"All I know is that STEM subjects are like that" – new insights into STEM motivation and career orientation

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Dec 4, 2025
4 min read

2nd Discourse of Bronnbach of the Wittenstein Foundation

03.12.2025

At the end of November, Bronnbach Monastery once again provided an inspiring setting for the Wittenstein Foundation's second Discourse of Bronnbach. Representatives from science, business, and education discussed key new findings on STEM motivation among young people in the Main-Tauber region. The discussion was based on preliminary interim results from the DynaMINT research project conducted by the MIND Center at the University of Würzburg, which is being funded by the Wittenstein Foundation with one million euros over a period of five years and will run until 2028.

The focus was on questions such as how children and young people can be inspired to take an interest in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology, how this affects their career decisions in the long term, and which factors are most likely to discourage them.

Key findings: gaps in awareness, fears, and lack of relevance

The qualitative studies in the DynaMINT project clearly show that many students are hardly familiar with the term "STEM." For example, STEM lessons in school are perceived very differently depending on the subject, although at least some topics are described as interesting. Practical work, experiments, and teachers who explain well and allow time for questions are highlighted positively. At the same time, students report blackouts in math tests, a high need for help in math, physics, and computer science, and difficulties in linking theoretical content to concrete real-life situations.

Outside of school, young people's ideas about people who work in STEM fields tend to be stereotypical: the math teacher is male, smart, and wears a plaid shirt; people in the field of computer science are described as loners; and technicians wear work pants and construction helmets. Students do not associate existing extracurricular activities – such as crafts, tinkering, or museum visits – with STEM.

A study by the Sinus Institute comes to a similar conclusion based on its own surveys. In addition, the study mentions the increasing fear of embarrassment in class, which is particularly evident in STEM subjects and sometimes begins as early as elementary school. The study identifies teachers and the social class structure, the actual learning time available in class, opportunities for deeper "immersion" in topics through excursions or practical experiences, as well as the everyday relevance and tangible practical experience ("3D experiences") of STEM activities as key motivational drivers for young people.

The current IQB education trend also confirms a nationwide decline in mathematical and scientific skills and illustrates that social disparities remain pronounced. Gender differences continue to exist, particularly with regard to the assessment of one's own abilities in the respective subjects.

Career orientation: family, the internet, and contact with working professionals

The quantitative findings of the DynaMINT project show that for young people, family (43%), the internet (31%) and contact with working professionals (29%) were the most important sources of inspiration in the career choice process. The career aspirations mentioned in the surveys vary in specificity, ranging from "something with wood" to "working in a greenhouse" to "IT specialist for system integration." It is evident that boys have a significantly higher interest in occupations in the construction and manufacturing sector (37% of career aspirations can be attributed to this sector), while girls show a greater interest in occupations in the healthcare sector (27%) or social sector (22%).

A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation on behalf of the German Economic Institute also identifies internships, personal contacts, and vivid digital company presentations as valuable formats for career orientation from the perspective of young people.

On average, the content learned in school is perceived as moderately relevant to the professional world, with science subjects even considered to be rather irrelevant. Only in certain occupational fields is the content of science subjects considered valuable, such as biology for professions in the healthcare sector.

Plenary discussion: Involving parents more

The school representatives emphasized that the new findings confirm many known challenges, but at the same time provide important impetus for a change of perspective. The central theme highlighted was the need to involve parents at an early stage and provide them with long-term support, as they have a very significant influence on educational and career decisions.

Dr. Manfred Wittenstein, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wittenstein Foundation, called on the teachers present from the Main-Tauber region as well as Würzburg and Schweinfurt to contact the foundation with ideas for practical projects, particularly in the field of bio-intelligent topics. "Students want to be right in the middle of things and experience STEM – not just talk about it," he appealed.

Outlook

Finally, an outlook on upcoming events was provided: WITTENSTEIN SE will launch its own new series of events in 2026 under the title "Learning from Nature," which will kick off on April 16, 2026, at the Wittenstein Foundation's "enter the future" event. Parents will be specifically targeted, and there are also plans to bring speakers from the series to schools in the region more frequently.

The Bronnbach Discourse is expected to continue in 2026. Further dates will focus on in-depth analysis of the DynaMINT data and the derivation of concrete measures for the Main-Tauber district.

Bronnbach Monastery

Bronnbach Monastery, founded in 1151 as a Cistercian abbey and owned by the Main-Tauber district since 1986, serves as an extraordinary place of reflection for the event series. As a culturally revitalized center, it offers an ideal setting for interdisciplinary exchange between science and practice.

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The participants of the second Discourse of Bronnbach from science, business, and education from the Main-Tauber district, Würzburg, and Schweinfurt.

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