While we are still in the midst of the pandemic, many public health and medical professionals have begun to reflect on the government response to the pandemic in order better understand how to more affectively plan for future pandemics. In the United States, Dr. Sanjey Gupta interviewed conducted an "Autopsy of a pandemic" by interviewing six of the leading doctors involved in the Covid-19 response. The same reflective processes should also be utilized in education where educational systems struggled with the challenges of greatly revised, dispersed, and remote/online learning. Like the public health response in many different countries around the world, initial research would suggest that educational processes and school districts in some nations were less impacted than others. For educators we must ask: Why did this occur and how might we be more effective with future disruptions to educational systems?
This is a particularly important question within STEM/STEAM education where students and community members must better understand the history and science between how different societies experience and respond to pandemics and other natural disasters. Here are four areas where educational research is needed as it relates to STEM education and pandemics:
Challenge #1 - Increasing student understanding of the history and nature of pandemics: While disease outbreaks and pandemics are still a regularly occurring phenomenon in many parts of the world, the 2020 Pandemic was relatively novel for many parts of Europe and North America compared to other parts of the world that have experienced massive outbreaks and or pandemics. What is he role and relationship between a culture's lived experience/memories/stories with outbreaks/pandemics and its educational processes?
Challenge #2 - Better understanding student misconceptions about microscopic illness and their prevention: The pandemic has illuminated significant student (and public) misconceptions about viruses and other microscopic diseases. What are the most significant misconceptions students at different levels have and how should STEM educators address them in future teaching and learning about pandemics and other natural disasters?
Challenge #3 - Understanding the challenges and innovations that emerged in STEM education: The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to educational systems whereby formal STEM programs (schools & universities) and informal STEM programs (museums & science centres) were converted to online programs and remote learning. Many schools and museums were idled by necessary closures as educators reoriented teaching with educational technologies and platforms many likely never used such as Zoom. What were the most significant challenges, innovations and take-aways for STEM educators during this period that enhance the future of formal/informal STEM education at schools, museums, science centres, parks, etc.?
Challenge #4 - The pandemic's effect on the STEM gap within multicultural and inclusive education and need for revised plans for addressing it: Educational research is beginning to illuminated the significant effect the pandemic had on student learning within different contextual factors within diverse multicultural identities and other socioeconomic factors. It is evident that inclusive and culturally responsive STEM educational practices will likely have to be revisited and reimagined in many important areas in order to address growing gaps and divides previously existing in STEM education. How do educators work with students, their families, communities and STEM organizations to provide additional and enriched STEM opportunities that build upon and address these important social inequities in education?
While many other questions exist, I believe we will begin seeing quite a bit of educational research within the four areas identified above. Feel free to contact me with your thoughts on these questions and what I have missed. Science is a dynamic ongoing reflective and iterative process. In this case, STEM/STEAM education must also be.
This is a particularly important question within STEM/STEAM education where students and community members must better understand the history and science between how different societies experience and respond to pandemics and other natural disasters. Here are four areas where educational research is needed as it relates to STEM education and pandemics:
Challenge #1 - Increasing student understanding of the history and nature of pandemics: While disease outbreaks and pandemics are still a regularly occurring phenomenon in many parts of the world, the 2020 Pandemic was relatively novel for many parts of Europe and North America compared to other parts of the world that have experienced massive outbreaks and or pandemics. What is he role and relationship between a culture's lived experience/memories/stories with outbreaks/pandemics and its educational processes?
Challenge #2 - Better understanding student misconceptions about microscopic illness and their prevention: The pandemic has illuminated significant student (and public) misconceptions about viruses and other microscopic diseases. What are the most significant misconceptions students at different levels have and how should STEM educators address them in future teaching and learning about pandemics and other natural disasters?
Challenge #3 - Understanding the challenges and innovations that emerged in STEM education: The pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to educational systems whereby formal STEM programs (schools & universities) and informal STEM programs (museums & science centres) were converted to online programs and remote learning. Many schools and museums were idled by necessary closures as educators reoriented teaching with educational technologies and platforms many likely never used such as Zoom. What were the most significant challenges, innovations and take-aways for STEM educators during this period that enhance the future of formal/informal STEM education at schools, museums, science centres, parks, etc.?
Challenge #4 - The pandemic's effect on the STEM gap within multicultural and inclusive education and need for revised plans for addressing it: Educational research is beginning to illuminated the significant effect the pandemic had on student learning within different contextual factors within diverse multicultural identities and other socioeconomic factors. It is evident that inclusive and culturally responsive STEM educational practices will likely have to be revisited and reimagined in many important areas in order to address growing gaps and divides previously existing in STEM education. How do educators work with students, their families, communities and STEM organizations to provide additional and enriched STEM opportunities that build upon and address these important social inequities in education?
While many other questions exist, I believe we will begin seeing quite a bit of educational research within the four areas identified above. Feel free to contact me with your thoughts on these questions and what I have missed. Science is a dynamic ongoing reflective and iterative process. In this case, STEM/STEAM education must also be.
