Professors Heidi Ross and Adam Maltese from Indiana University’s School of Education will host the Symposium on STEM Education in Asia and the US. The focus of the meeting is to share recent research on factors related to student persistence in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), to discuss policies and research related to the major challenges in STEM Education across the Pacific region, and to build a collaborative network of individuals interested in these topics. We will present findings from a comparative study of STEM interest and experiences in Australia, China and the US as well as findings from a survey effort of American youth in Grades 3-12. Other presenters from across Asia will discuss current STEM education research and relevant policies. While much of the discussion will likely focus on higher education and issues related to preparing a technical workforce, we plan to explicitly discuss the critical role of secondary STEM education policy and research as well.

If interested in learning more, scholars, school administrators and policymakers are encouraged to send any inquiries to amaltese@indiana.edu and haross@indiana.edu.