Cognitive Functions for Successful STEM Implementation

Abstract

Revolution 4.0 requires the transformation of science education worldwide. The new STEM educational ecosystem is crucial for this process. In this article, we present important national strategies for the implementation of STEM into education in some countries of the EU, the UK, the US, China, and Australia. In STEM education, the countries develop STEM knowledge, STEM skills, and STEM values and attitudes. A systematic development of cognitive skills gains more and more attention, because solving real-life problems in STEM requires not only knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math, but also some selected key concepts of STEM education, cognitive processes, and process skills, which must be developed explicitly. We present a big overlap of concepts, skills, and values between what is required in STEM Education and what Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment, a program of developing cognitive functions, offers.