STEM Education in Japan, the United States, and China

Abstract

STEM education is designed for students to improve their skills so that they can handle the challenge in the 21st century. STEM skills are needed in nowadays’ job market, so it is essential for a country to develop STEM education so that the next generation can adapt to the future society. This paper analyses the development of STEM education in Japan, China and the United States to provide suggestions to solve the existing problems in these three countries. This paper found that there are three main problems which are the gender gap problem, the uneven quality of STEM teachers and students’ low interest in learning STEM. To solve these three problems, governments should build a qualified STEM teacher training system. Schools should pay more attention to the educational background of the teachers rather than other irrelevant factors. Teachers are encouraged to correct the negative stereotypes about STEM and give clear instructions on the future career choices of students. In this way, students’ interest in learning STEM and self-efficacy can be improved.