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Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is recognised as the latest development stage on the pathway to a highly capable future workforce, and is thus linked to a nation’s future development and prosperity. However, despite various appeals and efforts by the Australian Government, effective processes for constr...
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... Starting with the first of the issue, integrated STEM education is proposed as a possible solution to the problems facing the education system today (Millar, 2020), such as the lack of student interest (Bubnick et al., 2016;Thibaut et al., 2018a;Toma, 2019;Vasquez et al., 2013) and the need to enforce STEM vocations (Levrini et al., 2017;Mejias et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2022) and literacy in society on the STEM sectors (Holmlund et al., 2018;Thibaut et al., 2018a;Zhou et al., 2022). However, implementing integrated STEM education in the classroom faces significant challenges, as the process is hindered by a diverse range of theoretical and material approaches (Martín-Páez et al., 2019;Pérez-Torres et al., 2021). ...
... Starting with the first of the issue, integrated STEM education is proposed as a possible solution to the problems facing the education system today (Millar, 2020), such as the lack of student interest (Bubnick et al., 2016;Thibaut et al., 2018a;Toma, 2019;Vasquez et al., 2013) and the need to enforce STEM vocations (Levrini et al., 2017;Mejias et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2022) and literacy in society on the STEM sectors (Holmlund et al., 2018;Thibaut et al., 2018a;Zhou et al., 2022). However, implementing integrated STEM education in the classroom faces significant challenges, as the process is hindered by a diverse range of theoretical and material approaches (Martín-Páez et al., 2019;Pérez-Torres et al., 2021). ...
... In addition, the need to implement iSTEM education in classrooms has introduced a new discipline that science teachers are not usually familiar with: engineering (National Research Council, 2012). Several studies highlight the engineering design process as a key driving force in iSTEM TLSs, guiding their structure and development (Dare et al., 2018;Fan et al., 2021;Roehrig et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2022). However, current teachers face difficulties in understanding the engineering design process itself and in integrating the development of scientific knowledge throughout the process (Cunningham & Carlsen, 2014;Dare et al., 2018). ...
This paper presents the design of an integrated STEM education teaching–learning sequence (TLS) for secondary education and the adaptation of this design for the training of future science teachers, as well as the implementation and evaluation during the academic years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 in the master’s degree in secondary teacher training. This is an integrated STEM education project that seeks to design the prototype of an autonomous car using the mBot robot as a base. Thus, it allows for the integration of physics kinematics with robotics programming guided by an engineering design. This study was carried out with 43 pre-service teachers, and the impact on both content and procedural knowledge and attitudes was analyzed. The results show an increase in knowledge; reflect the usefulness of the tools used to work on design, evaluation, and optimization procedures; and, finally, a change in the students’ emotions towards a more positive perception of the disciplines involved and the subject to be dealt with in the project.
... problembased learning). Similarly, Zhou et al. (2020) highlighted three attributes of a STEM approach: use of real-world contexts, integration of disciplines, and use of a problem-solving approach. Despite these commonalities, uncertainty still exists regarding how a STEM approach should be implemented (Moore et al., 2020). ...
... While these drawbacks provide some rationale for the difference in perceived applicability of the teaching strategies between the two approaches, interrogation of individual teaching strategies provides further insight. This is provided here by focusing on those teaching strategies which Zhou et al. (2020) highlights as the key attributes of a STEM approach (real-world contexts, integration of the disciplines, and problem-solving) (see below). ...
... As noted earlier, three characteristics have widespread recognition as reflecting a STEM approach. These include the solving of an authentic, real-world problem (Dare et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2020) through a problem-solving/problem-based approach (Moore et al., 2020;Zhou et al., 2020) and an integrated approach linking two or more STEM disciplines (Dare et al., 2021;English, 2016b;Kelley & Knowles, 2016). Despite these key characteristics, when using a STEM approach, a proportion of teachers in the study would only 'sometimes' use real-world problems (19%) or problem-based learning (38%). ...
An integrated approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is prioritised in many countries, including Australia. This study provides insight into secondary school mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the affordances of a STEM approach for mathematics with a focus on selected STEM teaching strategies. Teachers’ perceptions can influence their practices and the potential uptake of STEM in mathematics classrooms. Thirty-two Australian secondary school mathematics teachers completed a questionnaire that included Likert scale items to determine their reported use of six STEM teaching strategies for ‘typical’ mathematics teaching and mathematics teaching with a STEM approach. Responses to open-ended questions provided data on teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of a STEM approach. Quantitative analysis revealed most teachers reported they would not regularly use teaching strategies such as collaborative learning and problem-based learning in their ‘typical’ mathematics teaching, although these would be frequently used (together with real-world problems) when adopting a STEM approach. STEM teaching strategies were reported as more applicable when teaching mathematics with a STEM approach than in ‘typical’ mathematics lessons. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses found that teachers viewed a STEM approach as beneficial for its use of real-world problem-solving, and for promoting meaningfulness of mathematics. The findings suggested that while mathematics teachers may value the teaching strategies of a STEM approach, this may not translate to classroom practice. There is a tension in balancing the perceived benefits of STEM teaching strategies, against perceived drawbacks.
... Moreover, the subjects that teachers teach play a significant role in their motivation to teach CT (Fagerlund et al., 2022), with teachers of STEM-related subjects being the most motivated to integrate CT into their teaching. This alignment is due to both areas emphasizing problem-solving skills (Mumcu et al., 2023;Zhou et al., 2020). Additionally, it is possible that this shared focus has become so deeply ingrained in teaching practices that educators have internalized it, taking for granted the mutual relevance of these skills in their disciplines. ...
Many education policy strategy documents at the European Union level, as well as national strategies of various countries, recommend including computational thinking as a fundamental skill in curricula. The professional development of teachers should be supported to disseminate computational thinking in K12 education. Teachers’ value beliefs about computer science and programming should be first known when designing professional development programs. This study aims twofold. The first is to adapt the Teacher Beliefs about Coding and Computational Thinking (TBaCCT) Scale into Turkish. The second is to explore Turkish primary and secondary school teachers' value beliefs about computational thinking and programming. The study involved 417 teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for the validity studies of the scale. Independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and MANOVA analysis were used to examine whether the scores differed according to gender and subject, respectively. The findings show that the Turkish form of the TBaCCT Scale is valid and reliable. For programming self-efficacy and teaching programming efficacy, there is a significant difference between male and female teachers, computer science teachers and other subjects, and elementary mathematics, class and science teachers and other teachers. Teachers working in social sciences especially need professional development programs that will transform their beliefs and knowledge about computational thinking.
... Instructional design refers to the systematic procedures of developing course content, instructional materials and modules for the instructional process (Reiser and Dempsey 2006). The instructional design of STEM courses highlights three attributes: subject integration, problem solving and real-world or authentic contexts (Zhou et al. 2022). It is not easy for teachers to integrate the subject content. ...
... IGID refers to the process by which teachers generate novel and potentially useful instructional design ideas in terms of teaching content, teaching activities and teaching tools to ensure that the stages of the process are properly planned and organized (Hutchinson and Tracey 2015;McDonald and Yanchar 2020). Taking the design of STEM teaching content as an example, it should involve synthesized knowledge of multiple subject areas that can be used to solve practical problems (Zhou et al. 2022). STEM teaching activities should also be connected to authentic context problems or the real-world to foster students' positive STEM attitudes (C.-C. ...
Amidst the unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of education has undergone profound transformations. One of the most notable shifts has been the rapid transition to online teaching methodologies. This transition has highlighted the critical role of teachers in self-regulating their instructional approaches while actively engaging in the realm of online learning. In this study, we delve into this dynamic environment, closely examining the practices of different age groups of educators: 177 teachers aged 20-30, 217 teachers aged 31-40, 68 teachers aged 41-50, and 15 teachers aged 51 and above. Our research takes a comprehensive approach, organizing the investigation into three distinct phases, each comprising six essential elements. Through this structured analysis, intriguing patterns emerge, particularly within the Performance and Appraisal Phase, where notable disparities among age groups within the Self-regulated Teaching Model become evident. In response to the multifaceted challenges posed by online teaching, our study proposes a compelling solution. We advocate for a strategic alignment of instructors from diverse age groups to collaboratively guide online courses. By harnessing the collective strengths and perspectives of educators across generations, this collaborative pedagogical approach has the potential to significantly enhance the efficacy of online teaching endeavors.
... There is already substantial literature addressing the diverse opinions on integrated STEM education definitions and integration types [17,26,42,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. Additionally, there are also reviews focused on assessment of student learning [51], effects in students [24,25] and in minority social groups [52], STEM literacy [11], early childhood education [53], teachers' perceptions [38], teachers' professional development [40,54,55], and communities of practice [56]. ...
... There is a significant consensus emphasising that STEM projects should start from a real-world problem. While some authors view the real-world context as an independent principle apart from the "central problem" principle [36,50,63], the strong connection between the use of problems and real-world context leads us to consolidate both principles into one (Table 3). In addition, these problems are characterised by several properties, such as involving several disciplines (complex), not having a simple solution (extended), having several paths and solutions (open and ill-structured), being connected to the learners' lived experiences, and appearing in a variety of real contexts (persistent). ...
... Consequently, based on the activities the authors outlined when describing the engineering design process, we have derived the following sequence of activities: definition of the problem, including the specification of criteria and constraints; researching and developing solutions and evaluating their pros and cons; prototyping or modelling; testing; assessing; optimising; reconstructing; and communicating. Notably, from those activities, prototyping and modelling are mentioned only in six papers [36,50,61,64,65,69], and communicating the results appears only five times [60,61,65,69,74]. Additionally, English's article [61] includes a new idea based on system thinking, which is defined as the ability to understand a problem as a system of interacting elements. ...
Integrated STEM education is increasingly present in classrooms and in educational research, as it is proposed as a possible strategy to improve the problems of students’ lack of interest in scientific–technological disciplines. However, this increased interest in STEM education has been paralleled by a loss of cohesion in the interpretations of its theoretical basis and by an ongoing discussion on integrated STEM education’s foundations, making its understanding, translation into real projects, and evaluation difficult to undertake. Published articles defining a STEM theoretical framework have different descriptions, so the aim of this systematic literature review is to analyse these explanations and compare them with each other. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 27 articles of interest about STEM and STEAM education were obtained and analysed with a focus on the principles and characteristics described in the texts. After organising the information and analysing the similarities and differences in the principles and characteristics, we concluded that there is great consensus on the principles of “integration”, “real-world problems”, “inquiry”, “design”, and “teamwork”. Nonetheless, this review identifies areas of discussion regarding both the principles and their characteristics that invite further analysis to refine our understanding of what integrated STEM education should entail.
... Design-Based Learning allows teachers to design, test, and improve innovative, structured, and engaging educational methods, such as the use of software and 3D printing in STEAM education (Hsu & Ou, 2022;Lavicza et al., 2022). With the adoption of design-based pedagogy, teachers have the opportunity to visualize relevant instructional processes, such as creating integrated STEM design projects and developing methods for implementing design projects, prototypes, and testing with 3D printing (Cheng et al., 2021;Zhou et al., 2020). Teachers can also apply the 5E model of learning to engage students in the process of discovering conceptual material through 3D printing, supporting their understanding (Pizzolato et al., 2018). ...
3D printing transforms abstract contexts into more concrete ones and effectively enhances creativity. The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits and challenges teachers face in using 3D printing. The research method used in this study involved a narrative review of various literatures related to the use of 3D printing by science teachers. The results of this study show that there are benefits in using 3D printing as well as barriers experienced by science teachers. The benefits obtained by teachers are not only limited to themselves but also colleagues due to collaboration and of course for students. Teachers' pedagogical skills in designing lessons and using technology also experienced positive changes. Meanwhile, the obstacles in using 3D printing are also felt by teachers such as limited teacher skills, availability of tools and the use of tools that are relatively time-consuming.
... In higher education, it is used to design courses for research and other complex skills in various domains (Bastiaens et al., 2017;Frèrejean et al., 2019). Yet, applications of the model also appear in general secondary education and even primary education for teaching complex skills in traditional school subjects (e.g., Melo, 2018;Melo & Miranda, 2015;Wade et al., 2023) and specifc skills (e.g., Costa & Miranda, 2019;Güney, 2019aGüney, , 2019bLinden et al., 2013;Maddens et al., 2020;Zhou et al., 2022). Finally, it is used in continuous professional development; for example, in the felds of teacher training (Frèrejean et al., 2021;Kukharuk et al., 2023;Meutstege et al., 2023) and medical training (Kolcu et al., 2020). ...
... Learning through design stimulates integrated STEM learning experiences, as design problem-solving often requires engineering practice, technology literacy, mathematical reasoning, and scientific knowledge [29,30], while also actively engaging spatial thinking [31,32]. Exploring how K-12 pupils' spatial abilities may be related to their design ability appears to be a relevant topic of investigation. ...
... Co-design often occurs in the context of multiple stakeholder groups, where one stakeholder group is considering the experiences of another during design activities (Kerr et al., 2022). A domain where this situation often occurs is in education (e.g., Kyza & Nicolaidou, 2017;Zhou et al., 2022) where teachers are co-designing for their students' learning without those students being present. In such situations, there is a need for design approaches that facilitate empathy for the group of people who are not 'in the room' during designing. ...
This paper explores the use of personas in co-designing learning experiences for students. It reviews existing literature about the use of personas within the design process and then presents a case study of a group of teachers (N = 15) and designers collaboratively designing (co-designing) a term-long learning experience for a group of digital technologies students in a high school. The paper draws upon theory and results from the exploratory case study to suggest that there is significant value in using personas early in the design process when a group of co-designers are designing for a group who are absent—in this case, students. The paper shares a description of the co-design process and the use of personas, as well as an analysis of the personas created and the participant perceptions of the value of the activity. It outlines a three-step activity framework for using creative personas effectively in similar situations where a group of teachers-as-designers are co-designing for absent students. It proposes that personas are valuable for groups of teachers co-designing for students as a way to evoke empathy, aid in problem framing, and set up a space for creative thinking as part of an iterative design process.
... Instructional design refers to the systematic procedures of developing course content, instructional materials and modules for the instructional process (Reiser and Dempsey 2006). The instructional design of STEM courses highlights three attributes: subject integration, problem solving and real-world or authentic contexts (Zhou et al. 2022). It is not easy for teachers to integrate the subject content. ...
... IGID refers to the process by which teachers generate novel and potentially useful instructional design ideas in terms of teaching content, teaching activities and teaching tools to ensure that the stages of the process are properly planned and organized (Hutchinson and Tracey 2015;McDonald and Yanchar 2020). Taking the design of STEM teaching content as an example, it should involve synthesized knowledge of multiple subject areas that can be used to solve practical problems (Zhou et al. 2022). STEM teaching activities should also be connected to authentic context problems or the real-world to foster students' positive STEM attitudes (C.-C. ...
