Myth: there is a shortage of math and science in the U.S.

I had some wonderful teachers who were able to bring out the best in their students with wit and creativity. Mr Ramage left clues in his chemistry so we'd know we were on the right track - the answer to one of the exam questions was "K9P." I still remember Mr McLean in grade 4 ordering a working model of an engine, just for me to play with. I took a quick look and said 'neat', then went back to my desk to finish my work. He said "No, no, go play with it for the rest of the day." About an hour later I think I had the thing memorised.

My youngest asks me for math questions all the time. And my oldest usually wants to debate philosophy. People ask me if would have preferred boys. No.

 

I would like to think this is true; the study looks quite comprehensive.

I wonder if the problem is a shortage of critical thinking, a tendency to look at the surface, and not to the details (for example, looking at the original report.) It is very common for students to tell me they are terrible at math - and I respond that they can do many mathematical things in their lives (sports stats is only one example) and they should have no problem with simple algebra.

Students often have the tendency to reach for the calculator rather than do math in their head.

So, I hope that more studies will support this study.

One part of the study gives me pause - that there is an oversupply of graduated BS students relative to jobs. My discussions with employers and observations of employment is that there are not adequate numbers of qualified graduates relative to available jobs. Students in my field (environmental) are quite well paid, reflecting the difficulty in finding well-qualified graduates. I do not have a recent survey of our students, but on example: a BS graduate starting at $52K.