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Teens Confident in Their Inventiveness; Hands-On, Project-Based Learning Needed |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: American teens are confident they can invent solutions to some of the world's pressing challenges, such as protecting and restoring the natural environment, but more than half feel unprepared for careers in technology and engineering, the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index has found this year. The Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, which gauges Americans' attitudes toward invention and innovation, also found there is an important need for more project-based learning in high schools. Nearly three out of four American teens (72 percent) believe technological inventions or innovations can solve some of our pressing environmental issues within the next decade, including global warming, water pollution and fossil fuel depletion. This contrasts with only 38 percent of adults who believe they could invent something to help protect and restore the natural environment. The Lemelson-MIT Invention Index found that more than half of American teens (59 percent) do not believe their high school is preparing them adequately for a career in technology and engineering. "Learning to invent is really no different than learning to throw a touchdown pass or play the trombone," said Schuler, noting that 40 percent of the teens who are most confident in their ability to invent are most likely to believe their high school is preparing them for a career in technology or engineering. Students need the opportunity to get their hands dirty and invent," he said. "Generally speaking, there's not enough 'learning by doing' taking place in today's high schools, and our survey found that students recognize this." A vast majority of teens (79 percent) believe there is value in hands-on, project-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and learning in high school.
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