Empowering STEM through Pragmatic Competence: A Holistic Approach

Abstract

The paper addresses the need to integrate pragmatic competence into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines to enhance learners’ communication skills, collaborative capabilities, and professional readiness, enabling them to face the challenges of the 21st century. The traditional STEM curricula often emphasise technical skills and subject expertise, while overlooking the nuances of contextual language use, which is essential for teamwork, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and effective dissemination of findings. Pragmatic competence equips learners with the requisite skills to collaborate, negotiate, and present ideas clearly in real-world scenarios. In this line, the paper investigates the integration of pragmatic competence into STEM curricula, highlighting its transformative potential for developing both academic and professional outcomes. The study focuses on tertiary-level learners and discusses how pragmatic competence fosters communication and collaboration through the implementation of tasks. The sample comprises first-year B.Tech students (n=62) from the Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, and the teacher-researcher has administered the pragmatic tasks to the students. Results from this research indicate that fostering pragmatic competence not only improves student outcomes but also nurtures innovation in STEM professionals. By bridging the gap between technical expertise and effective communication, this study advocates for a holistic STEM education framework that equips the learners to navigate the complex, communicative demands of a globalised workforce. The paper further suggests adapting and integrating pragmatic skills into STEM curricula to create experimental and experiential learning opportunities for the students.