The Age of STEM

"Offering a timely and comprehensive survey of global trends and major initiatives in countries across the globe, this book delivers a well-researched series of reports germane for anybody in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) policy, leadership, or research. The principal aim of the book is to promote understanding and learning through global perspectives on STEM policy, history and trends, practice, and data to both widen and deepen understandings of the potential for STEM to impact society. The initial chapters of this edited volume set the stage by addressing key STEM-related issues, such as women in STEM, curriculum, teachers and teaching, cultural perspectives, innovation, and partnerships. Chapter 2 makes an important contribution to the field by offering a lens on comparative international data while casting doubt on widely accepted myths underpinning the potential of the promotion of STEM as a stand-alone policy to transform economies. Subsequent chapters are essentially national reports, representing a range of challenges and perspectives across such countries as Korea, China, the US, the UK, Russia, Australia, and Finland, among others. Taken as a whole, this book offers much-needed cultural and comparative perspectives on STEM, and it stands as a rigorous and rich resource for those in STEM fields." --D. M. Moss, University of Connecticut, Published in CHOICE connect July 2015 issue "Offering a timely and comprehensive survey of global trends and major initiatives in countries across the globe, this book delivers a well-researched series of reports germane for anybody in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) policy, leadership, or research. The principal aim of the book is to promote understanding and learning through global perspectives on STEM policy, history and trends, practice, and data to both widen and deepen understandings of the potential for STEM to impact society...Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals and practitioners." --D. M. Moss, University of Connecticut, for CHOICE, July 2015 "Every country pays attention to STEM, and also feels a sense of crisis. This is a very interesting book to know the ongoing global competition in the knowledge society." -- Akiyoshi Yonezawa, Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University, Japan "This book provides an excellent global account of the importance and nature of STEM subjects. It is the first such coverage of key matters for policymakers and will be an essential guide to governments and others looking to encourage more innovative and creative economies and their facilitating education systems." -- Professor Roger King, School of Management, University of Bath, UK "The result is a useful and quite comprehensive overview of the perceptions of the need for urgent action on STEM and the various national responses to these perceptions. The chapters are written to a high standard with a good deal of quantitative information in each. Tables and graphics are clear and sharply reproduced. The data are accompanied by detailed, insightful and well-written descriptions and discussions of developments in each country along with a copious reference list....It is hard to avoid thinking that the worlds STEM worries, described so fully in The Age of STEM, might be a global re-run of the USAs STEM roller coaster ride of the last sixty-five years. Whether or not this is the case, Freeman, Marginson and Tytler have given us a welcome portrayal of STEM across the globe." -- Neil Mudford, Visiting Fellow with UNSW, casual specialist lecturer with the University of Queensland and a member of the Australian Universities Review editorial board, in Australian Universities' Review (vol. 57, no. 2, 2015)

Brigid Freeman is Research Fellow at Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. Simon Marginson is Professor of International Higher Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. Russell Tytler is Professor and Chair in Science Education at the Faculty of Arts and Education, School of Education, Deakin University, Australia.

1. Widening and deepening the STEM effect Brigid Freeman, Simon Marginson and Russell Tytler 2. What international comparisons can tell us Simon Marginson 3. From STEM to STEAM: Achievements and challenges in dynamic Korea Jae-Eun Jon and Hae-In Chung 4. An emerging giant of science: Achievements and challenges of STEM education in China Yuan Gao 5. Invigorate the Asia Tiger: Science education in Taiwan Yuan Gao 6. Japan: Restoring faith in science through competitive STEM strategy Mayumi Ishikawa, Ashlyn Moehle and Shota Fujii 7. STEM and STEM education in the United States Adam V. Maltese, Geoff Potvin, Florin D. Lung and Craig D. Hochbein 8. Canada: Decentralization, federalism and STEM education Julian Weinrib and Glen A. Jones 9. Changing the shape of STEM: Wisdom of grassroots Indigenous movements in Canada Glen S. Aikenhead and Dawn Sutherland 10. United Kingdom: An example of the impact of high stakes accountability regimes on STEM education Anthony Tomei, Justin Dillon and Emily Dawson 11. Federal and state STEM policies and programs spanning Australian education, training, science and innovation Brigid Freeman 12. New Zealand: Towards inclusive STEM education for all students Elizabeth McKinley, Mark Gan, Cathy Buntting and Alister Jones 13. STEM education in France: Pathways and obstacles to greater participation Kelly Roberts and Elodie de Oliveira 14. STEMming the tide: The Finnish way to a technologically proficient workforce Ian R. Dobson 15. Between historical advantages and global challenges: Do the STEM disciplines matter in Russia? Anna Smolentseva 16. A keystone to the future of Brazil: Fostering general and STEM education for an inclusive development Hugo Horta and Paulo Noronha Lisboa Filho 17. STEM education in the quest to build a new South Africa Michael Kahn