142R_Becoming future-proof STEM teachers for enhancing sustainable development: A proposed general framework for a capacity-building programs in future studies (research summary)

What is The Future for Cities?

Are you interested in how to future-proof STEM education?

Summary of the article titled Becoming future-proof STEM teachers for enhancing sustainable development: A proposed general framework for a capacity-building programs in future studies from 2022 by Hanaa Ouda Khadri, published in the Prospects Journal.

This is a great preparation to our next interviewee in episode 144, Morley Muse, where we talk a lot about the need for STEM education.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see why it is important to include future studies to STEM education. This article presents why STEM needs to prepare students for an unpredictable future and the skills and basic knowledge that can be useful.

As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. In post-normal times, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known STEM fields need to prepare the students and the educators for the uncertainties and ambiguity of the future.
2. Futures Studies, which could be involved in STEM education, is an application in strategic planning field that considers distinctive possibilities of the future, like possible futures, plausible futures, preferable futures and probable futures.
3. Individuals and groups engaging in future studies or foresight explore the future from various perspectives in order to inform the current process of decision-making.

You can find the article through this link.

Abstract: Post-normal times and post-normal science are characterized by contradictions, unknown unknowns and uncertainties, and complexity. These global grand challenges require a revolutionary shift in thinking and mindset on the part of teachers and students Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new roles for STEM education that will prepare students for this post-normal world and the sustainability mindset it requires. STEM education supports sustainable development by building the capacities of future generations. The integration of Future Studies (FS) into STEM education practices is therefore critical to support efforts at sustainability and to ensure that students are competent 21st century problem-solvers. Building STEM students’ competencies in this area depends on their teachers having the appropriate knowledge and skills to integrate FS within their subjects. Therefore, Futures Studies should be included in STEM education teachers’ capacity-building programs. Based on a sample of 52 Egyptian university academics, this study revealed the basic knowledge and skills that should be included in a Future-Proof STEM teachers capacity-building program.

Suggested book - Imaginable by Jane McGonigall.

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:

• ⁠No.021 - Interview with Bridgette Engeler⁠ about foresight;
• ⁠No.101 - What we owe the future (book summary);

You can find the transcript through ⁠this link⁠.

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠@WTF4Cities⁠ or on the ⁠wtf4cities.com⁠ website where the ⁠shownotes⁠⁠ ⁠are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠Lesfm ⁠from ⁠Pixabay