting you can always find the right answer. Activities taking place in Kings Monkton School during science week are; years 7 and 8 are undertaking the tomato challenge to construct and move tomatoes, whilst primary are undertaking a range of experiments.

Improved Tech Skills

As we’re all aware, technology is near enough used for everything nowadays, and these Smart devices are just getting smarter too – but what does this have to do with STEM? As technology improves in STEM industries, these new technologies and methods are being integrated into the STEM curriculum, and a benefit of attending one of the best private schools in Cardiff is that we are continually reviewing our curriculum so our children can get the most out of private school education.

Improved Analytical Skills

It might sound like all fun and games conducting experiments but there is also the research and analytical side to STEM that is equally as important. Being able to record your findings accurately and display them in various forms, such as a graph, spreadsheet, a report, or even in a presentation, is just as vital as the experiment itself as one wrong number could completely ruin the findings.

3. What is National Science Week?

Now we know why STEM subjects are important we can move on to how we can all celebrate and promote STEM education through National Science Week.

National Science Week (formerly known as National Science and Engineering Week) is a 10 day celebration of the STEM subjects run by the British Science Association who help with any event schools or teachers wish to put on. The association suggests a few different methods to promote National Science Week, such as organising your own event using the activity packs and resources the association has available online, or by attending one of their own online events.

The aim of National Science Week is to make STEM subjects, whether learning or teaching, more accessible to all ages and promote STEM careers in turn. The theme for this years’ celebration is ‘Growth’ and the British Science Association is encouraging all ages to get involved and support STEM education.

4. STEM Careers

STEM subjects offer a plethora of career paths, depending on your favourite overall subject, your grades and experience, and your area of expertise and passion you can venture down a number of routes that will lead to a dream job. To name just a few, here are some careers that STEM subjects can help you enter into:

·???????Environmental Engineer

·???????Computer Support Specialist

·???????Web Developer

·???????Psychologist

·???????Financial Analyst

·???????Biochemist

·???????IT Manager

·???????Mathematician

·???????Statistician

Discover even more STEM career pathways with this extensive list – but it is important to note that even this list does not cover every single job that STEM subjects can get you into. Therefore, it is vital that you also conduct your own research when trying to figure out your perfect job, there are thousands of jobs that are STEM orientated, but this list is definitely a good start to begin that search.

5. Resources

The British Science Association has many resources on offer that schools and parents can use to promote STEM learning to their children. Lots of other resources such as PowerPoints, YouTube videos, as well as other activity packs can be found on Twinkl. And STEM Learning also offers a variety of resources that are both fun, educational, and practical.

The great thing about these three different organisations is that they offer resources for all ages, so anyone can get involved and learn more about why STEM subjects are important to education and the current and future generation of students

Want to find out more about our school, the different school years, our admissions and more? Please contact us on 02920 482 854. Remember, always be the best you can be.