Supporting STEM Education: Needs Assessment of Southeastern Rural Teacher Librarians

Abstract

A current focus in schools in the United States is STEM education, which prepares students for successful employment and post-secondary studies that require unique and more-technically advanced skills through teaching and learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This approach is grounded in problem solving, discovery, and exploratory learning, which requires students to actively engage in a situation in order to find its solution. Students engage in STEM learning in many different ways, with technology and digital resources playing an important role. The prominence of technology in STEM education provides leadership opportunities for teacher librarians. Yet, teacher librarians must be prepared to lead in the integration of technology to support STEM education. This report presents identified needs of teacher librarians in regards to supporting STEM education and discusses implications for better preparing pre-service teacher librarians to lead in order to address the needs of a new generation of learners.

Library’s Educational Role in Bridging the Digital Divide

“…2-3). In many cases, there is a need for government and institution funded and supported PD, along with advocacy to both those systems stating what libraries need and the public reminding them how vital the pillar of libraries are and why libraries need continuous support in varied ways (Johnston, 2018;Burchill & Kenney, 2020). With such a mass of information that has developed so rapidly, it can feel like a hopeless goal to achieve digital literacy.…”

“…The pressure to educate youth about technology, using advancing forms of technology, is only increasing, yet assets (funding, programs, etc.) to provide professional development, updated technology tools, and new educational resources are decreasing (Johnston, 2018;Rodriguez et al, 2021;Muñoz-Najar et al, 2021).…”