What is STEM and STEAM education, are they different, and what are their effects?

Preschool children in a STEM classroom at Thanh Pho Kindergarten, Ho Chi Minh City

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

According to the article "STEM Education in the New General Education Program" by the Center for Educational Communication (Ministry of Education and Training), STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of ​​equipping learners with knowledge and skills related to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics - in an interdisciplinary approach that learners can apply to solve problems in daily life. Instead of teaching four separate and discrete subjects, STEM combines them into a cohesive learning model based on practical applications.

In document No. 3089 on STEM implementation, the Ministry of Education and Training defines: "STEM education is an educational method that aims to equip students with scientific knowledge associated with their practical applications. The content of STEM-themed lessons is associated with the relatively complete solution of a problem, in which students are organized to participate in learning actively, proactively and know how to apply the knowledge they have just learned to solve the problem; thereby contributing to the formation of qualities and abilities for students".

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

STEAM education is an interdisciplinary teaching concept that combines the arts with traditional STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mathematician Dr. Tran Nam Dung (left cover) talks with parents

So are STEM and STEAM education activities similar or different?

Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter, Dr. of Mathematics Tran Nam Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam AMO Math Competition, Vice Principal of the Gifted High School (Ho Chi Minh City National University), expert in creating the STEAM program for this school, and currently a consultant for the Math-STEM Talent (AIMS) program at Albert Einstein School, said: "Basically, STEM and STEAM educational activities are the same."

"The initial concept was STEM as an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning, connecting the fields of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. Later, there were many variations, including STEAM, which means adding Art. However, we still use STEM out of habit. The Ministry of Education and Training's program also states STEM. However, the essence will be STEAM because we always pay attention to the aesthetics of the products," said Dr. Tran Nam Dung.

What is STEM learning? Is it all about complex, advanced knowledge?

Recently, at the workshop "If not studying at a specialized school, what should students study to enter a prestigious university?" on June 25 in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Dam Bich Thuy, former founding president of Fulbright University Vietnam, said that many parents think that their children studying STEM means learning all complicated and advanced things, and that the program is only for those who "have this or that degree". But according to her, gradually, we need to change our thinking a little, because the goal of education is to help students have thinking, reasoning, and logical skills, and teaching STEM in general schools helps them maintain their curiosity, know how to ask questions, and find ways to solve problems.

To illustrate this, Ms. Thuy demonstrated by saying that when she went to recruit university students, the recruiter once asked candidates to fold paper airplanes and throw them to see which plane could fly the farthest. The technical question was how to make a paper airplane fly that far? STEM education starts with such a simple thing.

Children learn about STEM not only in the classroom, but also in many rich activities outside.

Or another time, high school students were taken to a shallow lake and divided into groups. Each group was given paper, newspapers, cardboard, etc. to make a boat, so they could climb in and swim out to the lake. However, out of 10 boats, 9 could not swim, and 1 was struggling. Back in class, the teacher asked why and explained the theory, to make a boat, students needed to know which laws of physics and what knowledge of mathematics. This helped students understand how STEM is applied in life.

And mathematician Dr. Tran Nam Dung likened "STEM is very close to a good father, that father can fix everything in the family from carpentry to electrical appliances, that is the application of STEM".

Mr. Dung encourages STEM learning to go hand in hand with practice. STEM learning is not limited to subjects such as math and physics; it should not only be learned in the lab or creative space but also outside. For example, students can design invitations, program backdrops, and work with friends to create an automatic watering system for the garden in the school yard.

Children in a STEM activity, experimenting with the color change of water from butterfly pea flowers

Ms. Dam Bich Thuy also believes that when studying STEM, students also need to study many subjects in parallel, for example, some students are very good at studying engineering and science, but when it comes to presenting and speaking, they are at a disadvantage. Thus, the problem is not learning STEM but also learning how to think, how to explain in language, how to write essays to help students gain an advantage and be competitive in the new context.

In May 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training announced that it will pilot STEM education activities at primary schools in Districts 1, 3, Phu Nhuan, Tan Binh and Hoc Mon in the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year.

Each Department of Education and Training will select at least 5 primary schools to participate in the pilot based on the principle of choosing diverse facilities, teachers and students.

Primary schools will pilot the program through three forms: STEM lessons - integrated into lesson content in the general education program; STEM experience activities; and familiarization with scientific and technical research activities.

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