A hallmark of educational curricula in today’s schools is a STEM program. Standing for science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM programs rose significantly due to poor test scores of American scholars in math and the burst of technology in our daily lives. While these subjects are important, they’re frequently placed on a pedestal above liberal arts education. Assessment of scholars’ mastery in STEM subjects is determined by passing tests. Let’s take a look at an alternative education model.
Classical education includes the teaching of math and science; however, it intertwines this with a liberal arts education, creating holistic engagement with real-life challenges. The classical scholar learns to think critically about math and science for the growth of independent thinking, communication, and problem-solving, not just to pass a test.
While STEM education has its merits, a classical education offers a holistic and more enduring foundation for success.
The Limitations of STEM Education
Out of several drawbacks to a STEM education, the most distinct is the fact that teachers in traditional schools don’t know how to integrate STEM education into their math and science classes. There aren’t any clear-cut guidelines to follow, no national standards or certification required, the program can be costly, and it often comes at the expense of other subjects.
Furthermore, by permitting humanities to take a back seat in STEM programs, scholars aren’t delving into ethical considerations, examining the morality of scientific processes and outcomes in the real world. Without integrating history, literature, and philosophy into the study of the sciences, we overlook the path to developing well-rounded and responsibly-thinking individuals.
Finally, if we prepare most of our scholars for careers in the sciences, we’ll end up overproducing STEM graduates, which will in turn lead to a saturation of the science and technology job market.
The Benefits of a Classical Education
In most traditional school settings, we see teachers following a certain method in their teaching. First, they introduce a new concept by connecting it with an older concept that scholars already know. They translate any new terms and symbols so scholars know what they mean. Then teachers show them how to put the new concept into action, demonstrating how to apply it. Next, their scholars practice applying it until they can do so independently. For most lesson plans, that is the end of the lesson.
However, in a classical education setting, scholars move ahead from the application step. They analyze; this means taking things apart and examining each piece. For example, if you take apart an algebra equation, you look at all the different coefficients and variables to see how they affect the outcome or solution of the problem. This step is found in the logic stage of classical education.
Next, scholars synthesize; this means putting things back together. In this step, they might substitute one of the variables in an equation for another and see if they reach the same conclusion.
Classical scholars demonstrate mastery when they can evaluate and create. Such a scholar, now familiar with this type of algebraic equation, may be able to invent another and graph it on his own. This step is part of the rhetoric stage of classical learning.
In addition, classical scholars use what they have learned in literature, history, and philosophy to influence the critical thinking steps they take to solve problems. For example, they could compare this type of equation with one used by the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras.
No matter what career your child decides to follow, with a classical education he or she will have highly developed skills of communication and problem-solving that are applicable across all career paths. Furthermore, they’ll demonstrate character development and leadership as they journey along their chosen paths.
Preparing for a Changing World
A technical revolution is rocking our world and many of tomorrow’s jobs don’t exist yet. However, a classically educated scholar will find adaptation an easier process because he or she will have studied humanities. Winston Churchill once said, “A nation that forgets its past has no future.” When a scholar studies history, discusses how people think and why they do so, and explores the virtues inherent in the great works of literature, they are prepared for whatever tomorrow will bring.
Let’s examine the flexibility of the classical model. Within this model, schools strive for excellence in both humanities and the sciences. They apply logical thinking to the study of science, which has enormous benefits. For example, the study of a false dichotomy fallacy occurs during the logic stage of the trivium. This is a principle that can be easily applied to math and science questions. For example, “Are there only two solutions to this problem? Can there be more than one solution? Is there another way of looking at this problem?” Classical teaching instills many such tools of critical thinking into their scholars’ minds which they then apply to science and math.
Ethical and Moral Foundations
No doubt you wish for your children to grow a bank of ethical values as well as a bank of knowledge while in school. We desire our children to develop wisdom as they use the knowledge they’re acquiring. We want them to regard honesty, respect for each other, kindness, and the value of hard work as morally high traits.
In a STEM-focused curriculum, the aspect of learning knowledge overshadows the learning of ethical values. STEM teachers do not believe that ethics are integral to what their scholars should be learning in their programs.
On the other hand, the classical education model ensures a strong ethical education alongside the teaching of academics. The installation of self-discipline and accountability is sometimes referred to as “character training”. Classical scholars study the classic works of literature, and during this study, they explore moral principles. Through their study of the “human condition”, scholars grow in their understanding of compassion, honesty, and integrity.
As a testimony to ethical values inherent in classical learning, leaders such as Leonardo di Vinci, John Milton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Sigmund Freud, and even J.K. Rowling all received a classical education.
Incorporating STEM Within a Classical Framework
It’s easy to view classical education as the polar opposite of STEM, but studies of science, technology, engineering, and math are incorporated into classical curricula, just in a broader context. The difference between the classical framework and traditional studies lies in the application of ethical principles to develop wisdom alongside utilizing academic skills.
For example, a scholar who studies computer programming not only acquires the skill and knowledge of programming but also investigates both the good and bad consequences of such use. Would entering another computer network be ethical? If an individual hacked into another program, what would be the outcomes? What and who could be hurt by such an act?
With today’s rise in AI and biochemical applications, ethical considerations are an integral responsibility of the teachers of STEM programs to teach the “why” behind technical processes, and not just the “how”. Issues such as promoting the common good, respect for the world’s environment, and the integrity of research are topics scholars in STEM programs address in classical education.
Conclusion
When scholars in the classical setting study the sciences, they go beyond the acquisition of knowledge to a pure understanding; they use analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creation to master science and math. Combined with their study of real-life applications, and the ethics of such utilization, scholars form a holistic approach to STEM learning.
What we need for our future is timeless wisdom, not fleeting trends. Technology that is used today will, for the most part, be obsolete tomorrow. But the classically educated scientists of tomorrow will know how to design, create, and ethically employ the scientific and mathematical tools we’ll need. Thus, classical education is the superior foundation for STEM success and adaptability.
Explore The Leman Academy of Excellence in Arizona as a pathway to comprehensive education for your child.