Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Explores ‘The State of STEM Education’ in New Survey

A new educator survey commissioned by Samsung Solve for Tomorrow reveals the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, showing both advancements and persistent challenges in preparing students for the future. Nearly all teachers (96%) believe AI will become an intrinsic part of education within the next decade, yet 97% say they lack the necessary resources to integrate emerging technology like AI and concepts like entrepreneurship into their curriculum.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow’s second “The State of STEM Education” survey, conducted in partnership with DonorsChoose, the leading education nonprofit for teachers, polled 1,039 U.S. public middle and high school teachers. The findings uncovered educators’ optimism about the value of AI in classrooms and the urgent need to modernize STEM education. In fact, 59% of teachers named professional development, updated curriculum resources, collaboration with tech industry professionals, or improved technology as a crucial need, with another 38% saying they need all of the above.

Samsung Empowers Schools & Educators for an AI-Driven Future

Samsung is working to close this gap. Through the annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition, which challenges students in grades 6-12 to use STEM to solve real-world problems in their communities, the Company has awarded over $27 million in technology and classroom supplies to more than 4,000 U.S. public middle and high schools. In addition, the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Teacher Academy has enhanced STEM teaching for hundreds of educators by providing professional development to help them implement AI strategies, design thinking, and social impact entrepreneurship in their classrooms—key skills for students navigating a rapidly changing world.

The urgency for AI-focused education is clear. When Samsung Solve for Tomorrow conducted its first State of STEM Education survey in 2022/2023, AI was still an emerging factor in classrooms. Today, the impact is undeniable—42% of State Winners’ community projects from the current 2024/2025 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition leverage AI-driven STEM solutions, compared to just 6% in 2022/2023—a remarkable sevenfold increase. This surge in AI-driven projects reinforces the pressing need for resources to keep pace with STEM’s evolving landscape and better prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce. For instance, Mississippi’s 2024/2025 State Winner is creating an AI app to detect anxiety in students with autism, while Montana’s winners are using AI and VR to connect students with Native communities for immersive cultural learning.

“Samsung is committed to bridging the resource gap in STEM education,” said Allison Stransky, CMO at Samsung Electronics America. “As AI reshapes industries and job markets, it’s essential to equip educators with the tools and training needed to integrate AI into their classrooms and prepare students for an AI-driven future. By fostering innovation and social impact through technology, we also inspire students to use their skills to improve their communities.”

Drilling Down on AI in Education

Samsung’s educator survey found that a majority (53%) are already using AI tools in their classrooms, with another 33% exploring possible uses for AI. Among AI applications respondents currently use are interactive learning tools (20%), personalized student learning experiences (22%), and data analysis to gain insights into student performance (11%).

The survey also revealed a range of teacher concerns about AI in education. These include plagiarism (20%), insufficient training on AI education tools (15%), the potential to spread misinformation (13%), and reduced human interaction in learning (12%). Notably, only 5% of teachers expressed concerns about AI leading to job displacement, indicating a broader focus on the opportunities AI presents for teaching and learning.

Encouragingly, 88% of teachers stressed the importance of educating students on the ethical use of AI, underlining its potential to shape responsible, tech-savvy learners.

STEM Perceptions Improving—but Staffing Shortages Persist

The survey results represent a dramatic shift in teachers’ perceptions across the two years since Samsung Solve for Tomorrow’s first State of STEM Education survey during the 2022/2023 school year. At that crucial post-pandemic inflection point for U.S. education, the survey uncovered a mix of anxiety and concern among STEM educators—65% of whom reported STEM faculty shortages, with 13% describing those shortages as severe. In the new survey, reports of faculty shortages have dropped to 37%, and teachers were generally positive about the support their schools provide for STEM education, with nearly three-quarters (73%) saying STEM receives “strong” (18%) to “some” (55%) support. This represents an increase from our first survey, when 65% of teachers reported that local school boards and communities were “generally supportive” of STEM in their schools.

The new survey’s findings also reflected guarded optimism among educators, and a belief in the positive contributions STEM education is making for student achievement. That optimism is in line with the recent NAEP findings that, nationwide, student performance scores in math generally showed a halt to post-pandemic declines, with some locales even showing improvement (as opposed to generally declining reading scores).

Urgent Need to Modernize STEM Curriculum

The STEM educators surveyed are highly passionate about the value of STEM education in preparing students for the future, with 93% of teachers agreeing that STEM skills are vital for students to flourish as they move into the workforce. Yet only 36% of teachers feel their school’s current STEM curriculum effectively addresses emerging trends such as AI, data science, robotics, automation, and accessible and green technologies.

Entrepreneurship: A Missed Opportunity

Despite near-unanimous agreement (99%) that entrepreneurship benefits students by fostering creativity, teamwork, and business ethics, only 20% of public middle and high schools currently offer entrepreneurship classes. Teachers overwhelmingly believe such courses would boost student confidence and motivation to pursue innovative careers and social impact initiatives.

By spotlighting the challenges and opportunities in STEM education, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow aims to inspire action among local and state education leaders and community and industry advocates. To learn more about the 2024/2025 STEM competition, which is currently underway, please visit Samsung.com/solve.

About the “The State of STEM Education” Survey

This research was conducted from November 2024, during American Education Week, through December 2024 by DonorsChoose on behalf of Samsung Electronics America’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Education initiative. It aimed to uncover the trends, innovations, and challenges U.S. public school teachers face, covering topics like STEM funding, AI in education, modernizing curricula (problem-based learning, entrepreneurship), digital ethics and safety, and access to tech resources. The survey is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,039 public middle and high school teachers from across the United States, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.