Every four years, The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), performs an international comparative study that measures trends in mathematics and science achievement at the 4th and 8th-grade levels. The United States has been participating since the study began in 1995, which compares how students in the U.S. fare compared to students across the world. The latest study was completed in 2019 and based on the results, there is cause for concern for the future of STEM industries within the U.S. At these grade levels, mathematics scores have shown no significant improvement since the 2015 study. As for science, at the 4th-grade level scores have decreased since 2015 while 8th-grade scores have remained unchanged. What’s more, the score gap between the top and bottom-performing 8th graders was more than most other education systems.(1) While the study did find some improvement, students’ math and science scores continue to lag behind other developed nations such as Singapore, Japan, and Russia.
Why should we be paying attention to this data? For one, it could portend a coming crisis in STEM as these students transition to the collegiate level and begin making career choices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2017, there were almost 8.8 million STEM jobs in the country, representing about 6.2 percent of all U.S. employment. (2) While more graduates are choosing STEM professions, their counterparts in other nations such as South Korea, France, and China are pursuing natural science degrees in far greater numbers. Domestically, STEM industries will become increasingly important to the national economy and our ability to compete internationally.
Beyond the national level, STEM is crucial to the future for everyone. It will find more applications in multiple areas: communication, medicine, energy, and more. For instance, today’s ubiquitous cell phone could give way to practical two-way VR and AR. Cancer treatments could become tailored to patients’ specific DNA. More efficient solar, wind, and hydroelectric power systems could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. STEM research also pioneers discoveries that are at best strictly conceptual today. The discovery of DNA has long revolutionized a myriad of science, medical, and engineering disciplines. In the future, artificial intelligence could make more accurate weather predictions, assist physicians in providing better patient outcomes, and help design more environmentally beneficial living spaces.
How will STEM help the United States compete specifically? For one, STEM leads the way in innovation. Economies that invest most heavily in STEM research have benefited most from the innovations they produce. In contrast, those countries that haven’t seen the same level of innovation have fallen behind. For this reason alone, increasing investment in STEM education at all educational levels is a wise course of action. But this investment must also extend to the U.S.-based industries. The most skilled of these STEM professionals will also be seeking the most lucrative of career opportunities, and they are often outside the United States. While education will prepare future professionals, companies must provide incentives to attract the best talent so they and the nation can remain competitive. Otherwise, other countries may benefit most from any domestic investment in STEM.
Sources
1. National Center for Education Statistics. “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).” Retrieved 29 December 2021, nces.ed.gov/timss/results19/index.asp#/math/intlcompare.
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “STEM Occupations: Past, Present, And Future.” BLS.gov, January 2017, bls.gov/spotlight/2017/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-occupations-past-present-and-future/pdf/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-occupations-past-present-and-future.pdf.