Making a Shift Towards STEM Education at Middle School Level: Lead Points

 STEM is acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and STEM Education is the integrated way of teaching the four subjects along with development soft skills, higher order thinking skills and value of collaboration. The integration requires combining technology elements with science in the form of 'technical studies'.

According to Pickup (1976), the National Centre for School Technology (NCST) spells out the following main objective technical studies is to develop an understanding of a range of basic scientific principles related to the structure and use of materials and the availability and use of energy resources; as well as to to familiarise pupils with machines, instruments and processes.

If one goes through the modules of the NCST, at the junior high school level, students are required to be skilled in the use of basic hand tools and properly perform the the associated operations and develop adequate technological language or vocabulary in communication. However, the teachers at the stage education have to selective and only use sufficient topics that are age-grade appropriate and the time available.

In respect of the Skill Modules introduced by the school in classes VI–VIII, the CBSE (n.d.) has decided to offer students the flexibility of making a vocational choice of a short duration module of 12 hours at a stage in their early academic career as per convenience of the school,. Further., this would give students the necessary orientation early on, so that they are able to make a choice at a later stage to pursue skill courses at secondary and senior secondary levels.

References

CBSE (n.d.) Modules for Middle School (class VI/VII/VIII), Retrieved from https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Curriculum23/middleLevel-CourseOutline.pdf 

Pickup, R. (1976). Technology Modules 2 Electronics, Nottingham: Trent Polytechnic, National Centre for School Technology


Kishore, L (2025). Modules of School Technology Courses of United Kingdom: A Review, Retrieved from https://lalitculp.wixsite.com/website/post/c95633d4-81fc-43ae-b63f-a578b26da57c/edit

 





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