A Framework for STEM Competency Alignment

Abstract

With the fast evolution of the labour market and global challenges, there is strengthening calls to equip students with STEM competencies that are imperative to navigate the complexities of the future. Yet, several studies have flagged significant disparities between the required STEM competencies and those cultivated within academic institutions, calling for a thorough analysis of contextualised disparities and the formulation of strategic recommendations to mitigate them. Using a mixed-methods design, this case-study addresses this call by foregrounding the perspectives of 438 students, all members of a school-based STEM club, to develop a comprehensive and contextualised ‘STEM competency framework’ based on the quantitative factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. The study also underscores how the developed framework served a dual purpose, as a diagnostic tool for identifying gaps in competency development and as a guide to formulate targeted, evidence-based recommendations. The framework was developed based on loadings of 80 STEM competencies under 16 STEM factors and 4 domains namely the (i) core analytical & problem-solving, (ii) innovation & value creation, (iii) social & collaborative intelligence and (iv) critical inquiry & adaptation. The framework provides a systematic tool for institutions to audit and realign curricula. Its application also guides strategic resource allocation and pedagogical shifts, promoting a more holistic and contextually relevant STEM education that better prepares students for future demands’.