Promoting Innovation and Critical Thinking through STEM focused TVET

The Application of STEM for Economic Development

Authors: Owen Wilson , Shereen Davy-Stubbs & Conrad Valentine April 15, 2015

Overview of TVETOverview of TVETTVET is the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes and knowledge relating to workplace competence.

TVET is understood to be: (a) an integral part of general education;(b) a means of preparing for occupational fields and for effective participation in the world of work;(c) an aspect of lifelong learning and a preparation for responsible citizenship;(d) an instrument for promoting sustainable development;(e) a method of facilitating poverty alleviation.

UNESCO Definition

BackgroundBackground

One of the most intractable problems facing Jamaica is youth unemployment

The number of unemployed persons in Jamaica stood at 179,400 persons in July 2014.The number of unemployed youths is 34.1 per cent for July 2014.

Currently in the Jamaican economy, there are more people willing to work than the number of jobs available. If the economic conditions continue to decline, cyclical unemployment will continue to increase.

Statistical Institute of Jamaica 2013

Engineering and other STEM fields are areas of great concern and great demand for employers. It needs support from the GOJ, particularly the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and the Ministry of Education working in tandem to empower High School leavers to pursue Engineering related fields.Improving our skilled pool of [Contextual Engineers] and Technicians will make Jamaica attractive to Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) looking to set up without the added cost of having to find multi-lingual trainers to train Jamaicans technicians and engineers, as they would already be here in abundance.

Ministry of Labour and Social Security Social research Data

ContextContext

IntroductionIntroduction

Globally education is acknowledged as a means of transforming and empowering citizens within a country with requisite skills, knowledge and, attitudes to enable them to become productive members of the society.

Innovations and advances in STEM are end products of critical thinking and problem solving.

Review of LiteratureReview of Literature Primary role of education is its contribution to

longer-run economic growth (Töffler 1995) It has a big role to play in the success of Jamaica’s

2030 Developmental Plan in terms of the quality of jobs and productivity growth

We should not allow the austerity to put at risk this function of education therefore, we need to: Promote Innovation and Critical thinking Promote Innovation and Critical thinking through STEM focused TVETthrough STEM focused TVET..

Critical ThinkingCritical ThinkingWhenever we are dealing with human life, we

are almost always dealing with thinking.Thinking is the way that the mind makes sense

of the world.There is no way to understand anything except

through thinking.Innovation and creativity are end products of

critical thinkers.

(Wood 2002)

Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous."dangerous."

-- Confucius-- Confucius

Critical thinking is a self-directed process by which we take deliberate steps to think at the highest level

Critical thinking therefore requires a conscious level of processing, analysis, creation and evaluation of possible outcomes and reflection.

Why Is Critical Thinking Why Is Critical Thinking Important?Important?

It . . .underlies reading, writing, listening and speaking. These are basic elements

of communication. They play an important part in social change.

plays a major role in technological advances

blazes a path to freedom from half-truths and deceptions

Institutions in any society such as courts, governments, schools, businesses are products of critical thinking.

(Esterle & Clurman 1993)

Importance Cont’dImportance Cont’d

The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant solutions.

Classroom Example Classroom Example Apply Level: Implementing Apply Level: Implementing

In-class instruction:

Students learn about Newton’s three laws

Assessment:

Students are asked to list Newton’s three laws of motion

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Classroom Example Classroom Example Apply Level: Implementing Apply Level: Implementing

In-class instruction:

Students learn about Newton’s three laws

Assessment:

Students are asked to examine the information about a car crash and determine which if any of Newtown’s laws apply to the situation

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Critical Thinking Is:Critical Thinking Is:

Higher Order Thinking Higher Order Thinking That UnifiesThat Unifies

Curriculum, Instruction, and Curriculum, Instruction, and LearningLearning

 

there is too little connection and depth.

methodology adopted by the Education system stifles creativity and critical thinking.

fragmented lists dominate curricula and lack of rigor

fragmented teaching dominates instruction

fragmented lower order skills dominate learning

inadequacy in the preparation of students for higher learning and the world of work

(Stobaugh 2013)

The fundamental problems in schooling The fundamental problems in schooling today at all levels are fragmentation and the today at all levels are fragmentation and the promotion of lower order learning:promotion of lower order learning:

“All too often we focus on a narrow collection of well-defined tasks and train students to execute those tasks in a routine, if not algorithmic fashion.

Then we test the students on tasks that are very close to the ones they have been taught. If they are successful with the given tasks, we congratulate each other on the fact that they have learned .”

(Foundation for critical thinking n.d.)

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2011) advocates merging the 3Rs (core academic content mastery) and the 4Cs (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity)

(Stobaugh 2013)

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Paradigm ShiftParadigm Shift1. We must make a paradigm shift from a didactic to a

critical model of education to make higher order thinking a classroom reality.

2. Establish a strong STEM ecosystem to ensure that students are equipped with technical and professional skills.

3. Incentivise Innovation and Creativity

4. Develop systems to foster an inspire a STEM Culture K -12

5. Conversion/merging of underutilized spaces to Technical Training, National Polytechnics and Colleges

  

Let us now consider Let us now consider some of the basic some of the basic changes that must changes that must be made to effect be made to effect this shift.this shift.

Reconceive and Reconceive and Redesign the Redesign the CurriculumCurriculum

   Curricula play a significant role in school life. Instruction arises from goals and objectives

stated in them.

The shift from a lecture-drill-recall paradigm to one focused upon engaged deep-processing

CSEC Data Maths & ScienceCSEC Data Maths & SciencePerformance of Public Schools by Subjects, 2013 - 2014

SUBJECTTOTAL ENTRIES 2014

TOTAL SITTINGS 2014 PASSES 2014

PERCENT PASSES 2014  

TOTAL ENTRIES 2013

TOTAL SITTINGS 2013 PASSES 2013

PERCENT PASSES 2013 Increase+/-

ADDITIONAL MATHEMATICS 972 930 681 73.2   583 572 381 66.6 6.6

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE DOUBLE AWARD * 523 507 399 78.7   466 452 431 95.4 -17

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE SINGLE AWARD 2996 2851 2318 81.3   3003 2865 2673 93.3 -12.0

BIOLOGY 5943 5805 4546 78.3   5621 5510 4249 77.1 1.2

CHEMISTRY 5350 5220 3862 74.0   5338 5198 3469 66.7 7.2

HUMAN AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 10217 9887 6444 65.2   10169 9867 6625 67.1 -2.0

INTEGRATED SCIENCE 6945 6555 4714 71.9   7386 6992 5180 74.1 -2.2

MATHEMATICS 23839 23351 12963 55.5   23354 22874 9659 42.2 13.3

PHYSICS 5139 4948 3860 78.0   4883 4714 3239 68.7 9.3Total 61924 60054 39787 72.9   60803 59044 35906 72.4 4.9

Building Mathematics & Science SkillsBuilding Mathematics & Science Skills

Jamaica must create a scientific and technological culture where

technology is not only consumed but created

There should be strong links among research bodies, tertiary institutions and industry to stimulate innovation

and boost economic development

Identify a challenge facing our schools, and using STEM in alliance

with TVET, develop effective, innovative and sustainable solutions

to the challenge identified.

Building a strong STEM Building a strong STEM ecosystem ecosystem

A strong STEM ecosystem depends on an interdisciplinary education system that is closely aligned with workforce

needs. No longer can the education system be defined just as schools and universities; a student’s education must be

reframed to include time both inside and outside of school, intergenerational learning within the family and community, and experiences students have interacting with real world problems

Pillars to build STEM Pillars to build STEM EcosystemEcosystem

Align educational curricula and skill development with local employer needs.

Foster robust vocational and technical training career pathways across skill levels.

Build a system of internship, apprenticeship, and mentoring opportunities.

Offer untraditional education opportunities to reinforce in-school curricula.

Increase access to technology that can deliver innovative education programs

FOSTERING AN INSPIRINGFOSTERING AN INSPIRINGSTEM CULTURESTEM CULTURE

An inspiring STEM culture places value on the importance of STEM and what it brings to the community; families and individuals appreciate how essential all STEM pathways are to the field, and the general public has a basic understanding of STEM and the value of a diverse STEM workforce.

Pillars for Fostering an Inspiring Pillars for Fostering an Inspiring STEM CultureSTEM Culture

Promote STEM heroes and elevate the importance of STEM professionals at home, in school, and in the media.

Support the development of and engagement in fun, interactive recreational STEM activities.

Develop public education initiatives that breakdown stereotypes about technical and vocational training.

Invest in STEM teaching so it becomes a more attractive method of student/teacher engagement.

Attract diverse demographics into STEM through mentorship and redefining STEM in the workplace.

Incentivising Innovation and Incentivising Innovation and creativitycreativity

Governments must pursue a comprehensive

STEM policy agenda that incentivizes companies to invest in research and innovation. Such an agenda can create new job opportunities for STEM graduates, grow the economy, and accelerate scientific progress.

Pillars to Incentivising Pillars to Incentivising Innovation and CreativityInnovation and Creativity

Identify and invest in priority STEM industries most relevant to national competitive advantage.

Offer tax breaks and incentives to firms for ingenuity and Research and Development

Develop a robust STEM strategy with policies that support priority industries through grant funding, intellectual property protection, and research.

Evaluate and refine the STEM strategy and approach in line with evolving national and regional needs.

Connect with the global community to identify, share, and strengthen promising practices.

Quality of schooling and Quality of schooling and economic growtheconomic growth

Education increases the human capital inherent in the labor force, which increase productivity and thus transitional growth towards a higher equilibrium level of output.

Education may increase the innovative capacity of the economy and the new knowledge on new technologies, products and processes promotes growth.

Education may facilitate the diffusion and transmissions of knowledge needed to understand and process new information and to successfully implement new technologies devised by others, which again promotes economic growth.

CConnection between education and onnection between education and economic growth?economic growth?

Education fires up technological progress Formal education is an important source of human

capital Human capital stimulates productivity growth

directly or indirectly Human capital is a vehicle for technical progress investment in education builds the foundation of

sustained economic growth and ensures a long-term regional competitive advantage.

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.  Roger Lewin

"If a man empties his wallet into his head, no one can take it from him.„ “The true concept of life long learning” Therefore, if we are in the wrong hole – Let stop digging

(Unknown)

Thank Thank YYouou

ReferencesReferences Edman, Laird R. O. (2002). Teaching Thinking: The state of the art [handout]. Mercer

University.

Esterle, E. & Clurman, D. (Eds.) (1993). Critical thinking development . San Francisco, CA : Whitman Institute.

Foundation for critical thinking. Retrieved from www.criticalthinking.orgwww.criticalthinking.org

Goscik, K. (2002). Teaching Critical Thinking: Elements of Critical Thinking. Composition Center. 1997. Dartmouth College. Retrieved from http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ecompose/faculty/pedagogies/thinking.html.

Performance of public schools by subject 2013 - 2014. (2014). Caribbean Examination Council

Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN)

Stobaugh, R. (2013). Assessing critical thinking in middle and high schools: Meeting the common core. New York: Routledge.

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