Essential STEM Skills Students Need and How to Develop Them

STEM skills are crucial for a student’s engagement and development, enabling them to complete their studies and progress into their careers, with the ability to successfully problem-solve, communicate, and work as a team. Knowing how to integrate and develop these skills in your classroom can be challenging, especially if you lack a STEM background. Luckily for you, we are here to help, breaking down the essential STEM skills that your students need for success and providing clear examples that will allow you to develop them in your classroom. Keep reading to see how! 

1. Communication

Communication is a vital skill that helps students share ideas, collaborate with others, and effectively explain their findings. Not only do they need this for projects in the classroom, but also for discussions with friends or when transitioning into employment. Incorporating and developing communication skills in your classroom is easy to achieve through the use of presentations. 

During presentations, not only will students have to communicate their ideas and findings, but you can also use them as an opportunity to evaluate their work so far. You can also have students interact with each other’s presentations through questions and feedback that help them hone their communication skills and practice respectful and helpful feedback techniques. 

1. Teamwork

Teamwork is a vital skill in STEM fields, allowing you to tackle complex problems with a variety of skills and perspectives, but it applies to virtually any field, where students would need to work together to achieve a successful outcome. 

Adding teamwork to your classroom is easy to do, using group work, such as projects or experiments, where your students will work together, learning how to divide tasks and cooperate. Adding a competitive element can also make the tasks more engaging and realistic, better preparing your students for life after school. 

1. Self-belief 

Self-belief ensures that your students believe in themselves and their ability, making them more likely to put themselves forward for opportunities in the future. To instil a good self-belief, students often need to learn from results and overcome setbacks, so you must incorporate opportunities for students to grow and develop their self-belief. 

Growth mindset discussions are a valuable tool that allows students to explore the concept of a growth mindset, viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement. Adding this to any task or activity where a student does not achieve the desired answer or mark allows them to develop an inquisitive approach to studying and work. You should encourage students to ask different questions and consider various perspectives to find the answers they need. Using small goals that can be monitored as students work towards completing a large project can also aid their self-belief and provide opportunities for reflection. 

1. Problem Solving 

Problem-solving will sit at the heart of any STEM subject or task, and it is an essential skill you can incorporate into your teaching. Problem-solving is a necessary skill outside of SEM, as well, when students need to approach any problem or challenge with an open mind and explore several options to find a solution. Part of problem-solving involves critical thinking, and you can enhance this through puzzles and challenges in your classroom. 

These could be brain teasers, quizzes, or puzzles that will test your students’ knowledge, or you could incorporate challenges and projects into your latest subject (curriculum depending). For some, this could include working on a real-life problem that benefits your school or community, giving your students a practical challenge to hone their skills. Case studies are another excellent way to incorporate problem-solving skills, where you can present students with a STEM problem and encourage group discussions for them to address the issue and create solutions. 

1. Self-management 

Finally, the importance of self-management skills cannot be overlooked. Self-management will help students manage their time effectively, ensuring they allocate enough time to every task and have a contingency plan in place should specific tasks take longer or they encounter setbacks. Self-management will help students prepare for exams, complete coursework, and assist them with any future STEM projects. 

Include goal-setting in your teaching, where students use and work towards SMART goals in their education and personal lives. You can also hold time management workshops, where you will provide tips and guidance on effective time management to help students manage their time more efficiently. 

Incorporate STEM Skills Into Your Classroom Today 

STEM skills can be easily incorporated into your classroom and don’t need to be as daunting as you first thought. To ensure you are effectively incorporating STEM, we recommend pursuing further education, such as a graduate certificate in STEM education, which will enable you to explore current pedagogy and STEM practices, as well as learning opportunities, to maximise your students’ engagement and learning outcomes in each session. The University of Canberra offers a range of postgraduate STEM education courses with complete flexibility and a variety of units. Learn more about their postgraduate certificate in STEM education to see if it’s the right option for you.