The Estonian Engineers’ Association writes that within the next decade, there will be a shortage of as many as two-thirds of the engineers needed. Where does this cold attitude towards natural sciences come from? And what could be done differently?
To adapt an old Estonian saying (“Laps on perekonna peegel”), you could say that a child is a reflection of their home. As a small child, I remember my great-grandmother warning me that at some point, physics and chemistry classes would begin, which were very difficult. It is precisely because of home programming that many students go into science classes thinking that real-world subjects are something unattainable. In reality, learning begins with simple steps and structured progression—nothing difficult to be afraid of.
However, the attitude brought from home determines the student’s success from the very first moments. A student who begins solving a task with the attitude that he or she cannot cope often gives up before the “eureka” moment. The right idea, which just takes a little bit of tinkering to find, does not come and the child loses faith in himself or herself. If a child is not supported in these first courses and is not shown that he or she can learn and is skilled, then it is very difficult to arouse interest in science later on. Many difficulties begin from the moment when one topic remains incomprehensible, making it difficult to understand the following ones. And it’s true, rarely does anyone like doing something they feel insecure about.
In addition to the attitude at home, the role of the teacher in guiding the student also plays a role. If the teacher encourages the student and believes in him, then the student is also more motivated to prove himself. Good communication between the student and the teacher and individual feedback are very important in the development of a young person. The class must have an environment where students dare to ask even “stupid” questions. If students are afraid of the teacher, then gaps will remain.
If the learning is exciting, vital, and supportive, then a passion for knowledge also arises.
At the Tallinn Secondary School of Science, I mainly came into contact with the other side of the spectrum, i.e. students who had great interest, contributed, and had excellent results in subject-based olympiads. This does not happen by itself. Behind this success is a lot of work by the teachers and practical, inclusive learning. We had weekly practicals. For example, in the genetic technology class, we investigated in the laboratory of the Tallinn University of Technology whether there is a gene variant in our DNA that protects against a certain strain of HIV. If the learning is exciting, vital, and supportive, then a passion for knowledge also arises.
The idea that science subjects are somehow more difficult than languages, culture, or history is a socially constructed image that may not be true in reality. Perhaps it is hypocritical of me to say this, because I was someone who spent hours with a speech therapist, trying to figure out when to write “g”, “k”, or “kk”. I vividly remember how I had to correct mistakes in my recitations, or how in the grading process of my first Estonian language test in high school, I was given a two. Several others got a two because it was a challenging recitation, and by the end of high school, thanks to the mercy of the teacher and constant effort, I luckily still got a five.
The systematic nature of science subjects is something that you can learn quickly by solving similar tasks, while a linguistic instinct or a historical framework to orient yourself with in your head requires lifelong work.
For example, in high school, a classmate borrowed chemistry textbooks from previous years and worked on previous years’ work. As a result, his results also improved significantly. While giving private lessons, I repeatedly saw how logical thinking can eventually grow exponentially if approached step-by-step. An understanding of science and logic does not have to come naturally, but is available to anyone who does the appropriate work.
