4 ms·

There is lots of research which suggests that the USA is indeed lagging behind in STEM fields. K-12 does not prepare students well enough when compared to many

There is lots of research which suggests that the USA is indeed lagging behind in STEM fields. K-12 does not prepare students well enough when compared to many Asian and European countries. The numerous research articles are a Google search away. Another indicator is the lack of sufficient skilled workforce in STEM fields in the USA. This forces many tech companies to hire from abroad.

douche 11y ago
To make a reasonable comparison to the United States, you'd have to lump a European country in with a third-world developing country to get the same level of racial and cultural heterogeneity. People always try to compare the US to Finland, when Finland has less population than New York City and the demographics of New Hampshire. Tech companies hire abroad because it's cheap, not because there is a real skill deficit.
- dineshp2 11y ago
  I don't how you would take into account all possible factors to make a perfect comparison, but objectively looking at the research and data available on this topic, it's clear to me that the USA is lagging in STEM fields. Some tech companies do hire from abroad because it's cheaper, but there is a real skill deficit in STEM fields and there are just not enough skilled people available to recruit. This has been openly acknowledged by the tech companies, universities and the Government. The question is not whether the USA is lagging in STEM, it is what should be done about the fact that the USA is lagging in STEM fields?
  - dominotw 11y ago
    > but objectively looking at the research and data available on this topic, it's clear to me that the USA is lagging in STEM fields. I did some googling around this but all the research uses test scores to come to that conclusion. I would like to see some other methodology.
    - wallflower 11y ago
      While imperfect, test scores provide some context for comparison. The being said, back in 2013, this article was widely shared. It demonstrates that you can teach STEM ways of thinking (e.g. CS), starting from early elementary grades. It does not have to be a AP-level course. https://neil.fraser.name/news/2013/03/16/ https://neil.fraser.name/news/2013/03/16/

douche 11y ago

To make a reasonable comparison to the United States, you'd have to lump a European country in with a third-world developing country to get the same level of racial and cultural heterogeneity. People always try to compare the US to Finland, when Finland has less population than New York City and the demographics of New Hampshire. Tech companies hire abroad because it's cheap, not because there is a real skill deficit.

dineshp2 11y ago
I don't how you would take into account all possible factors to make a perfect comparison, but objectively looking at the research and data available on this topic, it's clear to me that the USA is lagging in STEM fields. Some tech companies do hire from abroad because it's cheaper, but there is a real skill deficit in STEM fields and there are just not enough skilled people available to recruit. This has been openly acknowledged by the tech companies, universities and the Government. The question is not whether the USA is lagging in STEM, it is what should be done about the fact that the USA is lagging in STEM fields?
- dominotw 11y ago
  > but objectively looking at the research and data available on this topic, it's clear to me that the USA is lagging in STEM fields. I did some googling around this but all the research uses test scores to come to that conclusion. I would like to see some other methodology.
  - wallflower 11y ago
    While imperfect, test scores provide some context for comparison. The being said, back in 2013, this article was widely shared. It demonstrates that you can teach STEM ways of thinking (e.g. CS), starting from early elementary grades. It does not have to be a AP-level course. https://neil.fraser.name/news/2013/03/16/ https://neil.fraser.name/news/2013/03/16/