Some myths about the shortage of STEM skills.

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  • 08/07/2015

    This is from an excellent article by Andrew Hacker in the NYRB. He puts to bed various myths. Both tables tell a story.

    Hacker_Table_AB-070915

    He writes:

    Of course, bad teaching has varied causes. But it may be more apparent in STEM fields, where fixed material has to be covered; the reactions of many students suggests that many professors apparently see no need to make their teaching appealing. While student ratings have drawbacks, those in Table A hint at serious problems in STEM classrooms (see below). In mathematics, few freshmen meet a full-time professor close up. A recent survey by the American Mathematical Society found that 87 percent of all classes are taught by graduate assistants, adjuncts, or instructors on annual contracts.