During the workshop “STEM Education: Guiding Human Resource Development 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 General Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training), emphasized the strong demand for scientific and technological human resources. He noted that in reality, 60-65% of high school students choose scientific and social disciplines. This results in a shortage of candidates for STEM training, at both the professional and university levels. Consequently, it is essential to align students’ skills with the needs of human resources from high school and address this quickly.
Professor Chu Cam Tho, Deputy General Director of Phenikaa University, shared this information during the conference “STEM Education – Guiding Human Resource Development from High School.” According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training for the period 2020-2025, the percentage of high school students choosing higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has not increased. Currently, less than 30% of candidates register for the STEM subject in the high school graduation exam; among them, the admission and enrollment rate is even lower.
Moreover, the demand for professionals in STEM fields is rapidly increasing. About 40% of companies face challenges in recruiting qualified personnel in these areas; there is a shortage of 150,000-200,000 technology professionals each year. The main sectors experiencing shortages are artificial intelligence, data, engineering, and digital technologies.
To address this issue, Mrs. Tho emphasized the importance of teaching STEM subjects at the secondary level. Referring to international research, she indicated that 80% of university study decisions are made during this period. Early exposure to STEM allows students to confidently enter their preferred field; in contrast, late learning, especially at the university level, will require more time to acquire in-depth mastery due to a lack of solid mathematical foundations and analytical thinking skills.
For STEM education to be truly effective, teachers will face challenges. Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnamese Institute of Education Sciences, believes that in the face of digital transformation, science, technology, and innovation, the young generation requires knowledge in STEM to keep up with the evolving trends. Even those not considering careers in scientific and technological fields need fundamental STEM knowledge.
Mr. Vinh pointed out that many classes focus on memorization and repetition of procedures rather than fostering high-level thinking skills. The emphasis on developing critical thinking skills in STEM education is lacking, as the learning environment does not truly encourage skills such as analysis, complex problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking.
An integral STEM process should include problem formulation, research, proposing solutions, development, and improvement. However, many institutions skip these steps, focusing only on the product creation and missing the main goal of nurturing critical thinking.
According to Mr. Vinh, effective STEM education requires significant changes in the role of teachers. Technology, without a solid pedagogical foundation and thorough preparation, will remain just tools. Teachers may need to put in more effort, but their work will be better. Technology is only effective if purposefully designed, grounded in appropriate pedagogical principles, and implemented by competent teachers.
Drawing on practical experience in setting up STEM rooms in schools, Mr. Luu Van Thong, Principal of Cau Giay High School in Hanoi, emphasized the need for clear direction. He stressed that the school must ensure that the STEM room is not merely a display space but an area where students can participate, experiment, and create.
Teachers must master technology; so the school establishes a core team of science and technology department members and teachers with strong computer skills for professional development training, primarily during the summer. The goal is to help this group become familiar with STEM lab equipment, master associated technologies, build robots, etc., to effectively guide practical sessions for students.
Subsequently, the school trains a group of students to master technology and present to other students in the school. The school also creates various scientific learning spaces, allowing students to visit the STEM lab, handle materials, conduct simple experiments, and design projects. Teachers are encouraged to review school curricula and transform relevant content into STEM-related sections or projects integrated into their lesson plans to 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
