Integrating language education policies can create better outcomes for a student’s academic and career trajectories, including improving retention rates.
Mahshad Nasr Esfahani
Gender disparity and underrepresentation are limiting the potential of the STEM industry in the USA. Almost 70% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries. STEM is the backbone of the US economy, with direct STEM jobs representing 33% of the economy and producing $2.3 trillion in federal tax revenue annually. STEM related jobs earn a median annual salary almost twice that of non-STEM jobs.
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With the demand for skilled STEM professionals continuing to rise, it is crucial to address gaps in the industry. Achieving gender parity and minority representation requires educational institutions and companies to address the unique challenges faced by multilingual female students and minority groups with English as a second language.
Integrating language education policies can create better outcomes for a student’s academic and career trajectories, including improving retention rates. Demand for skilled STEM workers will grow significantly in the second half of the decade and the USA needs to establish a strong pipeline at an educational level.
The Role of STEM in the US Economy
Mahshad Nasr Esfhani is an adjunct professor in Language Education and Instruction, and an international 2nd year PhD student from Iran, at the University of Buffalo. Her research focuses on the potential of language education policies and multilingualism to bring gender parity to the STEM industry and make these carers a more viable option for under-represented groups.
The continued expansion of the tech industry and the implementation of legislative policies like the CHIPS and Science Act means US companies will face even more demand for trained STEM professionals. This demand is expanded to outstretch the current number of STEM numbers, creating the potential for companies to relocate elsewhere in search of a skilled workforce.
Improving language education policies can address this problem by enhancing retention rates and making STEM careers a more accessible choice for international students. Deficiency within STEM careers can have a negative long-term effect on the US economy as other countries, like the UK, prioritize STEM education.
Policy Gaps for STEM Career Support
The existing policies at educational institutions fail to appreciate the importance of language in shaping a student’s educational success and career choice. Although policies often exist to support bilingual education, they are usually disconnected from STEM initiatives, failing to utilize the full potential of multilingualism.
Gender disparity is one of the biggest challenges to the STEM industry. Only 28% of STEM workers globally are women with 24% of the domestic US industry made up of women. While initiatives are widespread to support women in STEM degrees, these often fail to recognize the importance of multilingualism, limiting their impact.
There has been a growing recognition of the need to create more inclusive educational environments within STEM degrees. Educational policies reflect this reality with a greater focus on equity and inclusion, such as bilingual educational programs and dual-language immersion initiatives being introduced by state and school districts. Such policies can create a more culturally responsive approach to STEM education, improving application and retention rates to develop a more diverse workforce.
It’s a situation recognized by the US Government with the ‘Every Student Succeeds Act’ (ESSA) encouraging states to develop plans to address the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in STE education.
Making STEM a Viable Career Path for Minority Groups
Improving female and minority representation within the STEM industry starts with addressing the pipeline, including the feasibility for international female students to pursue a STEM degree in the USA. Esfahani highlights how multilingualism enhances problem-solving skills, creativity, and cognitive abilities among students, promoting better educational outcomes.
Her research shows that schools that have successfully integrated multilingual education into their STEM programs saw significant improvements in student engagement and achievement, particularly among international female students.
Universities and educational institutions urgently need to address the limited access to language support services, linguistic biases, and cultural disconnects that can hold international female students back. Esfahani singles out addressing these challenges
as being key to realizing the potential of multilingualism in reducing gender disparities in STEM degrees and throughout the career pipeline.
Implementing culturally responsive teaching practices can engage students from more diverse and under-represented backgrounds. Incorporating a student’s cultural experiences into the STEM curriculum can create a more motivating learning environment to grow their confidence and interest. Language education policies provide targeted support and equitable access to STEM opportunities for underrepresented students who can play a vital role in creating a workforce that meets the demand for skilled STEM professionals.
Educational institutions that fail to consider language education policies often struggle with lower retention rates in STEM subjects for minority groups and ELLs. Esfahani’s research suggests engaging students through technology-enhanced, project-based learning experiences and industry-aligned curricula to improve retention rates. Integrating educational technology can better prepare students for successful careers in the STEM industry and make the United States the number one choice for companies to establish and grow their businesses.
The USA must keep pace with its international competitors and create a diverse STEM workforce by supporting international students and implementing policies to improve retention rates within STEM fields. Achieving these policies will further support US economic growth with higher employment rates, improved GDP, and the creation of higher-paying jobs.
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