A new infographic based on the latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) also known as the Nation’s Report Card provides a detailed look at the kinds of barriers school administrators face when teaching certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects in schools.

During the Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) assessment, a first-of-its-kind assessment administered in 2014, school administrators were asked to answer questions about the given school’s "characteristics and policies related to technology and engineering.”

"Because technology and engineering literacy is not always attained in or confined to the classroom, the TEL assessment was accompanied by a questionnaire component that aimed to get a better understanding of students’ opportunities to learn about technology and engineering both inside and outside the classroom,” said the NAEP on its site. 

On Question 13, administrators were asked:

To what extent is your school’s capability to provide instruction in technology or engineering concepts hindered by any of the following?

The majority of respondents, the assessment found, have difficulty teaching technology and engineering content because of a “lack of time due to curriculum content demands,” indicating that despite the national push for STEM learning, academic standards aren’t being adjusted quick enough.

Other burdens to tech and engineering learning included a lack of qualified teachers, a lack or inadequacy of instructional materials and a lack of curriculum development standards.

This infographic from the National Assessment’s Governing Board helps visualize these findings as well as helps provide insight into the improvements that need to be made to eventually provide all students technology and engineering instruction:

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

10/12/2016