[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/stem-is-for-all-not-just-scientists-technicians-engineers-mathematicians\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/stem-is-for-all-not-just-scientists-technicians-engineers-mathematicians\/","headline":"STEM is for all, not just scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians","name":"STEM is for all, not just scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians","description":"The 2020 3M State of Science Index found that while a vast majority of Singaporeans acknowledge the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, about one in five students are still discouraged from pursuing such subjects in school. Of these, 40 per cent reported being told they are \u201cnot smart enough\u201d as the main […]","datePublished":"2021-05-31","dateModified":"2022-04-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/#Person","name":"Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/","identifier":132,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1622446796015_1280X626_282929.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1622446796015_1280X626_282929.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/stem-is-for-all-not-just-scientists-technicians-engineers-mathematicians\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1876,"articleBody":"The 2020 3M State of Science Index found that while a vast majority of Singaporeans acknowledge the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education, about one in five students are still discouraged from pursuing such subjects in school. Of these, 40 per cent reported being told they are \u201cnot smart enough\u201d as the main deterrent. But is STEM education just about competence? TheHomeGround Asia speaks with representatives from 3M and Science Centre Singapore to understand the importance of STEM education, and how it can be made more relatable and accessible to all. Pang Hoke Woei grew up in an age of invention and ingenuity \u2013 the creation of colour television, personal computers, and numerous other inventions. For him, exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) did not arise from a textbook. Instead, he saw it in the various inventions in his childhood.\u00a0This gave him a first hand glimpse into the wonders of science and mathematics, allowing him to \u201csee and understand how things are made and explore what science can do.\u201dMeanwhile, Larry Peter Lo\u2019s curiosity for the sciences was piqued not through technology but the outdoors. As a child, he was a boy scout and time spent in nature helped develop his interest in the subject. Struggling with subjects requiring rote memorisation in school, Mr Lo instead found joy in discovering the \u201chow and why\u201d of the world around him, something which science allowed him to do.\u00a0Growing up in a time when electronics were not the norm, Mr Lo had to find his own forms of entertainment, and he did so through tinkering \u2013 creating do-it-yourself (DIY) toys through trial and error that eventually informed his passion for STEM.\u201c[I used to make] Wau Bulan, a kite made using bamboo and paper sheets,\u201d he recalls. \u201cMy\u00a0 cousins and I would compete to make the largest and most unique Wau Bulan that could fly the highest and longest. While it seems like just another toy we made, it was a fun way to gain some understanding of aerodynamics, or the science of flight.\u201dPang Hoke Woei’s interest in STEM started in his childhood, witnessing the numerous technological inventions released in the 1980s. (Photo courtesy of 3M Tinkering Headstart Program)Both Messrs Pang and Lo carried their love for the subject through their childhood, and into their careers. Today, the former is a Senior Manager in 3M\u2019s Manufacturing and Supply Chain division within the Asia-Pacific, while the latter is an Application Specialist with the organisation\u2019s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division.\u00a0But the buck does not stop with them, for they are both also active volunteers in the 3M Science Outreach Program, channelling their own love for STEM into volunteering, and inculcating this same passion in future generations, and beyond.\u00a0The importance of STEM education\u201cThe world we live in today is the consequence of efforts in STEM from the people who have come before us,\u201d says Mr Pang, \u201cIt can be used to make amazing things, and enables humanity to live their lives to the fullest.\u201d\u00a0Colleague and fellow volunteer Mr Lo agrees: \u201cWhen we apply STEM the right way, we make life easier, better and more complete.\u201dIt seems that a majority of Singaporeans concur, with 78 per cent of local respondents from the 3M State of Science Index agreeing that science is important in their everyday lives.\u00a0Indeed, STEM has played a pivotal role not only in our day-to-day lives, through inventions like mobile phones, televisions, and computers, but also during times of crisis, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0\u201cMany of the solutions or containment [of Covid-19] are born from STEM,\u201d explains Mr Pang.\u00a0This is re-iterated by Lim Tit Meng, the Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore (SCS): \u201cWhile the rest of the world experienced a standstill, discoveries and innovations in STEM continued by leaps and bounds to help safeguard and improve lives. From safety scanners to home edutainment systems, STEM skills have effectively empowered the progress of society when everything else hits the pause button.\u201d\u00a0Science helps children develop valuable problem-solving skills, according to Shahrudin Kasmuri, Senior Science Educator at the Science Centre. (Photo courtesy of Science Centre Singapore)Beyond real-world implications, STEM education continues to serve a crucial role in inspiring creativity and curiosity in children:\u00a0 \u201cSTEM knowledge strengthens our problem-solving capabilities…it teaches critical thinking, and instils a passion for innovation,\u201d says Shahrudin Kasmuri, Senior Science Educator at SCS.Associate Professor Lim adds, \u201cLearning STEM disciplines also instils life skills from a young age, such as figuring out their own formula to finding solutions for problems big and small.\u201d\u00a0But while the interviewees acknowledge that STEM education is important, they also recognise the shortcomings of STEM education in Singapore today.\u00a0Debunking myths: STEM subjects as difficult and dryAssociate Professor Lim acknowledges the tendency for STEM to be seen as a \u201chard subject for the general population to understand and master\u201d, reflecting the results from 3M\u2019s study which suggests students need to be of a certain academic aptitude before being encouraged to pursue the sciences.\u00a0Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore, shares that science can actually be found in mundane, everyday activities. (Photo courtesy of Science Centre Singapore)Within school curriculums in particular, Associate Professor Lim points out that STEM-related examinations can be a \u201cdaunting challenge\u201d as they come with \u201ctechnical jargons and abstract formulae.\u201d\u00a0\u201cPeople often associate the learning of science principles with sterile labs, which inadvertently gives it a boring reputation,\u201d he says.\u00a0Mr Pang agrees: \u201cScience and math are often viewed as \u2018dry\u2019 and \u2018tough\u2019 subjects, because they are rooted in principles, theories, and facts.\u201dBut, he adds that \u201cit is the telling of the story that often makes the difference.\u201d Hence, while facts and figures are important, ultimately it is how these are applied in various ways that solve real-world needs.\u00a0\u201cThe truth is, science is everywhere,\u201d Associate Professor Lim emphasises. \u201cIt is in the clouds in the sky, the grass under our feet, the toaster that we use to make our favourite sandwiches, and even in the whisking of an egg.\u201d\u00a0He explains further, \u201cWhen parents and educators are able to demonstrate a natural correlation between hard-to-learn principles and everyday activities, that\u2019s where understanding can be cultivated, which in turn gives rise to interest.\u201dMaking STEM education relatable and funDriven by their love for STEM, Messrs Pang and Lo, as well as Associate Professor Lim are on a mission to inculcate this same passion in their kids, and others around them.\u00a0\u201cEducation through play, exploration, and experimentation is a good way to pique the curiosity and creativity of young children in school,\u201d Mr Pang suggests.\u00a0He takes his own advice to heart, often engaging his children in STEM subjects by using creative means to explain concepts, and bringing them on science field trips to the Science Centre or nature parks to understand how science works in their everyday lives.\u00a0To make STEM subjects more fun and relatable, children can be engaged via DIY activities and workshops that allow them to see a tangible result instead of a focus on mere concepts. (Photo courtesy of Science Centre Singapore)Meanwhile, Mr Lo continues to pass on learnings from his childhood by engaging his children through tinkering and DIY activities at home; to great success, as all three of his children love science.\u00a0Associate Professor Lim and his wife took things one step further with their children, creating a Kids Club with a group of friends, where their children gather almost every weekend, to play and learn through hands-on experiences. Over the course of a decade, the club has covered various topics relating to STEM, the arts and humanities.While developing a love for STEM at home is important, organisations and institutions can also play a part.\u00a0An activity at KidSTOP\u2122. (Photo courtesy of Science Centre Singapore)Today, the Kids Club has transformed into KidsSTOP\u2122, the first children-centred science centre in Singapore, where children from all walks of life can learn through purposeful play.\u00a0Associate Professor Lim also continues to lead initiatives to develop interest in STEM within SCS, such as through the I Am A Young Scientist programme. Here, families are encouraged to expose children to science through everyday activities, such as baking a cake to understand how raising agents work, or watching a movie on cloning to explore its ethical conundrums.\u00a0\u201cThese activities serve to promote curiosity and encourage children to ask questions,\u201d he says. \u201cAs they do this, they discover that science is always present around them.\u201d\u00a0Schools, too, have a role to play, as essential building blocks in a child\u2019s education. Taking inspiration from 3M\u2019s own work ethics, Mr Lo suggests that students have free periods in school for open ideation and exploration.\u201cStudents can visit open-door workshops to build and test out concepts,\u201d he recommends. \u201cThis will allow [them] to exercise their creativity with science, hone their hands-on skills, learn through experience, build self-confidence, and develop a life-long passion for STEM.\u201d\u00a0The future of STEMMr Pang hopes that more women will take an interest in STEM, and not be deterred by traditional gender stereotypes. (Photo courtesy of Science Centre Singapore)Ultimately, it is Mr Lo\u2019s hope that science will become an interest not limited to the younger generation\u2019s education or career but an integral part of their lives.He says, \u201cMy hope is that they will continue to feed their inquisitive nature with STEM knowledge to solve everyday challenges, help those in need, pass this passion down to the younger generation, and make the world a better place for many generations to come.\u201dMr Pang, on the other hand, hopes to see STEM education continue to become more accessible for all parties, regardless of gender.\u00a0The father to a daughter is keenly aware of the hurdles women face: \u201cIt can be intimidating when someone is the only girl in a robotics\/coding class, or when science toys are geared towards boys… I hope that the future generation will not be barred by gender stereotypes and can engage in STEM based on their natural inclination and strengths,\u201d he implores.\u201cI hope that [future generations] will keep asking themselves the same question, \u2018Have you MET science?\u2019\u201d Associate Professor Lim underscores, alluding to the term \u2018STEM\u2019 being read in reverse (METS).\u00a0\u201cIf you have been meeting science regularly, may I encourage you to keep promoting science for world peace and development, especially using the power of STEM towards achieving the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals,\u201d he adds. \u201cAnd if you\u2019ve not MET science lately, why not reconnect with your natural curiosity and start asking questions about the world?\u201dMeet science at home this mid-year breakWith the nation still in a state of phase 2 (heightened alert), and the mid-year June holidays at our doorsteps, why not engage your children in STEM activities to ensure continued learning while still having fun?\u00a0Interested parents can check out 3M\u2019s Science at Home page for easy DIY science experiments that can be carried out at home, or visit the Science Centre\u2019s page for upcoming activities and workshops.\u00a0Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"STEM is for all, not just scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/stem-is-for-all-not-just-scientists-technicians-engineers-mathematicians\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]