During the workshop “Teaching STEM: Guiding Human Resource Training from High School” held on March 21 by the Department of Education and Training of Hanoi in collaboration with Phenikaa University, Dr. Thai Van Tai, Director of the Department of General Education (Ministry of Education and Training), emphasized that the demand for scientific and technological human resources is very strong, but in reality, 60-65% of high school students choose scientific and social majors. This results in a shortage of candidates for STEM programs, both at the professional and university levels. Therefore, it is essential to guide students’ abilities according to human resource needs from high school and address them promptly.
Professor Chu Cam Tho, Deputy Director-General of Phenikaa University, shared this information at the conference “STEM Education – Guiding Human Resource Training from High School.” According to Ministry of Education and Training statistics for the period 2020-2025, the percentage of high school students choosing higher education in STEM has not increased. Currently, less than 30% of candidates take the STEM field exam at the end of secondary school; among them, the admission and enrollment rate is even lower.
Meanwhile, the demand for STEM professionals is rapidly increasing. Around 40% of companies have difficulties recruiting qualified personnel in these fields; there is a shortage of 150,000-200,000 technology professionals each year. The main sectors in need are artificial intelligence, data, engineering, and digital technologies.
To address this issue, Ms. Tho emphasized the importance of teaching STEM subjects at the secondary level. Citing international research, she stated that 80% of university study choices are made during this period. An early initiation into STEM allows students to comfortably approach their favorite field; conversely, late learning, especially at the university level, will require more time to acquire a profound understanding, lacking strong foundations in mathematics and analytical thinking.
“For STEM education to be truly effective, teachers will not have an easy task.”
Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnamese Institute of Education Sciences, believes that, given the current demands of digital transformation, science, technology, and innovation, the young generation absolutely needs knowledge in STEM to keep pace with developments. “Even young people not considering careers in science and technology need fundamental STEM knowledge,” Professor Vinh declared.
According to Mr. Vinh, in many classes, students are content with memorizing procedures and repeating operations to pass exams or complete work. Due to lack of vigilance, STEM courses can easily turn into manual work workshops, hindering the design of effective courses.
Furthermore, the teaching of STEM subjects does not sufficiently focus on developing high-level thinking skills, as the learning environment does not truly encourage skills such as analysis, solving complex problems, creativity, and critical thinking.
Mr. Vinh affirmed that a comprehensive STEM process should include the following steps: problem formulation, research, solution proposal, development, and improvement. However, in practice, many institutions omit these steps, focusing solely on creating the product and missing the main objective: developing critical thinking.
Another challenge, according to Mr. Vinh, lies in the lack of practical connection. “Students may be able to create products and get good grades, but they can have difficulty applying their knowledge in real situations or solving new problems,” he stated.
Mr. Vinh believes that for effective STEM education, a significant change in the role of teachers is essential. Despite the attention to technology, solutions will remain simple tools without a strong pedagogical base and rigorous preparation. Teachers may need to redouble their efforts, but their work will be better. According to him, technology is only effective if purposefully designed, based on appropriate pedagogical principles, and implemented by competent teachers.
Drawing on the concrete experience of setting up STEM rooms in schools, Mr. Luu Van Thong, Principal of Cau Giay High School (Hanoi), believes that determining the direction is essential. “The school is determined that the STEM room does not become a simple exhibition space, but a place where students can engage, experiment, and create,” Mr. Thong stated.
Mr. Thong said that teachers must master technology. Initially, the school sets up a basic team composed of members from the science and technology departments, as well as teachers with strong computer skills, for training and professional development, mainly during the summer. The goal is to help this group get familiar with STEM lab equipment, master associated technologies, build robots, etc., so they can effectively guide and organize practical sessions for students.
Subsequently, the school continued training a group of students to master technology and present it to other students in the school.
The school also set up numerous scientific learning spaces, allowing students to visit the STEM lab, handle materials, conduct simple experiments, and design projects. Additionally, teachers are encouraged to review the school curriculum and transform relevant content into STEM sections or projects related to technology, in order to integrate them into their lesson plans and offer more students learning opportunities.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/de-day-stem-thuc-chat-thay-co-phai-lam-chu-duoc-cong-nghe-va-vat-va-hon-2499291.html
