Integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education: Contemporary Trends and Issues

Integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education: Contemporary Trends and Issues

Integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education has been a recurring idea in American education over the past half-century. The purpose of this study is to identify contemporary trends and issues relating to integrative STEM education, using examples such as the selected historical precedents, STEM Education reform literature, the national and state STEM education standards movement, and STEM education curriculum efforts. Design-based pedagogy and engineering concepts in the K-12 education movement are also discussed as key issues of integrative STEM education. Moreover, this study describes the background and practices developed by the Integrative STEM Education program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University(Virginia Tech), which launched the first STEM education graduate program in the U.S. focusing on integrative approaches to STEM education. This study is based on a systematic review of the relevant literature and a narrative of unique educational practices regarding integrative STEM education. Several general trends and issues are addressed. First, the idea of teaching mathematics and science principles and processes in the context of engineering design/problem solving is not altogether new in K-12 education. Napoleon"s School for Industry, Calvin Woodward"s use of model-building to improve mathematics teaching and learning, and John Dewey"s educational philosophy stressing experiential learning in real-world setting. Second, STEM educational reform documents and national and state educational standards of science, technology, and mathematics explicitly recommend integrative approaches to STEM education. Third, STEM education curriculum developers have been developing and testing integrative STEM curriculum materials over the past two decades. Lastly, this study sought to describe the practical efforts of defining integrative STEM education and its many attributes, launching an integrative STEM education graduate program, and other integrative STEM education-related activities. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implementations of the findings presented and recommendations relating to continued implementation and research on integrative STEM Education practices. Research to develop sufficiently robust integrative models should be implemented in the context of integrative STEM teacher" preparation, and assessments of student cognitive and affective learning outcomes, such as achievement, interest, and motivation.

Integrative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education has been a recurring idea in American education over the past half-century. The purpose of this study is to identify contemporary trends and issues relating to integrative STEM education, using examples such as the selected historical precedents, STEM Education reform literature, the national and state STEM education standards movement, and STEM education curriculum efforts. Design-based pedagogy and engineering concepts in the K-12 education movement are also discussed as key issues of integrative STEM education. Moreover, this study describes the background and practices developed by the Integrative STEM Education program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University(Virginia Tech), which launched the first STEM education graduate program in the U.S. focusing on integrative approaches to STEM education. This study is based on a systematic review of the relevant literature and a narrative of unique educational practices regarding integrative STEM education. Several general trends and issues are addressed. First, the idea of teaching mathematics and science principles and processes in the context of engineering design/problem solving is not altogether new in K-12 education. Napoleon"s School for Industry, Calvin Woodward"s use of model-building to improve mathematics teaching and learning, and John Dewey"s educational philosophy stressing experiential learning in real-world setting. Second, STEM educational reform documents and national and state educational standards of science, technology, and mathematics explicitly recommend integrative approaches to STEM education. Third, STEM education curriculum developers have been developing and testing integrative STEM curriculum materials over the past two decades. Lastly, this study sought to describe the practical efforts of defining integrative STEM education and its many attributes, launching an integrative STEM education graduate program, and other integrative STEM education-related activities. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implementations of the findings presented and recommendations relating to continued implementation and research on integrative STEM Education practices. Research to develop sufficiently robust integrative models should be implemented in the context of integrative STEM teacher" preparation, and assessments of student cognitive and affective learning outcomes, such as achievement, interest, and motivation.