This week in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math),a new study indicates that parents might be keeping students from careers teaching STEM,. 

Parents Express Concerns Over Children Pursuing Careers in Teaching STEM

A new survey conducted by The Harris Poll on the behalf of ASQ last month revealed that while an overwhelming majority of parents would encourage their children to pursue STEM careers, most of them would not encourage their children to pursue careers in teaching STEM.

"While 90 percent of parents would encourage their children to pursue a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), career, 87 percent say they would be concerned if their child decided to pursue a career as a K-12 STEM teacher,” said ASQ in a statement.

Upon further questioning, the surveyed parents said that financial compensation was their biggest concern. They admitted to being worried about their children being able to make enough money to compensate their heavy workloads and make their college degree worth it.

This is bad news for the STEM field as a whole because the country is currently in dire need of more teachers capable of teaching STEM subjects in K-12.

President Obama announced in 2010 an initiative to train 100,000 effective STEM teachers by 2021 under the belief that more teachers trained in STEM will help students achieve better in the subjects.

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Teaching About Famous Scientists’ Struggles Might Help Students Excel in Science

"According to new research, one way to keep students engaged and encouraged is to teach them about the struggles of famous scientists,” said UPI.com.

Research from Columbia University indicates that students who read about the personal struggles and challenges that famous scientists faced help them achieve better grades in science.

For students only exposed to the one-sided presentation of a given scientists’ accomplishments and successes, grades actually went down.

A balanced narrative with it comes to scientific success, then, might be crucial to helping future students succeed in the field.

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$1.2 Million Grant to Serve Low-Income Students Learn STEM in Boston Area

The National Science Foundation has awarded awarded a $1.2 million grant to "unique STEM career pathways program, led by faculty from Boston College and Massachusetts Bay Community College, that will serve students from middle school through community college,” said Boston College.

"The program’s career pathways focus will help students assemble the skills they need to prepare for jobs in coding, robotics, electronics and technology, the so-called “middle skill” fields that will require an estimated 225,000 new workers with post-secondary training to support the growth of this crucial economic sector in Massachusetts during the next decade.”

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Coding, STEM Skills Software Company Partners with Samsung

Product from STEM Fuse LLC will be included in Samsung educational devices like its Chromebooks and Galaxy tablets.

Samsung underwent an 18-month review process to decide on its inclusion of STEM Fuse LLC as its partner to advance what it offers for digital curriculum.

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Compiled by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor