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Students' use of STEM content in design justifications during engineering design‐based STEM integration

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Abstract

Engineering design‐based STEM integration is one potential model to help students integrate content and practices from all of the STEM disciplines. In this study, we explored the intersection of two aspects of pre‐college STEM education: the integration of the STEM disciplines, and the NGSS practice of engaging in argument from evidence within engineering. Specifically, our research question was: While generating and justifying solutions to engineering design problems in engineering design‐based STEM integration units, what STEM content do elementary and middle school students discuss? We used naturalistic inquiry to analyze student team audio recordings from seven curricular units in order to identify the variety of STEM content present as students justified their design ideas and decisions (i.e., used evidence‐based reasoning). Within the four disciplines, fifteen STEM content categories emerged. Particularly interesting were the science and mathematics categories. All seven student teams used unit‐based science, and five used unit‐based mathematics, to support their design ideas. Five teams also applied science and/or mathematics content that was outside the scope of the units' learning objectives. Our results demonstrate that students integrated content from all four STEM disciplines when justifying engineering design ideas and solutions, thus supporting engineering design‐based STEM integration as a curricular model.

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... Engineering design and thinking, though unique to its discipline, are also known to provide linkages across the STEM continuum (Bryan et al., 2015;Lucas et al., 2014) provided, of course, the STEM projects are suitably conceptualized. Our study further highlights that engineering design-based STEM integration, where an engineering design catalyzes the learning of all four STEM disciplines concurrently, holds great potential as a pedagogical construct to enable students to develop content mastery and establish core ideas across STEM (Siverling et al., 2019). While other studies have utilized evidencebased reasoning by analyzing student discussions to illuminate how students apply science and mathematics content they had previously learnt to a given engineering design challenge (for example, Mathis et al., 2018), our work has shown that new insights can be gleaned by examining the artifacts and student reflections, in a scenario where the students not just discussed the solution but proceeded to implement their ideas over a period of time. ...
... Moreover, we feel that engineering design considerations and STEM content are not mutually exclusive -the latter very much drives the former. The students' engagement in the engineering design process (Cunningham and Kelly, 2017;Dalvi and Wendell, 2024;Siverling et al., 2019) is evident as we inspected their drawings and prototypes. ...
... The prototypes they developed in the process of harnessing concepts within STEM are testimony to this. In this context, our findings are in line with the work of Mathis et al. (2018), who noted that domain-specific knowledge learned in school settings feature in the design processes for engineering problems as well as those of Siverling et al. (2019), who noted that students would still need to draw on new knowledge as well. All these still operate within the ambit of sense-making by the students. ...
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Few studies in the education literature have focused on integrated STEM in a comprehensive manner and, even among these, there does not seem to be a significant emphasis on all the four disciplines. In addition, there are hardly any studies that focus on transitioning across prototype variants to demonstrate students’ understanding of what they must grapple with, including STEM concepts while coming up with a product. This qualitative study explored how a group of high school students harnessed the constituent disciplines of STEM to fabricate an interactive exhibit on laminar flow in an iterative manner. It was found that in the process of prototyping a working model of the exhibit, the students were able to demonstrate a working understanding of 37 relevant concepts in the four STEM disciplines, with science (14) and engineering (10) predominating, followed by technology (8) and mathematics (5). The students were able to incorporate four levels of interactivity in the exhibit, and this allowed visitors to explore the factors affecting laminar flow in the exhibit during a public exhibition in the school. Examination of the STEM dispositions of the students indicated a positive influence as a result of the activity. To the best of our knowledge, this study has incorporated the highest number of STEM concepts. We argue for the need for more studies that integrate all the four constituent disciplines of STEM in promoting integrated STEM education.
... In analyzing SWoT through a sociocultural theoretical lens, we have found argumentation to be a central component, particularly in learning situations that afford student thinking and conjecture (Lesseig et al., 2023;Slavit et al., 2022). Argumentation has received significant attention in research on student learning in science (McNeill & Krajcik, 2012), mathematics (Kazemi et al., 2021), and engineering (Siverling et al., 2019). Our decision to structure our analysis around argumentation is also bolstered by the fact that argumentation is receiving increased attention in STEM education (English & Lehmann, 2023;Miller et al., 2023). ...
... Example-based reasoning involved the use of analogic thinking grounded in a student's past experience. Finally, principle-based reasoning was defined as "working forward from deep structural features (Worsley and Blikstein, 2017, p. 64)." Siverling et al., (2019Siverling et al., ( , 2021 work is particularly relevant to our study, as they also explored connections between argumentation and the integration of STEM content within an engineering context. Focusing on student uses of engineering-based reasoning, they found that students used content knowledge and practices across all four STEM disciplines when engaged in design-based tasks. ...
... This study makes use of design tasks which have been shown to provide fertile ground for analyzing multidisciplinary STEM thinking (Siverling et al., 2019). The STEM education literature is replete with perspectives on multidisciplinary STEM thinking (English, 2016), which we view as thinking that incorporates more than one STEM discipline, as well as transdisciplinary thinking, which we view as thinking in which disciplinary boundaries are suspended in order to solve problems that are greater than any one discipline (Kelley & Knowles, 2016;Takeuchi et al., 2020). ...
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Research on argumentation as part of students’ ways of thinking in STEM is currently limited. The purpose of this paper is to utilize an argumentation framework to illustrate trends in student thinking that surface during STEM-based learning activity. We provide details on our analytic coding process followed by results from our analysis of four learning episodes in collaborative, non-formal, STEM-based learning environments. Our findings illustrate that student thinking, as evidenced in student argumentation practices, followed certain trends. Specifically, student claims were characterized by their explicit, informal, certain, and novel nature. In-the-moment activities, such as observation and manipulation, were the primary sources of evidence used. Finally, the primary locus of reasoning to support the claims came from the students, not an authority or more knowledgeable other, as the students made regular use of experience and drew on their own personal authority. In addition to these trends, our analysis revealed three important characteristics of the students’ learning experiences as related to student thinking. These included how the task influenced the disciplinary nature of the thinking, students’ use of in-the-moment evidence, and the role of challenge claims. Implications on curriculum and instruction are provided, including a call for learning environments that encourage risk in support of student claim making and learning activities that promote and build on the use of in-the-moment evidence.
... Another significant challenge for many teachers is finding quality curriculum materials that allow students an authentic engineering experience of having to iterate and improve on their designs. [8], [24]. ...
... The studies are grounded in discourse [4] analysis showing the ways that teachers have spoken and presented information have a significant impact on student interest in science and engineering [28]. An example from one case study showed that the number of prompts by the teacher for design justifications had an impact on the amount of science used by two different groups performing the same exercise [24]. Additional investigations of classroom demonstrations performed by teachers with follow-on experiments that allowed students to take ownership of their engineering designs and intellectual creativity show positive impacts on student interest [29]. ...
... The data from the two teams had methods and coding schema applied in the same way to reveal their reasons and rationale for designing their solutions based on the science learned. Data was gathered with the goals of: #1 Answering the question of what engineering design tradeoffs occurred as science knowledge increased while students refined their solutions using the EDP? [4], [7] #2 Gaining an understanding of what science was discussed and learned while using the EDP in each class session [4], [24]. As the data is comprised of audio, video, and imagery, a hybrid style of deductive and inductive coding was applied for the individual sets. ...
... Throughout the iterative design process, students are expected to assess and reflect upon how well their design addresses and responds to the problem at hand. This includes reflecting on meeting criteria and constraints, but it also requires that students use their knowledge of STEM content and data from iterative testing to refine their solutions (Siverling et al., 2019). It is critical that K-12 students have opportunities to fully engage in the iterative engineering design process, completing at least one cycle of redesign (Wendell et al., 2017), so that they can meaningfully participate in this reflective process. ...
... Our framework also addresses the need for students to engage in STEM practices and develop 21 st century skills within integrated STEM learning. Broadly speaking, their inclusion is meant to present a more accurate depiction of the work of STEM professionals (Reyante et al., 2020), which relies on engaging in scientific and engineering practices (NRC, 2012), evidence-based reasoning (Siverling et al., 2019), and the creation, collection, manipulation, analysis, and visualization of data (Weintrop et al., 2016). This enables students to learn how to "do STEM" in a realistic context that shifts the pedagogy towards a more student-centered exploration in which they exercise agency (Berland & Steingut, 2016;Miller et al., 2018). ...
... These two items collectively address the need for divergent thinking through the development of multiple solutions (Item 3) and evidence-based reasoning (Item 8). Without these two components, engineering design looks more like tinkering through trial and error rather than critically thinking about design solutions (e.g., Crismond & Adams, 2012; Siverling et al., 2019). What is surprising with this finding is that the contextualizing professional development heavily focused on these two components, so the low item scores could reflect how the curriculum units were designed and implemented. ...
... This iterative nature also provides a meaningful context for learning scientific, mathematics, and technological concepts (NRC, 2009). In this sense, engineering design-based STEM education can be defined as a pedagogical approach that the engineering-design process is used as a means for learning STEM disciplines (Siverling et al., 2019). ...
... Besides, developing students' problem-solving skills, students' participation in an engineering design-based STEM education was reported to have positive effects including greater science content knowledge (Brand, 2020;Fan & Yu, 2017;Kelly & Sung, 2017;Wendell & Rogers, 2013), and improved decision-making and scientific thinking skills (Azevedo et al., 2015). Moreover, through engineering-based STEM integration, students were able to use content knowledge of all four disciplines (Siverling et al., 2019). ...
... STEM education creates an appropriate context where students can enhance their design practices and design thinking (English, 2018), understanding of the engineering design process (Berland et al., 2010;Cunningham & Lachapelle, 2007), higher-order thinking skills, and engineering design practices (Fan & Yu, 2017). Despite the increasing attention to engineering design-based STEM education from researchers all around the world, many efforts focused on how engineering can be merged into elementary science classes (English & King, 2015;Guzey et al., 2016Guzey et al., , 2017Siverling et al., 2019) and teachers' practices in engineering design-based STEM education (Dare et al., 2014;Hardre et al. 2013;Herro & Quigley, 2017;Hsu et al., 2011;Guzey et al., 2014;Nadelson et al., 2013). On the other hand, studies focusing on future teachers (pre-service science teachers) are relatively few (Aydın-Gunbatar et al., 2018;Karisan et al., 2019;Ryu et al., 2019) and are in their infancy to the best of our knowledge. ...
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National reform documents all around the world issue an urgent need for the development of integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) curricula. With the emphasis on the development of STEM curricula, there is also a need for improving teachers’ and future teachers’ conceptions of the integrated STEM approach. This study responds to this call by providing a context to develop pre-service science teachers’ understanding of STEM disciplines.Query In this study, we explored how the engineering design-based intervention developed the pre-service science teachers' understanding of integrated STEM education. For this purpose, four STEM activities that focus on a daily-life problem and an iterative engineering design process to solve the problem were adopted. The results revealed that participants’ understanding of science was developed throughout the activities (i.e., from the first to the last activity). Similarly, there was an enrichment in their understanding of the engineering design process. On the other hand, there was no gradual development in participants’ understanding of mathematics implying that participants had difficulties in making explicit connections with mathematics throughout the activities. Implications for effective STEM courses for developing pre-service science teachers’ understanding of STEM disciplines and STEM courses in pre-service science teacher education programs were discussed.
... Engineers must make and justify decisions based on the available information, such as empirical data from prototype testing, mathematics and science principles, the available materials and their properties, the criteria and constraints of the design, and even personal experiences (e.g., Antink-Meyer & Brown, 2019; Cunningham & Kelly, 2017a;Siverling et al., 2019). With this in mind, it is important that students consider how they justify the decisions they make in developing their design products. ...
... often use intuitive rules to make design decisions, although they do so less often with more laboratory experience (Eshach & Kukliansky, 2018). The literature shows that elementary students draw on a broad range of STEM content when designing solutions (Siverling et al., 2019) as well as appeals to either personal authority or data (Jung & McFadden, 2018). Wilson-Lopez et al. (2020) found that, within K-12 engineering education literature, the majority of participants included scientific principles in their justifications, and at least one-third included criteria such as environmental impacts and cost. ...
... Engineers must make decisions based on evidence (e.g., Cunningham & Kelly, 2017a;Dym et al., 2005) and other knowledge sources (e.g., Norström, 2013;Siverling et al., 2019). In this study, the group meaningfully considered the justification criterion for design (Codes 3b and 3c) throughout both SDCs (Table 3), consistently using multiple sources of knowledge, including evidence from testing and scientific principles, when they justified their designs. ...
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Recent trends have shifted the focus of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education onto practice-based learning, to encourage opportunities for students to engage in science and engineering practices (SEPs) with the goal of more meaningful participation and engagement in authentic STEM experiences for all students. However, we do not fully understand how K-12 engineering students use the SEP of argumentation to design solutions or make problem-solving decisions. In this study, we examine middle school students' discourse to understand the epistemic criteria students use when making design decisions and how they meaningfully take up epistemic practices for engineering, specifically when engaging in engineering design. We find that students use five epistemic criteria (nature, creativity and innovation , justification, collaboration, and the user) in ways meaningful to design-oriented goals, even at the beginning of the school year, and that consideration of these criteria varies according to the implicit goals in each stage of the design process. These findings suggest that (i) students took up epistemic goals for sensemaking and designing solutions, and (ii) students already possessed the skills and abilities to meaningfully engage in design Sci Educ. 2023;1-35. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sce
... Project-based learning has been proposed as a means of ensuring that Mathematics is explored in depth alongside other curriculum areas. Through a naturalistic inquiry of seven United States classrooms, Siverling et al. (2019) identified that collaboration and dialogue supported learning during integrated engineering design group projects. They found that students often drew on mathematical content beyond the intended foci of the unit to justify choices made to their peers. ...
... The researchers followed six first-year secondary students while they completed a fivelesson unit on aircraft wing design that involved learning physics concepts about airflow, studying aeroplane exhibits, then constructing a foam plane and investigating its flight. Like Siverling et al. (2019), the authors found that dialogue between group members enabled them to develop and share mathematical knowledge. Additionally, they observed that many individuals used gestures and movement to communicate mathematical concepts during their discussions (e.g., by using their arms to represent various shapes). ...
... This is often justified by the high compatibility of disciplinary knowledge in these fields (Frykholm & Glasson, 2005;Treacy & O'Donoghue, 2014). Funding availability may also encourage this limited scope, with many studies supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (e.g., Aminger et al., 2021;de Freitas & Bentley, 2012;Weinberg & Sample McMeeking, 2017) or similar organisations (e.g., Ní Ríordáin et al., 2015;Siverling et al., 2019;Thibaut et al., 2018). Research in this area is also frequently justified through fiscal profitability. ...
Thesis
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Curriculum integration is frequently promoted as a means of enabling deeper and more authentic learning, with Mathematics often considered a suitable subject for doing so. This review investigates which elements contribute to the effectiveness of Mathematics integration in secondary education. Teacher factors include attitudes towards integrative practices and knowledge of both disciplinary content and curriculum integration theory. Pedagogy factors concern utilising activities that best synthesise concepts from multiple subjects to enhance learning, especially projects. Institutional factors relate to curriculum and assessment requirements as well as school-level variables such as access to planning time and professional development. Limitations in the research literature include a narrow focus on connecting Mathematics with scientific disciplines, a reliance on qualitative methods and small sample sizes, and unknown generalisability to education systems other than those in which studies were conducted. Even so, attempting to navigate the factors involved in effective curriculum integration with Mathematics appears worthwhile.
... The Toulmin's argumentation model strongly advocates for engaging students in the development of problem-solving arguments using discussions and principles in STEM subjects [15]. Students integrate content from all four STEM subjects when they justify engineering design ideas and solutions [17]. Therefore, argumentation-supported STEM education is one potential model to help students integrate content and practices from all of the STEM disciplines through discussions [17]. ...
... Students integrate content from all four STEM subjects when they justify engineering design ideas and solutions [17]. Therefore, argumentation-supported STEM education is one potential model to help students integrate content and practices from all of the STEM disciplines through discussions [17]. There are findings that argumentationsupported STEM education can positively contribute to the success of student outcomes in the science curriculum [18,19]. ...
... There are findings that argumentationsupported STEM education can positively contribute to the success of student outcomes in the science curriculum [18,19]. In short, argumentation should be taken into consideration as one of the foundational practices for students to integrate knowledge and skills from all STEM subjects to solve real-world problems in integrated STEM units [17,18,20]. This gave us the novel idea of combining the argumentation-supported STEM and 5E-STEM education, which was named the argumentation-supported 5E-STEM (A-5E-STEM) model and then applied in a science curriculum to further enhance students' learning outcomes. ...
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5E-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (5E-STEM) education is known to be one of the most used pedagogical models in STEM-oriented science courses for middle school students. However, the 5E model lacks a clear explanation of how STEM subjects are strongly linked in each of its operational “E”. In this study, a novel approach was proposed with the use of the argumentation-supported 5E-STEM (A-5E-STEM) model in the science curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in learning achievements, learning motivation, learning interest, and higher-order thinking skills of middle school students between teaching science using A-5E-STEM, 5E-STEM, and conventional didactic methods. A semi-experimental study with post-test only non-equivalent groups design was used. A “Separating Mixtures” unit in the 6th grade Natural Science curriculum was designed with A-5E-STEM and 5E-STEM model orientation. The participants were three 6th grade classes with a total of one hundred and twenty students at a public middle school in Hanoi City, Vietnam. The first experimental group was taught science using the A-5E-STEM model, the second experimental group was taught science using the 5E-STEM model, and a control group was taught the science unit with conventional didactic methods. A post-test was used to collect data on learning achievement, and questionnaires were used to collect data on learning motivation, interest, and higher-order thinking skills of middle school students in the science curriculum. The findings showed that the effect of teaching science using the A-5E-STEM model on learning achievement, motivation, interest, and higher-order thinking skills of middle school students was significantly superior to that of the 5E-STEM model and conventional didactic methods. Therefore, science teachers are expected to increase the use of the A-5E-STEM model in their related curriculum.
... Third, students analyze and evaluate other people's ideas when they are asked to negotiate to come up with a group consensus [29]. Fourth, students develop and exercise critical thinking skills when they engage in evidence-based reasoning which requires justification of claims and design decisions with evidence [30], [31]. Fifth, students construct knowledge through collection, analysis, and evaluation when they engage in data practices [32], [33]. ...
... Third, by allowing students to exercise agency in and reflect on STEM practices, learning becomes more meaningful to them as they are able to construct their own knowledge [34], [35]. And finally, evidence-based reasoning activities require students to develop and exercise critical thinking skills and justify their claims and design decisions with evidence [30], [31]. ...
... Research has proposed that when students are dealing with a design-based project, it's beneficial for the students to solve the tasks in a cross-subjects unit approach, which means they are applying knowledge from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to design their projects [24]. For example, when the students doing a design project, they might utilize fundamental science knowledge, technological research, robotic engineering, and math measurement or calculation skills to help them finish the design. ...
... For example, when the students doing a design project, they might utilize fundamental science knowledge, technological research, robotic engineering, and math measurement or calculation skills to help them finish the design. The research also indicates that employing the multidisciplinary approach enhances students' overall comprehension of STEM subjects and problem-solving competency [24]. The implication of this study for educators is that when designing a project-based STEM assessment for students, they can integrate the content of four subjects into an integrated unit that will promote students' comprehensive thinking in STEM design and application skills. ...
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With the growing population of immigrant students and the demands of STEM professionals in the U.S. labor market, the quality of STEM education (Science, technology, engineering, and math) for students with immigration backgrounds need to be addressed. This study focuses on how to support children of immigrants who are aged from kindergarten to sixth grade in their STEM learning within American classrooms. By reviewing 27 articles from 2003 to 2022, the research develops strategies to support this group's students in their STEM learning from the following perspectives: family engagement, linguistic culturally responsive teaching, and project-based integrated STEM learning. Firstly, the family engagement approach shows that the home-school connection provides a consistent STEM learning environment for the students. Secondly, the linguistic culturally responsive teaching reflects students’ STEM identities and incorporates their interest in STEM learning. Lastly, the project-based integrated STEM learning strategies accommodate students’ individual needs in their STEM learning and deepen their comprehension of each STEM subject.
... Developing solutions to an engineering design challenge relies on using and developing understanding of content from multiple disciplines (e.g., Thibaut et al., 2018) and engaging in engineering design practices (Berland & Steingut, 2016;NAE and NRC, 2014). As students iteratively test their designs, they are expected to reflect on how well their design addresses the client's needs and use their knowledge of STEM content and data from iterative testing to refine their solutions (Siverling et al., 2019). Thus, it is critical that K-12 students have opportunities to fully engage in the iterative engineering design process and engage in at least one cycle of redesign (Wendell et al., 2017). ...
... STEM Practices Integrated STEM instruction should directly engage students in STEM practices such as scientific and engineering practices (NRC, 2012), evidence-based reasoning (Siverling et al., 2019), and the creation, collection, manipulation, analysis, and visualization of data (Weintrop et al., 2016). Such practices are "a representation of what practitioners do as they engage in their work, and they are a necessary part of what students must do to learn a subject and understand the nature of the field" (Reynante et al., 2020, p. 3). ...
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To address the lack of a classroom observation protocol aligned with integrated STEM , the author team developed one to measure the degree of integrated STEM instruction implemented in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. This study demonstrates how our instrument can be used to uncover the dimensions of integrated STEM instruction practiced in K-12 classrooms and to determine which protocol items are associated with each of these dimensions. This article reports on the results of a principal component analysis ( PCA ) using 2030 K-12 classroom observation videos. PCA revealed two core dimensions of integrated STEM education. Real-world problem-solving includes 21st century skills and STEM practices necessary for developing solutions to real-world problems. Nature of Integrated STEM includes items that promote integration between the real-world context, students’ personal experiences, STEM careers, and STEM content. The authors’ analysis also suggests the possibility of an additional dimension of integrated STEM involving technology practices in STEM .
... Through the implementation of the engineering design process, STEM becomes a pedagogical architecture that enables engineering design to drive learning across the four STEM disciplines. This is one possible paradigm for assisting students in integrating material and practices from all STEM disciplines [77]. Engineering components are highlighted in the process, and the design of the solutions is compared to the solution. ...
... Teachers' exposure to engineering tasks, activities, and engineering design processes can indirectly encourage students to be active in their learning by developing engineering habits, namely system thinking, optimism, creativity, communication, collaboration, and attention to ethical considerations [78]. In addition, experienced STEM teachers would help students successfully integrate the four STEM disciplines [77,79,80]. Although integration of STEM activities is considered difficult and teachers need a strong understanding of the integrated content, teachers can increase their disciplinary knowledge within STEM through activities implemented in PD programs. ...
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The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field is a crucial global driver for the development of various aspects of modern society, such as the economy, technology, education, and skills of the 21st-century workforce. All countries strive to produce STEM talent to meet future economic markets. Sustained professional development (PD) can support reform in STEM. Teachers need professional training to improve their knowledge, understanding, and teaching practices, which affect the development of their students’ meaningful learning. As a result, a systematic study was carried out to identify STEM PD activities and their influence on teachers’ knowledge and instructional methods. The peer-reviewed publications were published between 2017 and 2021, and Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost databases were used to find them. A comprehensive review of these empirical articles produced a total of 15 subthemes under activities and impact themes. The results exhibited that the dominant activities of STEM PD included engineering activities that indirectly had an extremely high impact on teachers’ knowledge and teaching practices related to engineering design, the problem-solving process as it relates to the engineering design process, and experiences of scientists and engineers. Finally, several recommendations for STEM PD sustainability and future research reference are presented.
... The authors purposefully formed undergraduate teams to foster teamwork and develop partnerships. Researchers showcased how discussions based on evidence-based justification for design decisions among middle school students were a key factor in fully integrating STEM disciplines [40]. Applications to the real-world extend to not only the problem chosen, but also to the teamwork (potentially forming partnerships) necessary in STEM disciplines as well as education. ...
... Moreover, teams integrated the disciplines of STEM to build a payload that relied on aspects of each STEM discipline. This integration of discipline knowledge was crucial for a successful problem resolution and indicates that STEM integration can solve some of the issues discussed by researchers [18,40]. ...
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The purpose of this study was to explore how undergraduate college students formed partnerships in informal educational teams to design and build an interdisciplinary, ill-defined, integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project and translate it to lessons taught to a pre-collegiate student (e.g., K-12 in the US) audience. The authors pursued two research questions: (a) How does an authentic research project provide space for integrating STEM disciplines? (b) How does an authentic research project impact partnerships among team members? Nine undergraduate college students were accepted into the 2020 cohort, forming three teams of three undergraduates each. Teams were roughly composed of one engineering major, one science major, and one education major. Methods of data collection included interviews and field notes. Data were analyzed by assessing the level of partnership achieved based on an already established model. Results indicate that all teams progressed through pre-partnership to at least the partnership (little p) level. Two partnership dimensions achieved the highest (big P) level: one of perception of benefit and one of products and activities. The results have implications that integration of STEM disciplines and forming partnerships could be related, and that building teamwork skills results in products of higher quality. The results are linked to previous research and recommendations for more effective partnerships are provided.
... Inevitably, the first prototypes of a penguin habitat results in a failure, or minimal success event. Thus, during the Decide phase, students are expected to use both evidence (from iterative testing) and reasoning (using the target scientific and mathematical content) to improve their prototype [65]. Teachers typically guide students in this analysis which most often leads to discussion and reinforcement of the target science content from the Learn phase. ...
... In the Save the Penguins curriculum, the most "successful" way to limit melting of the ice cube is to create an insulated capsule in which the ice cube is sealed, place the capsule on a platform (minimizing heat transfer by conduction from contact with the black floor of the solar cooker), and then cover the capsule with mylar (minimizing heat transfer by radiation). Most students in the original curriculum come up with something very similar in their final designs [65]. While the science content set out by the curriculum is achieved by these designs, creativity and innovation are not. ...
Article
The sentiment that creativity is the most important skill needed to solve the problems that we face is repeated by different business and industry leaders around the world). Since January 2020, the call for creativity has been amplified in response to the problems and obstacles caused by COVID19. Yet, creativity remains the most neglected 21st century skill addressed in STEM education. This paper develops the strong conceptual connections between creativity and failure within STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to propose the Intersection of Failure and Creativity Framework (IFCF). The IFCF represents an improved way to engage students in integrated STEM activities that call for the development of solutions to real world problems by engaging in engineering design. The IFCF will better prepare teachers and students to address the changes and uncertainty of a rapidly-evolving world and address the calls of businesses for a workforce capable of innovation.
... Research findings suggest that students who engage in engineering-based STEM projects exhibit improved cognitive flexibility and interdisciplinary knowledge application. These findings reinforce the argument that STEM integration must go beyond traditional instructional techniques to promote deeper learning experiences [14]. ...
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This study aims to determine the impact of STEM education integration on students' cognitive activity, critical and creative thinking skills, and overall learning outcomes. Additionally, it seeks to identify the effectiveness and unique features of STEM integration in education. A systematic review of scientific literature was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 4.0 software was applied to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the review, allowing for an in-depth meta-analysis of research findings. This approach enabled the precise evaluation of the impact of STEM education integration on various educational indicators. The results confirm the high effectiveness of STEM integration in the educational process. The systematic review and meta-analysis conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 4.0 demonstrated that STEM education significantly enhances students' engagement, critical and creative thinking skills, and knowledge acquisition in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Furthermore, STEM approaches contribute to students' professional readiness by strengthening their problem-solving and analytical abilities. STEM integration plays a crucial role in modern education by fostering interdisciplinary connections between natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The application of Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 4.0 provided robust evidence that STEM-based teaching methods effectively improve students' cognitive and analytical abilities, making it a valuable and impactful approach in contemporary education. The findings of this study can be utilized to develop effective teaching strategies that incorporate STEM methodologies to enhance students' engagement, problem-solving skills, and academic performance. The integration of STEM approaches, validated through meta-analysis, serves as a strong foundation for future research on interdisciplinary learning and professional competence development.
... Hence, they also build more neural connections across subjects as well as with the real-world situation (Li & Wang, 2021). All of this can help them solve complex problems (Siverling et al., 2019). (Roehrig et al. [2021] argued for intertwining of content and context integration to make STEM integration more meaningful to students.) ...
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This meta-analysis examined whether learning outcomes differ (a) for STEM integration versus traditional instruction and (b) across STEM integration implementations. Based on 79 effect sizes from 40 studies of 15,577 students, those learning via STEM integration outperformed other students on academic achievement tests (g = 0.661; 95% CI [0.548, 0.774]). The effect sizes of STEM integration on achievement were largest for context integration, smaller for content integration, and smallest for tool integration. They were largest for inquiry-based learning, and progressively smaller for problem-based learning, designed-based learning, and project-based learning. They were largest for STEM subject achievement, and progressively smaller for science achievement, math achievement, and engineering achievement. They were larger for collectivist countries than for individualistic countries. Engineering design skills and grade level were not significant moderators. These results can inform integrated STEM instructional design and improve student learning.
... It demands proficiency implementing curricula that align with STEM's broader goals (Lynch et al., 2014;. Effective iSTEM pedagogical strategies involve contextualizing STEM learning through real-world problems Kelley & Knowles, 2016;Kloser et al., 2018;Moore et al., 2020), incorporating students' personal experiences Ryu et al., 2018;Sias et al., 2017), designing multidisciplinary tasks (Fan & Yu, 2017;Guzey et al., 2017;Roehrig et al., 2021), engaging students in 21 st century skills and STEM practices Siverling et al., 2019;Stehle & Peters-Burton, 2019;Trevallion & Trevallion, 2020), and introducing them to STEM careers (Kitchen et al., 2018;Roehrig et al., 2021;Ryu et al., 2018;Willis et al., 2010). While there remains disagreement about definitions of iSTEM (T.J. Moore et al., 2020), the field has majority consensus on defining characteristics of iSTEM . ...
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Integrated STEM education (iSTEM) is recognized for its potential to improve students’ scientific and mathematical knowledge, as well as to nurture positive attitudes toward STEM, which are essential for motivating students to consider STEM-related careers. While prior studies have examined the relationship between specific iSTEM activities or curricula and changes in student attitudes, research is lacking on how the aspects of iSTEM are operationalized and their influence on shifts in student attitudes towards STEM, especially when considering the role of demographic factors. Addressing this gap, our study applied multilevel modeling to analyze how different iSTEM aspects and demographic variables predict changes in student attitudes. Drawing on data from two five-year NSF-funded projects, we evaluated pre- and post-attitude survey responses from 948 students. Our analysis identified two key iSTEM aspects—relating content to students’ lives and engagement in engineering design—that significantly influence positive attitude change. The results highlight the importance of curriculum relevance and hands-on, problem-solving activities in shaping student attitudes. However, the impact of these instructional strategies varies across demographic groups. The study’s insights into the differential impact of iSTEM aspects on diverse student groups provide actionable guidance for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers aiming to enhance STEM learning experiences and outcomes.
... Additionally, engineering design tasks afford children and their family opportunities to draw upon and apply math and science principles and concepts when creating their prototypes [29]. This highlights how disciplines within STEM intersect and inform one another to support ways of knowing through grounding children's experiences within engineering design tasks. ...
... Motivated by the encouraging analysis results on preexisting educational activities involving engineering [17][18][19], this research work puts light on methods for facilitating the understanding of practices making the food supply chain more efficient and to better communicate the principles behind modern technological applications, like robotics, control and programming. More specifically, a characteristic mechatronic system case is presented, capable of classifying eggs of different colour. ...
Conference Paper
Rapid growth of the electronics industry resulted in a plethora of innovative and cheap devices, while fluent documentation and user-friendly programming environments are available for them. Modern educational systems worldwide have exploited this situation by incorporating practices reflecting this progress, under the STEM umbrella. Remarkable progress has been made in secondary education, but tertiary education should also follow. In this regard, the approach being presented highlights the design and implementation steps of a system for automatic classification of eggs. The whole approach utilizes open and easy-to-find software and components, e.g., arduino-like boards, cheap electronic and electromechanical modules and recyclable materials. The prototype system has been developed by students of agricultural engineering, assisted by their professors, and tested during the STEM4Agri Erasmus project, with most of the focus on its university and vocational education exploitation perspectives. According to a first set of survey findings, this STEM activity paradigm has many and multi-perspective benefits for the participants and can be seen as a flagship case of activities that should be incorporated into the curricula of educational institutes to keep in pace with the recent technological achievements and the forthcoming job transformation necessities.
... Spending time to define and identify problems and then use data to determine the viability of their solutions could better develop critical thinking skills in a STEM integrated class. As recommended by Siverling et al. (2019) teachers should incorporate evidenced-based reasoning scaffolding to encourage students to justify design decisions. ...
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STEM, the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects is a popular topic as schools grapple with how to best prepare students for an ever-evolving society. As societal and technological challenges emerge, design thinking has been lauded as a method to enable people to help tackle those challenges. The steps of the design thinking process, empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test align with engineering design and can be used as a problem-solving method in classrooms to help promote creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to better understand if a STEM integrated curriculum helps promote design thinking in middle schoolers. The study compared two middle school groups, one that uses an integrated STEM curriculum and one that does not. Quantitative data was collected using the design thinking disposition survey through pre and post testing. Qualitative data was collected through free response questions and student and teacher interviews. There was no difference found in the change of design thinking dispositions between students at the two schools, however both groups scored lowest on the design thinking disposition of prototype. Free response questions showed that students at the STEM integrated school perceived an increased ability to design solutions to problems. Student and teacher interviews highlighted benefits of using a STEM integrated curriculum including providing collaborative opportunities to solve hands-on, open-ended problems. How a STEM integrated curriculum can develop design thinking should continue to be examined.
... Such efforts are aimed not only at academic preparation, but also on broadening participation in STEM through interest and identity development [4,5]. Engineering design offers unique opportunities for learners to draw on mathematical and scientific principles and engage in evidence-based reasoning that spans the STEM disciplines [6,7]. Equally compelling, engineering design tasks that are personally meaningful or locally relevant can spark curiosity, build interest, or provide motivation to pursue future STEM learning opportunities or careers [8]. ...
Article
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Calls for more integrated approaches to STEM have reached every sector of education, including formal and nonformal spaces, from early childhood to tertiary levels. The goal of STEM education as an integrated effort shifts beyond acquiring knowledge in any one or combination of STEM disciplines and, instead, focuses on designing solutions to complex, contextual problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries. To realize this goal, we first need to understand what transdisciplinary STEM might actually look and sound like in action, particularly in regard to the nature of student thinking. This paper addresses that need by investigating student reasoning during nonformal STEM-focused learning experiences. We chose four learning episodes, all involving elementary students working on engineering design tasks, to highlight the various ways transdisciplinary thinking might arise or not. In our analysis, we highlight factors that may have supported or hindered the integration of mathematical, scientific, technological, and engineering ways of thinking. For example, the nature of the task, materials provided, and level of adult support influenced the nature of student reasoning. Based on our findings, we provide suggestions for how to promote transdisciplinary thinking in both formal and nonformal spaces.
... In their review, Breiner et al. (2012) emphasized inquiry-based and problem-based strategies. Along these, many researchers also push for design-based strategies (such as Guzey et al., 2016;Siverling et al., 2019). Others further call for collaborative-based strategies within design activities (e.g. ...
Article
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The call for the implementation of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (iSTEM) teaching has been on the rise. This teaching approach helps students to develop innovative skills and meet twenty-first century challenges. However, teachers need to possess positive attitudes toward iSTEM teaching to implement it. Therefore, studying factors that influence these attitudes is important. So far, investigated factors have focused on teachers’ personal and professional experiences. Predisposing and enabling factors related to iSTEM teaching are yet to be investigated. One putative construct that includes predisposing and enabling factors is adaptive expertise (AE) which allows professionals to highly perform in new tasks. Here, we argue that AE in science teaching is linked to teachers’ iSTEM attitudes through its three dimensions: perceived relevance (PR), self-efficacy (SE), and anxiety (Anx). We utilized a cross-sectional survey method to verify the proposed relationship on fourth year preservice primary science teachers (n = 91). They completed two online surveys measuring AE in science teaching and iSTEM attitudes, respectively. Results from multivariate regression modeling indicate a significant positive effect of AE in science teaching was found significantly positive on all three dimensions of iSTEM attitudes. These findings draw teacher educators’ attention to the importance of developing adaptive expertise while preparing iSTEM teaching advocates.
... For example, various authors have utilized the notion of evidencebased reasoning (EBR) to discuss how students explore problems in engineering contexts. Most of these authors have focused on the nature of student claims and the associated disciplinary knowledge used to substantiate their claims (Crismond & Adams, 2012;Siverling et al., 2019). Worsley and Blikstein (2016), also working in engineering contexts, have refined this perspective to include four distinct types of EBR: materials-based, example-based, principle-based, and unexplained. ...
Article
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The goal of this paper is to share an analytic framework for understanding Students’ Ways of Thinking (SWoT) in STEM-rich learning environments. Before revealing our refined coding framework, we detail the nature of our collaborations and the various analytic decisions that led to its formation. These collaborations supported our collective ability to make sense of SWoT and produce a more coherent perspective that can be operationalized in STEM contexts. Our analytic framework foregrounds student claim-making and the related evidence and reasoning used in support. Specific commentary about the development and application of each coding category is provided, including examples of student data and rationale for related coding decisions. Our analytic framework, and discussion of its formation, can help educators, curriculum makers, and policymakers make use of SWoT in the development of meaningful and effective STEM education.
... In the design process, it is important to support students working in teams (Gillespie Rouse & Rouse, 2019; Siverling et al., 2019). Elementary teachers stated the lack of groupwork during the pandemic and activities became individual tasks for each student. ...
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eTwinning projects support teachers and students from different countries to engage with each other through online learning. In 2020, the world started to battle with the pandemic and this shifted educational practices from face to face to online learning. In this study, we tried to understand how the pandemic influenced the activity planning, design process, teacher connections, and in-class interactions from the teachers' viewpoint. To achieve this goal, we worked with a core group of eight elementary teachers who conducted eTwinning projects before and during the pandemic. These elementary teachers started developing eTwinning projects in 2019 by using a book designed to support interdisciplinary thinking with an emphasis on design with second grade students. When we examined the activities developed by these teachers, their emphasis on design and interdisciplinary connections continued during the pandemic with the same group of students when they were in third grade. While the mindset did not change for activity planning, the complete shift to online learning created several challenges for teachers. Teachers stated that their support for the design decreased during the pandemic and they were more comfortable with assisting their students in face-to�face classes. The pandemic also reduced the connections among teachers and supporting group work became a challenge. When these aspects were combined, students had to complete an individual design experience during the pandemic and this resulted in several students missing the interdisciplinary connections in their design products
... For example, the classroom activities may require students to justify their thinking about why an initial design solution should be pursued during the planning phase and additionally require students to use evidence and STEM content when evaluating a tested design solution and justifying it to the client (Mathis et al., 2016;Mathis et al., 2018). This formal evidence-based reasoning explicitly asks students to make claims about their designs and design decisions that are supported by both evidence (from iterative testing) and reasoning (using scientific and mathematical content) (Siverling et al., 2019). Students do not spontaneously use science and mathematics content to justify and explain their design choices; rather, students focus on cost and material limitations when engaging in engineering design tasks (e.g., English et al., 2013;Guzey & Aranda, 2017). ...
Article
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Given the large variation in conceptualizations and enactment of K − 12 integrated STEM, this paper puts forth a detailed conceptual framework for K − 12 integrated STEM education that can be used by researchers, educators, and curriculum developers as a common vision. Our framework builds upon the extant integrated STEM literature to describe seven central characteristics of integrated STEM: (a) centrality of engineering design, (b) driven by authentic problems, (c) context integration, (d) content integration, (e) STEM practices, (f) twenty-first century skills, and (g) informing students about STEM careers. Our integrated STEM framework is intended to provide more specific guidance to educators and support integrated STEM research, which has been impeded by the lack of a deep conceptualization of the characteristics of integrated STEM. The lack of a detailed integrated STEM framework thus far has prevented the field from systematically collecting data in classrooms to understand the nature and quality of integrated STEM instruction; this delays research related to the impact on student outcomes, including academic achievement and affect. With the framework presented here, we lay the groundwork for researchers to explore the impact of specific aspects of integrated STEM or the overall quality of integrated STEM instruction on student outcomes.
... Data from the second study showed significant improvements (at the p , 0.001 level) in students' abilities to justify their designs and explain the science. Siverling et al. (2019) reported on the impact of a seven-unit curriculum on students' abilities to argue from evidence in engineering. The curriculum was developed by a team of upper elementary and middle school teachers and researchers. ...
Article
The 21st century has seen a growing movement in the United States towards the adoption of engineering and technology as a complement to science education. Motivated by this shift, this article offers insights into engineering education for grades P-12, based on a landscape review of 263 empirical research studies spanning the two decades from January 2000 to June 2021. These insights are organized around three core themes: (1) students’ understandings, skills, and attitudes about engineering and technology; (2) effective methods of P-12 engineering education; and (3) benefits of P-12 engineering education. The insights are captured in the form of evidence-based claims summarized as a set of ten findings. The findings start with the recognition that students at all age levels in the United States—though not in many other countries—have narrow conceptions of technology and engineering. A key finding is that for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to develop their interest at an early age. Several findings address effective strategies for engaging students in engineering, both in schools and in afterschool and summer programs. These include generalizable teaching methods suitable across a wide range of educators and students, as well as topical approaches around specific themes such as the design of robots, or biomedical devices. One of the most encouraging findings is that multiple methods have successfully addressed a major social inequity: improving the attitudes, STEM skills, and career aspirations of girls, students of color, and students from low-income families. The last group of findings addresses the benefits of engineering education including not only increased knowledge and skills, but also lifelong skills such as teamwork, communication, and creativity, as well as persistence, motivation, self-confidence, and STEM identity. We hope that these insights may be of value to researchers, educators, administrators, and policy leaders.
... In their study Siverling and Suazo-Flores (2019) concluded that while students justify their engineering design ideas and solutions in engineering design-based STEM integration units, they integrate the content from all four STEM disciplines and thus support engineering design-based STEM integration as a curriculum model. Saleh (2016) investigated the effect of STEM education on students' problem-solving skills levels and attitudes towards STEM education. ...
Article
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The aim of this study are to analyze and describe the reasoning skills of students from primary school until college in understanding the learning concept and application of physics. This research focuses on the factors that influence students' concept understanding and argumentation skills in physics. The research method used was systematic literature review (SLR), a literature study in which data was collected through various published articles relevant to reasoning skills in physics from 2019 to 2023. The implementation of this research was done by collecting data through scientific articles published and indexed in the Scopus database. The data analysis technique used is the PRISMA flowchart with different levels and the VOSviewer application. The results showed that the factors effecting argumentation ability in learning physics are influenced by the learning model used, the learning approach, the way the teacher guides the learning activities, as well as environmental factors and community life.
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In the era of modern education, effective instruments to measure 4Cs and students' self-efficacy are urgently needed. This study aims to (1) compare the mathematics skills of students taught using the PjBL model with Pizzaluv-Mathematics media and students taught using the PBL model; (2) measure the effect of PjBL on students' self-efficacy; and (3) evaluate the impact of PjBL on 4Cs. This study was conducted on twelfth-grade students at MAN 2 Malang, Indonesia, in the context of algebraic function limits. Pizzaluv-Mathematics media is designed to help students complete learning projects through communication, collaboration, and critical and creative thinking in making a "Love" shaped math pizza using visual media. This study used a quasi-experimental design involving 72 students divided into an experimental group (PjBL) and a control group (PBL) based on pre-existing class divisions. Data were collected using tests and questionnaires to measure self-efficacy and 4C abilities. Self-efficacy was assessed using a standard scale with proven validity and reliability, while 4C skills were measured through performance tasks and peer evaluations with strict objectivity standards. Two-way analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference in mathematics learning ability that favored the PjBL model using Pizzaluv-Mathematics media (p < 0.05, η² = 0.11). The results of one-way ANOVA also showed significant differences in 4C ability and self-efficacy between student groups (p < 0.01). In addition, Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between 4C ability and self-efficacy (p < 0.01). The findings of this study indicate that the PjBL model using Pizzaluv-Mathematics media positively impacts students' self-efficacy and 4C ability.Di era pendidikan modern, instrumen yang efektif untuk mengukur 4C dan efikasi diri siswa sangat dibutuhkan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) membandingkan keterampilan matematika siswa yang diajarkan menggunakan model PjBL dengan media Pizzaluv-Mathematics dan siswa yang diajarkan menggunakan model PBL; (2) mengukur pengaruh PjBL terhadap efikasi diri siswa; dan (3) mengevaluasi dampak PjBL terhadap 4C. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada siswa kelas dua belas di MAN 2 Malang, Indonesia, dalam konteks limit fungsi aljabar. Media Pizzaluv-Mathematics dirancang untuk membantu siswa menyelesaikan proyek pembelajaran melalui komunikasi, kolaborasi, dan berpikir kritis dan kreatif dalam membuat pizza matematika berbentuk "Love" menggunakan media visual. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain quasi-eksperimental yang melibatkan 72 siswa yang dibagi menjadi kelompok eksperimen (PjBL) dan kelompok kontrol (PBL) berdasarkan pembagian kelas yang sudah ada sebelumnya. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan tes dan kuesioner untuk mengukur efikasi diri dan kemampuan 4C. Efikasi diri dinilai menggunakan skala standar dengan validitas dan reliabilitas yang terbukti, sementara keterampilan 4C diukur melalui tugas kinerja dan evaluasi rekan sejawat dengan standar objektivitas yang ketat. Analisis Varians Dua Arah (ANOVA) menunjukkan perbedaan yang signifikan dalam kemampuan belajar matematika yang mendukung model PjBL menggunakan media Pizzaluv-Matematika (p= 0,004, η² = 0,11). Hasil ANOVA satu arah juga menunjukkan perbedaan yang signifikan dalam kemampuan 4C dan efikasi diri antara kelompok siswa (p= 0.001). Selain itu, analisis korelasi Pearson mengungkapkan hubungan positif yang kuat antara kemampuan 4C dan efikasi diri (p= 0,01). Temuan penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa model PjBL menggunakan media Pizzaluv-Matematika berdampak positif terhadap efikasi diri dan kemampuan 4C siswa.
Article
Argumentation is an important practice and an explicit goal in educational standards in multiple STEM disciplines. In this descriptive study of elementary teachers' practice, we draw on established frameworks to analyze teacher support for collective argumentation in integrated STEM. We watched over 100 h of video of classroom instruction from 10 elementary teachers and analyzed over 200 episodes of argumentation. We constructed an analytic methodology to categorize integrated STEM tasks, which draws on integrated STEM education literature and selected those teachers from our data who engaged their students in integrated STEM tasks, resulting in an in-depth analysis of five teachers' practice. We found that the teachers supported students by contributing argument components, using a variety of questions and other supportive actions, and adapting their contributions and supports in different settings. Previous research on collective argumentation has been discipline specific; our study contributes an analysis of teacher support for collective argumentation in integrated STEM.
Article
To better understand integrated STEM education, this work explored scores on the STEM Observation Protocol ( STEM-OP ), a newly developed observation protocol for use in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. The goals of this work were to better understand how integrated STEM might look throughout an integrated STEM unit and identify limitations of the instrument when examining daily scores and full unit implementation scores. The work takes a mixed methods approach to first examine what scores may be typically seen with daily and unit implementations. After identifying an exemplar integrated curriculum unit with consistently high daily scores, the authors qualitatively explore the fluctuations in protocol scores over the course of a curriculum unit implementation. Our work reveals that some items on the protocol may vary throughout implementation, while also demonstrating that achieving the highest scores on all items during one lesson or even throughout a full curriculum unit is challenging.
Chapter
The STEM education approach is an interdisciplinary approach to equip students with the knowledge and 21st century skills that are necessary to thrive in a rapidly evolving world driven by technological advancements. This approach is also aims to foster a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of these disciplines and their real-world applications. By blending theoretical concepts with real world experiences, encourages hands-on learning, project-based activities, and collaborative teamwork, therefore prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century workforce. This approach utilizes social and situated learning methods to support conceptual understanding by connecting knowledge from different disciplines. How concept learning occurs while utilizing the STEM education approach? What types of knowledge (Factual, Conceptual, Procedural, and Metacognitive) are emphasized in the Engineering Design Process which is the frequently used in the STEM education approach? What are the factors affecting conceptual learning in this approach? are driven questions of this chapter.
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Design-based STEM learning is believed to be an effective cross-disciplinary strategy for promoting children’s cognitive development. Yet, its impact on executive functions, particularly for disadvantaged children, still need to be explored. This study investigated the effects of short-term intensive design-based STEM learning on executive function among left-behind children. Sixty-one Grade 4 students from a school dedicated to the left-behind children in China were sampled and randomly assigned to an experimental group (10.70 ± 0.47 years old, n = 30) or a control group (10.77 ± 0.43 years old, n = 31). The experimental group underwent a two-week design-based STEM training program, while the control group participated in a 2-week STEM-related reading program. Both groups were assessed with the brain activation from 4 brain regions of interest using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and behavioral measures during a Stroop task before and after the training. Analysis disclosed: (i) a significant within-group time effect in the experimental group, with posttest brain activation in Brodmann Area 10 and 46 being notably lower during neutral and word conditions; (ii) a significant between-group difference at posttest, with the experimental group showing considerably lower brain activation in Brodmann Area 10 and Brodmann Area 46 than the control group; and (iii) a significant task effect in brain activity among the three conditions of the Stroop task. These findings indicated that this STEM learning effectively enhanced executive function in left-behind children. The discrepancy between the non-significant differences in behavioral performance and the significant ones in brain activation implies a compensatory mechanism in brain activation. This study enriches current theories about the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning on children’s executive function development, providing biological evidence and valuable insights for educational curriculum design and assessment.
Chapter
Growing recognition of the importance of STEM education has led to an increase in the number of formal and informal STEM programmes. Efforts to evaluate the efficacy and reach of these programmes have not matched the growth in such initiatives and have become a cause for concern. As educational policy and curricular reform in Ireland increasingly advocate an integrated STEM approach, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of five integrated STEM activities designed by a team of mathematics educators and 30 preservice primary teachers as part of a semester-long mathematics specialism. Tasks were implemented across five days of intensive STEM workshops with a class of 11–12 year old students. We report on our analysis of video footage of the children’s STEM engagement, alongside focus groups and interviews with the mathematics educators and preservice teachers. Our findings suggest that while STEM tasks were fertile ground for some disciplinary learning (in this case, science and engineering design process) and the development of certain Twenty-first-century skills, they failed to leverage curriculum-appropriate mathematics learning. We recommend that explicit mathematics disciplinary content be considered when planning STEM tasks to maximise the potential for developing children’s grade-appropriate mathematical thinking and reasoning. We also present a series of recommendations and practical suggestions to support teachers in foregrounding mathematics when developing or modifying integrated STEM tasks and activities, offering a worked example of one of our case lessons (The Harmless Can Holder) to illustrate our findings throughout.
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This study aimed to investigate grade-7 students’ negotiation during the engineering design process regarding the students’ status of argumentation training. The participants were 33 students studying at a public urban middle school in Turkey. They worked in small groups on four engineering design tasks about electricity and light. Data were collected through small group audio recordings, student worksheets, and the observation. The data were analyzed by using content analysis. The results indicated that negotiation patterns were similar across all groups. However, differences were found between the group that received argumentation training and the one that did not receive in terms of proposing ideas for material design, using justifications when in agreement with others, counter proposing and acquiring information for better planning and altering the design, and critiquing for design advantages and disadvantages.
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An understanding of how sensemaking unfolds when elementary students engage in engineering design tasks is crucial to advancing engineering teaching and learning at K‐12 levels. Sensemaking has been widely studied in the context of science as a discipline. In this paper, we seek to contribute to the more nascent efforts to build theory about the characteristics of sensemaking in elementary school engineering. We report on an interpretive case study of a 3rd grade student team who worked with minimal adult intervention to design a solution to an engineering challenge. Considering the entire trajectory of their design process, from the given problem to the solution, we observed that they navigated through multiple epistemic conflicts while making decisions that informed their final solution. We found that these conflicts served as opportunities for sensemaking and that exploring how the students resolved conflicts shed light on their sensemaking processes. Analysis of the team's navigation through epistemic conflicts to come to a design decision helped identify two distinct kinds of engineering sensemaking: student engagement in functional reasoning as they suggested design ideas, and student engagement in mechanistic reasoning as they interpreted test results. Both processes facilitated knowledge building, which in turn supported students' engineering design decisions.
Article
Insights on students' own authentic design practices—nascent design practices without much adult guidance—are crucial to informing responsive facilitation of engineering design tasks. This study unpacks how elementary students interpret teacher given information about a design task, and interact with each other and given resources, to traverse a design trajectory with limited adult intervention. We present a qualitative case study of the trajectory of a 3 rd grade student team working to design a solution in response to an engineering challenge, with minimum adult intervention. The design space lens, which emerges from studies of nonlinear, fluid nature of professionals' design trajectories, guides our analysis of elementary students' design trajectory. The use of design space reveals characteristics of student navigation as dictated by their interpretation of given information, and by their observation and analysis of how their solution behaves and performs. The findings show students' proactive and autonomous selection of design practices driven by the goal of solving the problem while navigating criteria and constraints. The study highlight a sophisticated trajectory that elementary students can traverse when given the autonomy. Awareness of these nascent strengths has implications for helping educators to responsively plan and facilitate design tasks.
Thesis
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STEM eğitimi yaklaşımının önemi nedeniyle uygulanması ve geliştirilmesine yönelik adımlar atılmaktadır. Bu nedenle, STEM eğitimi yaklaşımına yönelik nitelikli programların hazırlanması eğitimciler için çok önemlidir. Nitelikli bir STEM eğitim uygulaması için alanda sınırlı sayıda STEM modülleri yer almakla birlikte var olan bu modüller fen bilgisi konularının öğretimine yönelik olup, matematik bu modüllerde bir araç olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı ortaokul oran-orantı, alan ölçümü ve madde-ısı konularının öğretimi için matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülü geliştirmek ve geliştirilen bu modülün ve matematik eğitimi alanında ileride geliştirilecek olan modüllerin niteliğini değerlendirecek bir STEM değerlendirme formu oluşturmaktır. Bu çalışmada, geliştirilen matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün ve STEM değerlendirme formunun güvenilirliği ve geçerliliği uzman görüşleri alınarak araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, tasarım temelli araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. STEM değerlendirme formunun uzman görüşlerine göre Croanbach’s alpha değeri 0,91 hesaplanmış olup yüksek düzeyde geçerlilik ve güvenilirliğin sağlandığını göstermektedir. Geliştirilen Matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün için uzmanlar arası görüş uyumluluğu %94 olarak belirlenirken modülün uzman görüşlerine göre Croanbach’s alpha değeri 0,80 olarak hesaplanmış olup yüksek düzeyde geçerlilik ve güvenilirliğin sağlandığını göstermektedir. Bu çalışma ile geliştirilen matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün hem öğretmenler için düzenlenen eğitici eğitimi programlarında hem de yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin eğitiminde kullanılabilecek ve matematiğin ön planda olduğu STEM öğretim materyali eksikliğini gidermeye katkı sağlayacaktır. Ayrıca, bu çalışma sürecinde geliştirilen STEM değerlendirme formunun ileride geliştirilecek STEM modüllerinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik bir değerlendirme aracı olarak alana katkı sunması amaçlanmaktadır
Article
يمثل المدخل التكاملي (STEM) أحد أبرز الاتجاهات الحديثة الهامة في تدريس العلوم والرياضيات وفروعهما، ويهتم بتكامل تدريس المعارف والعلوم المختلفة في أكثر من مجال ضمن بيئات تعليمية مطورة وفق مبادئ تكاملية مشتركة تمثل حلولاً لمشكلات حقيقية. من هذا المنطلق تهدف الدراسة الحالية الى الكشف عن واقع تصميم بيئات التعلم في ضوء مدخل التكامل (STEM) في التعليم العام، من خلال اجراء مراجعة منهجية نقدية للدراسات ذات الصلة والمنشورة والموثقة في المكتبة الرقمية السعودية (SDL) في الفترة الزمنية (2017 – 2022)، ضمن معايير محددة للدراسات التي تم تضمينها أو استبعادها، وبناءً على ذلك تم استخراج ما يقارب (406) دراسة في مرحلة البحث الأولي، وبعد تطبيق الشروط والمعايير المطلوبة للدراسات المضمنة؛ تم التوصل الى (26) دراسة مثَّلت الحصيلة النهائية للدراسات المستخلصة بعد مراحل من الفحص والتدقيق والتحليل المنهجي باستخدام النماذج والأدوات المناسبة ( Prisma- Spider). واهتمت هذه المراجعة بمناقشة أبرز الموضوعات التربوية التي تناولتها دراسات تصميم بيئات التعلم وفق مدخل التكامل (STEM)، وأوجه التقارب والاختلاف في الدراسات المختارة، والمعايير المتبعة في تصميم بيئات التعلم فيها، كما استعرضت أهم النتائج التي توصلت اليها الدراسات المختارة. وفي ضوء تلك النتائج توصي الدراسة الحالية بأهمية تبني تطبيق منحى التكامل STEM)) في تطوير المناهج التعليمية وتدريسها، وتصميم بيئات تعلم أعمق وأشمل تعالج موضوعات متقدمة في الفيزياء والكيمياء والهندسة، بالإضافة الى إعداد برامج مخصصة لتدريب المعلمين.
Thesis
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Bu araştırmanın temel amacı fizik dersi mekanik konularının öğretiminde Arduino tabanlı STEM Eğitimi ile Algodoo tabanlı Simülasyon Destekli Eğitim (SDE) uygulamalarının lisans öğrencilerinin bilişsel alan düzeylerine ve bilimsel yaratıcılıklarına etkilerinin araştırılmasıdır. Bu amaca uygun olarak vektörler, kinematik, dinamik ve iş-enerji ünitelerinin öğretimi üzerine Arduino mikrokontrolcü kullanılan STEM ve Algodoo simülasyon programı kullanılan SDE öğretim materyalleri geliştirilmiştir. STEM uygulamaları Arduino tabanlı üç boyutlu öğretim materyallerinin geliştirilmesi, materyallerin deneysel süreçte kullanımı ve elde edilen verilerin matematiksel denklemler kullanılarak analiz edilmesi süreçlerini içermektedir. STEM materyal geliştirme sürecinde üç boyutlu materyal tasarım, Arduino için robotik kodlama ve elektronik bağlantılar yer almaktadır. Materyal tasarımından veri analizine kadar tüm uygulamalar sınıfta öğrenciler ile yapılmış ve dolayısıyla üniversite seviyesinde STEM alanlarının tamamına yönelik kazanımların yer aldığı yenilikçi bir öğretim süreci tasarlanmıştır. SDE uygulamalarında ise interaktif simülasyon programı olan Algodoo, üç farklı şekilde öğretim sürecinde kullanılmıştır. Bu süreçlerin birinde önce anlatım yapılıp ardından günlük hayat karşılığını göstermek adına simülasyon tasarlanmıştır. Bir diğerinde kaynak kitapta yer alan problem çözüldükten sonra pekiştirmek adına simülasyon tasarlanarak sonuçlar analiz edilmiştir. Bir başka kullanım türünde ise tüm anlatım sürecinde doğrudan Algodoo kullanılarak önce durum gösterilip sonra durumu açıklayan yasalar anlatılmıştır. Araştırmanın modeli iki deney gruplu ön test-son test yarı deneysel modeldir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Türkiye’de bir devlet üniversitesinin Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi lisans programında iki farklı şubede öğrenim gören toplam 61 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Şubelerden biri STEM grubu (n=28) diğeri ise SDE grubu (n=33) olarak belirlenmiştir ve 4 haftalık deneysel çalışmalar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmalar kapsamında fen bilimleri öğretmen adaylarının bilimsel yaratıcılık düzeyleri daha önceden hazırlanan Bilimsel Yaratıcılık Ölçeği (BYÖ) ile ölçülmüştür. Bilişsel alan düzeylerini ölçmek için kullanılan Mekanik Konusu Zenginleştirilmiş Bilişsel Alan Ölçeği (MKZBAÖ) ise tez çalışmaları kapsamında geliştirilmiştir. BYÖ ve MKZBAÖ uygulama öncesinde ve uygulama sonrasında gruplara uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler SPSS 23.0 istatistik programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında hem STEM grubu hem de SDE grubunda grup içi değerlendirmede BYÖ ön test ve son test puan ortalamaları arasında anlamlı fark tespit edilememiştir. Benzer şekilde gruplar arası değerlendirmede BYÖ puanlarının hem ön test hem de son test ortalamaları arasında anlamlı bir fark olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Bilişsel alan ile ilgili yapılan analiz sonuçları ise, STEM grubu ve SDE grubu öğrencilerinin MKZBAÖ uygulama sonrası puan ortalamalarının uygulama öncesine göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede daha yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Hem STEM hem de SDE gruplarının bilişsel alan alt bölümleri olan vektörler, kinematik, dinamik ve iş-enerji üniteleri için grup içi son test puanlarının ön test puanlarına kıyasla anlamlı derecede daha yüksek olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ayrıca STEM ve SDE gruplarının MKZBAÖ toplam puanları ve alt puanları ile ilgili gruplar arası değerlendirmede anlamlı herhangi bir fark bulunamamıştır. Öğretmen adaylarının bilişsel alan düzeylerinin daha yüksek olduğu alt bölümler ise vektörler ve kinematik üniteleridir. Son olarak, uygulama öncesinde ve uygulama sonrasında bilişsel alan ile bilimsel yaratıcılık arasındaki korelasyonun SDE grubunda nötr ve anlamsız, STEM grubunda ise zayıf ve anlamsız olduğu belirlenmiştir
Article
Purpose This study explores how lesson study (LS) can promote elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers’ professional development (TPD) in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes and beliefs in the maker education (ME) context. Design/methodology/approach This is a case study of a LS conducted in China involving four primary school teachers, 20 grade-4 students, and one researcher who also acted as a facilitator. This study adopted an integrated model that combined the unique characteristics of Chinese LS (CLS) with the Dutch LS (LSNL) model. Findings This study revealed that LS participation facilitates teachers’ integration of new ME pedagogical practices in their classrooms, while their attitudes and beliefs regarding teaching and learning are increasingly aligned with ME principles. However, challenges such as time constraints, lack of research skills, and insufficient learning resources have also been identified. Research limitations/implications This was a small-scale study, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications This study expands the use of LS in the ME context by highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing teachers’ PD in terms of new pedagogical practices, attitudes, and beliefs. It also recommends incorporating diverse international LS models to address the limitations associated with localized models of TPD. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in its adoption of an integrated LS model to enhance STEM teachers’ PD in an ME context. The findings of this study further strengthen evidence supporting the positive impact of LS on teachers’ PD.
Article
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Background Small-group discussions are well established as an effective pedagogical tool to promote student learning in STEM classrooms. However, there are a variety of factors that influence how and to what extent K-12 teachers use small-group discussions in their classrooms, including both their own STEM content knowledge and their perceived ability to facilitate discussions. We designed the present study to specifically target these two factors in the context of photovoltaics, an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of all STEM disciplines with potential to yield widespread benefits related to the use of solar technologies as a sustainable, renewable energy source. Teachers engaged in a series of small-group discussions based on photovoltaic source material (e.g., scientific articles) to build both their STEM content knowledge and capability with discussions, promoting their potential to design and deliver STEM instruction in their own classrooms using small-group discussion. Results Overall, teachers productively engaged in rich STEM talk as they spent most of the time in the discussion asking authentic questions about photovoltaic topics in alignment with a variety of science and engineering disciplinary core ideas, responding to the questions with rich, elaborative talk, and taking on ownership of the discussions. Teachers also evidenced increases in their photovoltaic knowledge and their perceived capability to facilitate discussions. Finally, most teachers’ end-of-program lesson plans included the use of small-group discussions, and a subsample of teachers who completed a follow-up interview one year after the summer program reported greater enactment of discussion in their STEM classrooms. Conclusion Our manuscript forwards an important contribution that draws from a practice-based approach to professional development in a way that not only better prepares teachers on what to teach (i.e., through enhanced PV content knowledge), but it also supports their ability to implement this instruction into their classrooms more effectively (i.e., though the use of small-group discussion). As such, this manuscript illustrates an innovative pedagogical approach for potential use in supporting teacher education and informs ways to enable teachers to build enhanced curricula for their STEM students.
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The use of technology in education has modified teaching and learning processes. New concepts such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are changing traditional learning. The purpose of STEM education is to prepare students for university engineering courses and higher technical education. The main aim of the study reported on here was to understand the influence of a STEM-based teaching process in different socio-educational dimensions. This was done by comparing the results achieved with a traditional expository teaching process with different groups of students. A quasi-experimental design was applied. A sample of 231 Spanish students from the first year of secondary education (ESO) was chosen. The results show that the STEM approach was significant in all the dimensions of study and, according to teachers, was more influential for student motivation and grades. The results also show that the STEM teaching approach was significant in all the dimensions of study. These dimensions are motivation; teacher-student, student-content and student-student interactions; autonomy; collaboration; depth of content; resolution of problems; class time, student ratings; and teacher ratings. According to teachers, the strongest influence was on the students' motivation and qualifications.
Chapter
The purpose of this chapter is to present the use of Arduino in engineering design-based STEM activities at the secondary school level in K-12 education. Examples of the use of Arduino and the free Arduino Science Journal mobile application are also presented along with different stages of the design process in engineering design-based thematic activities (e.g., greenhouse design, noise pollution, etc.). The widespread use of the user-friendly Arduino Science Journal App in STEM education activities will contribute to the development of students' scientific process skills (e.g., observation, measurement, data recording, reading graphics, and interpreting data). This chapter presents examples of using Arduino in engineering design-based activities for science teacher educators.
Article
Design‐based learning is considered a powerful way to help students apply and develop understanding of science concepts, but research has shown that the success of this approach is not a given. Examining students' understanding of science concepts in various design‐based learning contexts has thus continued to be an important field of research. To help advance such work, we explored the affordances of a novel analytic approach for studying data gathered in design‐based learning classrooms. We used the “chemical thinking framework,” specifically its “conceptual sophistication” dimension, to analyze 10th‐grade, chemistry students' design talk and drawings. We gathered this data during small‐group design planning and drawing activities in the classrooms of two teachers whose students were designing a product that harnesses chemical energy to change the temperature of a beverage or snack. The findings demonstrate that this analytic approach was able to reveal that students (implicitly) drew on their understanding of several chemistry concepts while designing. Moreover, it showed that students could use everyday as well as more sophisticated understandings regarding a given chemistry concept while designing. This study furthermore unveiled differences in what and how students' design talk and drawings may reveal use of conceptual understanding, and it showed that different student teams may use a unique combination of understandings during design planning and drawing. We describe how this study's analytic approach complements existing approaches in design‐based learning research, and how our findings provide implications for research and practice.
Thesis
STEM eğitimi yaklaşımının önemi nedeniyle uygulanması ve geliştirilmesine yönelik adımlar atılmaktadır. Bu nedenle, STEM eğitimi yaklaşımına yönelik nitelikli programların hazırlanması eğitimciler için çok önemlidir. Nitelikli bir STEM eğitim uygulaması için alanda sınırlı sayıda STEM modülleri yer almakla birlikte var olan bu modüller fen bilgisi konularının öğretimine yönelik olup, matematik bu modüllerde bir araç olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı ortaokul oran-orantı, alan ölçümü ve madde-ısı konularının öğretimi için matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülü geliştirmek ve geliştirilen bu modülün ve matematik eğitimi alanında ileride geliştirilecek olan modüllerin niteliğini değerlendirecek bir STEM değerlendirme formu oluşturmaktır. Bu çalışmada, geliştirilen matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün ve STEM değerlendirme formunun güvenilirliği ve geçerliliği uzman görüşleri alınarak araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, tasarım temelli araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. STEM değerlendirme formunun uzman görüşlerine göre Croanbach’s alpha değeri 0,91 hesaplanmış olup yüksek düzeyde geçerlilik ve güvenilirliğin sağlandığını göstermektedir. Geliştirilen Matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün için uzmanlar arası görüş uyumluluğu %94 olarak belirlenirken modülün uzman görüşlerine göreCroanbach’s alpha değeri 0,80 olarak hesaplanmış olup yüksek düzeyde geçerlilik ve güvenilirliğin sağlandığını göstermektedir. Bu çalışma ile geliştirilen matematik ağırlıklı STEM modülünün hem öğretmenler için düzenlenen eğitici eğitimi programlarında hem de yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin eğitiminde kullanılabilecek ve matematiğin ön planda olduğu STEM öğretim materyali eksikliğini gidermeye katkı sağlayacaktır. Ayrıca, bu çalışma sürecinde geliştirilen STEM değerlendirme formunun ileride geliştirilecek STEM modüllerinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik bir değerlendirme aracı olarak alana katkı sunması amaçlanmaktadır.
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Official documents in several educational systems reflect the importance of integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and consider project-based learning (PBL) as a way of integrating such disciplines in the classroom. Although STEAM-PBL has been characterized and evaluated in different ways, its impact on school mathematics teaching remains unclear. Mathematics is recognized as the fundamental basis of other disciplines; however, many students still perceive it as a difficult subject and abandon it. To analyze STEAM-PBL classroom implementation from a school mathematics standpoint, we examined 41 classroom experiences from 11 Spanish secondary education teachers (five in-field mathematics teachers), who participated in a STEAM training program for more than 4 years. To frame this study, Thibaut et al.’s (J STEM Educ 3(1):02, 2018) and Schoenfeld’s (Educ Res 43(8):404–412, 2014) characterizations of well-designed and implemented projects, respectively, were employed. The results showed that in-field mathematics teachers avoided transdisciplinary projects in which school mathematics is difficult to address, while out-of-field teachers tended to overlook the mathematics in interdisciplinary projects. Unlike out-of-field teachers, mathematics teachers often eluded design-based learning processes for deeply exploiting school mathematics. The latter teachers promoted high cognitive demands and positive perceptions about mathematics in projects where formative environments were generated through discussion and a meaningful feedback loop.
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Background The integration of science and engineering practices in K‐12 science education provides a platform for students to engage in productive classroom discourse supporting deep student understanding and reasoning in a real‐world context. However, the engineering design discourse in K‐12 science classrooms has not yet been fully examined. Purpose This article aims to explore the decision‐making processes and verbal interactions of eighth grade students as they engage in a 12‐day engineering design‐based science unit. The following research questions guided the study: (a) How do student discourse patterns and interactions affect design decisions? (b) How do the instructor's discursive interactions in design groups influence student design? Method In this exploratory case study, discursive patterns and interaction patterns between four student groups and their instructor were captured through audio and video recordings. Results The design discourse structure and patterns differed among groups, affecting their design decisions. There was also a difference in both the number of new ideas generated and, most notably, the level of student engagement in those groups. In addition, the complexity of design decisions varied, with most groups focusing on financial feasibility rather than scientific reasoning. Finally, it was observed that the instructor discourse influenced student engagement in design discourse and the use of scientific reasoning and justifications in small group discussions. Conclusions This discourse study offers insight into students’ scientific reasoning in an effort to help educators more effectively structure instruction discourse and practices in engineering design in K‐12 science education.
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The new science education reform documents call for integration of engineering into K-12 science classes. Engineering design and practices are new to most science teachers, meaning that implementing effective engineering instruction is likely to be challenging. This quasi-experimental study explored the influence of teacher-developed, engineering design-based science curriculum units on learning and achievement among grade 4–8 students of different races, gender, special education status, and limited English proficiency (LEP) status. Treatment and control students (n = 4450) completed pretest and posttest assessments in science, engineering, and mathematics as well as a state-mandated mathematics test. Single-level regression results for science outcomes favored the treatment for one science assessment (physical science, heat transfer), but multilevel analyses showed no significant treatment effect. We also found that engineering integration had different effects across race and gender and that teacher gender can reduce or exacerbate the gap in engineering achievement for student subgroups depending on the outcome. Other teacher factors such as the quality of engineering-focused science units and engineering instruction were predictive of student achievement in engineering. Implications for practice are discussed.
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In recent years, there has been a demand to teach engineering in high schools, particularly using a challenge-based curriculum. Many of these programs have the dual goals of teaching students the engineering design process (EDP), and teaching to deepen their understanding and ability to apply science and math concepts. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study examines whether a high school design engineering program accomplishes each of the two goals. During the 2010–2011 school year, over 100 students enrolled in the same design engineering course in seven high schools. Evidence of learning and application of the EDP is accomplished by triangulating student interviews with pre-/post-tests of EDP-related questions and a survey of design engineering beliefs. To determine whether students could apply science and math concepts, we examined content test questions to see if students used science and math ideas to justify their engineering work, and triangulated these results with student interviews. The results are mixed, implying that although there is some learning, application is inconsistent.
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Background: Design and science inquiry are intertwined during engineering practice. In this study, we examined the relationship between design behaviors and scientific explanations. Data on student design processes were collected as students engaged in a project on designing energy-efficient buildings on a blank square city block surrounded by existing buildings using a computer-aided design program, Energy3D, with built-in solar energy simulation capabilities. We used criterion sampling to select two highly reflective students among 63 high school students. Results: The main data sources were design replays (automatic playback of student design sequences within the CAD software) and electronic notes taken by the students. We identified evidence of informed design such as problem framing, idea fluency, and balancing benefits and trade-offs. Opportunities for meaningful science learning through engineering design occurred when students attempted to balance design benefits and trade-offs.
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Incorporating engineering concepts into middle school curriculum is seen as an effective way to improve students' problem-solving skills. A selection of findings is reported from a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based unit in which students in the second year (grade 8) of a three-year longitudinal study explored engineering concepts and principles pertaining to the functioning of simple machines. The culminating activity, the focus of this paper, required the students to design, construct, test, and evaluate a trebuchet catapult. We consider findings from one of the schools, a coeducational school, where we traced the design process developments of four student groups from two classes. The students' descriptions and explanations of the simple machines used in their catapult design are examined, together with how they rated various aspects of their engineering designs. Included in the findings are students' understanding of how their simple machines were simulated by the resources supplied and how the machines interacted in forming a complex machine. An ability to link physical materials with abstract concepts and an awareness of design constraints on their constructions were apparent, although a desire to create a ''perfect'' catapult despite limitations in the physical materials rather than a prototype for testing concepts was evident. Feedback from teacher interviews added further insights into the students' developments as well as the teachers' professional learning. An evolving framework for introducing engineering education in the pre-secondary years is proposed.
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Educational reformation has proceeded slowly despite the many calls to improve science and mathematics for our students. The acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has been adopted by numerous programs as an important focus for renewed global competitiveness for the United States, but conceptions of what STEM entails often vary among stakeholders. This paper examines the conceptions of STEM held by faculty members from a public Research I institution in the middle of a regional “STEM movement.” Faculty members responded to two open-ended questions: (1) What is STEM? and (2) How does STEM influence and/or impact your life? Although 72% of these faculty members possessed a relevant conception of STEM, the results suggest that they do not share a common conceptualization of STEM. Their conception is most likely based on their academic discipline or how STEM impacts their daily lives. STEM faculty members were likely to have a neutral or positive conception where non-STEM faculty members often had negative feelings about STEM.
Conference Paper
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Findings are presented from a research program conducted by the Engineering is Elementary curriculum development project. Students participating in testing of the EiE curriculum materials were given pre-assessments and post-assessments that included questions about general engineering and technology concepts, engineering questions specific to particular units, and questions on science topics relevant to particular units. A comparable control sample of students who did not study EiE curriculum units was also assessed. Analysis of the data shows that students participating in EiE performed significantly better on the post-assessments than on the pre-assessments. They also performed significantly better than control students on the post- assessments. The engineering, technology, and science understandings of students participating in EiE significantly increased due to participation in EiE curriculum units.
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The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of engineering design classroom activities on middle‐school students’ conceptions of heat transfer and thermal energy. One eighth‐grade physical science teacher and the students in three of her classes participated in this mixed‐methods investigation. One class served as the control receiving the teacher’s typical instruction. Students in a second class had the same learning objectives, but were taught science through an engineering design curriculum that included demonstrations targeting specific alternative conceptions about heat transfer and thermal energy. A third class also used the engineering design curriculum, but students experienced typical demonstrations instead of targeted ones. Conceptual understandings of heat transfer and thermal energy and attitudes towards engineering were assessed prior to and after the interventions through interviews, observations, artefact analysis, a multiple choice assessment, and a Likert scale assessment. Results indicated that the engineering design curriculum with targeted demonstrations was significantly more effective in eliciting desired conceptual change than the typical instruction and also significantly more effective than the engineering curriculum without targeted demonstrations. Implications from this study can inform how teachers should be prepared to use engineering design activities in science classrooms for conceptual change.
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Designing complex systems requires collaboration among multiple engineers who coordinate to plan tasks, cooperate to resolve dependencies, and co-construct to identify shared objectives and solutions. While collaboration technologies have been developed to date, few can help designers negotiate effectively and reach agreement efficiently. In this paper, we propose an argumentation based engineering negotiation approach that provides a structured framework for designers to specify design situations, compose arguments, and make joint decisions by following various strategies. The details of the proposed approach are described and a case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
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This article tells the story of the design of Learning by Design(tm) (LBD), a project-based inquiry approach to science learning with roots in case-based reasoning and problem-based learning, pointing out the theoretical contributions of both, classroom issues that arose upon piloting a first attempt, ways we addressed those challenges, lessons learned about promoting learning taking a project-based inquiry approach, and lessons learned about taking a theory-based approach to designing learning environments. LBD uses what we know about cognition to fashion a learning environment appropriate to deeply learning science concepts and skills and their applicability, in parallel with learning cognitive, social, learning, and communication skills. Our goal, in designing LBD, was to lay the foundation in middle school for students to be successful thinkers, learners, and decisionmakers throughout their lives and especially to help them begin to learn the science they need to know to thrive in the modern world. LBD has students learn science in the context of achieving design-and-build challenges. Included in LBD's framework is a set of ritualized and sequenced activities that help teachers and students acclimate to the culture of a highly collaborative, learner-centered, inquiry-oriented, and design-based classroom. Those ritualized activities help teachers and students learn the practices of scientists, engineers, and group members in ways that they can use outside the classroom. LBD is carefully crafted to promote deep and lasting learning, but we have learned that careful crafting is not enough for success in putting a collaborative inquiry approach into practice. Also essential are fostering a collaborative classroom culture in which students want to be engaged in deep learning and where the teacher sees herself as both a learner and a facilitator of learning, trusts that with her help the students can learn, and enthusiastically assumes the roles she needs to take on.
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Software managers and practitioners often must make decisions about what technologies to employ on their projects. They might be aware of problems with their current development practices (for example, production bottlenecks or numerous defect reports from customers) and want to resolve them. Or, they might have read about a new technology and want to take advantage of its promised benefits. However, practitioners can have difficulty making informed decisions about whether to adopt a new technology because there's little objective evidence to confirm its suitability, limits, qualities, costs, and inherent risks. This can lead to poor decisions about technology adoption. Software engineers might make incorrect decisions about adopting new techniques it they don't consider scientific evidence about the techniques' efficacy. They should consider using procedures similar to ones developed for evidence-based medicine. Software companies are often under pressure to adopt immature technologies because of market and management pressures. We suggest that practitioners consider evidence-based software engineering as a mechanism to support and improve their technology adoption decisions.
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Research-backed methods that will help students to develop critical skills and the confidence to apply them are suggested. The strategies recommended to achieve this goal are: identify the skills you wish your students to develop and communicate their importance to the students; use research, not personal intuition, to identify the target skills; make explicit the implicit behavior associated with successful application of the skills; provide extensive practice in the application of the skills, using carefully structured activities; encourage monitoring; encourage reflection; grade the process, not just the product; and finally use the standard assessment and feedback form.
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An rovibrationally resolved collisional‐radiative model of molecular hydrogen (K. Sawada and M. Goto, Atoms 4: 29, 2016) is included in the authors' neutral transport code for large helical device (LHD) plasmas. The spatial distributions of the electron temperature and density, including the divertor and divertor leg regions, are given to the code. The molecules released from the graphite divertor target are tracked. The initial rotational and vibrational states of the released molecules are provided by simulation using a molecular dynamics model. The rovibrational population produced in an LHD plasma is evaluated.
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Background Dental injuries may occur during general anaesthesia, especially during airway management. The aim of this study was to describe cases of dental injury related to general anaesthesia, focusing on the type and extent of the injuries as well as the timing of recognition. Method We reviewed the nationwide electronic database available at the Danish Patient Compensation Association and scrutinized all claims classified as possible dental injuries in relation to general anaesthesia between 2007 and 2017. Results During the 10‐year study period, there were 2523 claims for compensation related to anaesthesia. Of these, 552 (21.9%) were cases of possible dental injuries following general anaesthesia. The most commonly injured teeth were the central maxillary incisors with 174 (25.3%) cases related to the left and 118 (17.2%) cases related to the right incisor. The most common injuries were fractures (41.2%) and subluxations (25.9%). Airway management included the use of Macintosh laryngoscope in 296 (64.4%) cases and a supraglottic airway device in 69 (15%) cases. Claims were more frequently approved if more than two intubation attempts were used (100% vs 82.8%, RR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.78‐0.88], P = 0.0037). Injuries recognized in‐hospital were more frequently approved than injuries recognized after discharge (91.6% vs 70.7%, RR = 0.83, 95% CI [0.70‐0.86], P < 0.0001). Conclusion The most commonly reported dental injury related to general anaesthesia in the Danish Patient Compensation Association database was a fracture. Claims were more frequently approved if more than two intubation attempts were used and if the injury was recognized in‐hospital.
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Although engineering design is dependent upon the use of science and mathematics, the actual prototype, model, or solution that pre-college students generate can be accomplished without the students explicitly using scientific or mathematical concepts. It is therefore important to explore how students apply science and mathematics concepts when engaged in a curriculum that was purposefully developed to foster student understanding of standards-based content. The purpose of this research is to apply the case study method to explore the following research question: How do middle school students use scientific and mathematical concepts that were explored during the problem scoping lessons of an engineering design-based STEM integration unit to generate ideas and make design decisions? Researchers collected data from one 7th-grade team during an integrated STEM unit and applied qualitative content analysis methods to examine the data. The findings show that students meaningfully used science and mathematics concepts taught within the unit to defend their engineering design ideas/decisions. It also revealed incomplete understanding of certain concepts. Engineering design can provide opportunities for teachers to assess how well students have learned scientific and mathematical concepts, provided that the curricula are carefully designed to prompt students' use of content to make design decisions. © 2018 International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology. All rights reserved.
Book
STEM Integration in K-12 Education examines current efforts to connect the STEM disciplines in K-12 education. This report identifies and characterizes existing approaches to integrated STEM education, both in formal and after- and out-of-school settings. The report reviews the evidence for the impact of integrated approaches on various student outcomes, and it proposes a set of priority research questions to advance the understanding of integrated STEM education. STEM Integration in K-12 Education proposes a framework to provide a common perspective and vocabulary for researchers, practitioners, and others to identify, discuss, and investigate specific integrated STEM initiatives within the K-12 education system of the United States. STEM Integration in K-12 Education makes recommendations for designers of integrated STEM experiences, assessment developers, and researchers to design and document effective integrated STEM education. This report will help to further their work and improve the chances that some forms of integrated STEM education will make a positive difference in student learning and interest and other valued outcomes. © 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Engineering in K-12 classrooms has been receiving expanding emphasis in the United States. The integration of science, mathematics, and engineering is a benefit and goal of K-12 engineering; however, current empirical research on the efficacy of K-12 science, mathematics, and engineering integration is limited. This study adds to this growing field, using discourse analysis techniques to examine whether and why students integrate math and science concepts into their engineering design work. The study focuses on student work during a unit from a high school engineering course. Video data were collected during the unit and were used to identify episodes of students discussing math and science concepts. Using discourse analysis, the authors found that students successfully applied math and science concepts to their engineering design work without teacher prompting when the concepts were familiar. However, explicit teacher prompting and instruction regarding the integration of less familiar concepts did not seem to facilitate student use of those concepts. Possible explanations and implications are discussed.
Article
Problem scoping—determining the nature and boundaries of a problem—is an essential aspect of the engineering design process. Some studies from engineering education suggest that beginning students tend to skip problem scoping or oversimplify a problem. However, the ways these studies often characterize students’ problem scoping often do not reflect the complexity found in experts’ designing and rely on the number of criteria a student mentions or the time spent problem scoping. In this paper, we argue for methodological approaches that take into account not just what students name as criteria, but also how they weigh, balance, and choose between criteria and reflect on these decisions during complex tasks. Furthermore, we discuss that these problem-scoping actions should not be considered in isolation, but also how they are connected to the pursuit of a design solution. Using data from an elementary school classroom, we show how these ways of characterizing problem-scoping can capture rich beginnings of students’ engineering.
Conference Paper
The First Year Engineering program at Midwest University is regularly reviewed and revised to adapt to the needs of the students, feedback from teaching faculty, and the changing needs of the university curriculum. In the last year, a unifying theme was added to the class to help tie all the different activities together. That theme was “evidence based decision making in engineering”, a perfect fit for introducing and discussing information literacy many times throughout the semester, rather than in a single, isolated session. As lead instructor for one section of the class, the author can identify benefits to including this message throughout the semester, evidenced by resources seen during spot reviews of homework assignments and when listening to group work during class. Reflections on what students struggle with in identifying information needs and appropriately supporting those needs with evidence form part of the data for analysis. This analysis will be compared to the Project Information Literacy findings, which regularly excludes engineering students, to see if there are marked differences in behaviors or problem areas for the students in these disciplines. A content analysis of the PowerPoint slides used to teach the class identifies when in the semester the information content is included and in what context. This analysis will produce an outline of mechanisms that could be used in other settings to introduce information literacy content and reinforce the need for evidence in making decisions.
Article
A central theme throughout the impressive series of philosophical books and articles Stephen Toulmin has published since 1948 is the way in which assertions and opinions concerning all sorts of topics, brought up in everyday life or in academic research, can be rationally justified. Is there one universal system of norms, by which all sorts of arguments in all sorts of fields must be judged, or must each sort of argument be judged according to its own norms? In The Uses of Argument (1958) Toulmin sets out his views on these questions for the first time. In spite of initial criticisms from logicians and fellow philosophers, The Uses of Argument has been an enduring source of inspiration and discussion to students of argumentation from all kinds of disciplinary background for more than forty years.
Article
Background: Design experiences play a crucial role in undergraduate engineering education and are increasingly important in K-12 settings. There are few efforts to purposefully connect research findings on how people design with what teachers need to understand and do to help K-16 students improve their design capability and learn through design activities. Purpose: This paper connects and simplifies disparate findings from research on design cognition and presents a robust framework for a scholarship of design teaching and learning that includes misconceptions, learning trajectories, instructional goals, and teaching strategies that instructors need to know to teach engineering design effectively. Method: A scholarship of integration study was conducted that involved a meta-literature review and led to selecting and bounding students' design performances with appropriate starting points and end points, establishing key performance dimensions of design practices, and fashioning use-inspired tools that represent design pedagogical content knowledge for teachers. Results: The outcome of this scholarship of integration effort is the Informed Design Learning and Teaching Matrix that contains nine engineering design strategies and associated patterns that contrast beginning versus informed design behaviors, with links to learning goals and instructional approaches that aim to support students in developing their engineering design abilities. Conclusions: This paper's theoretical contribution is an emergent educational theory of informed design that identifies key performance dimensions relevant to K-16 engineering and STEM educational contexts. Practical contributions include the Informed Design Teaching and Learning Matrix, which is fashioned to help teachers do informed teaching with design tasks while developing their own design pedagogical content knowledge.
Article
Basing its arguments in current perspectives on the nature of the scientific enterprise, which see argument and argumentative practice as a core activity of scientists, this article develops the case for the inclusion and central role of argument in science education. Beginning with a review of the nature of argument, it discusses the function and purpose of dialogic argument in the social construction of scientific knowledge and the interpretation of empirical data. The case is then advanced that any education about science, rather than education in science, must give the role of argument a high priority if it is to give a fair account of the social practice of science, and develop a knowledge and understanding of the evaluative criteria used to establish scientific theories. Such knowledge is essential to enhance the public understanding of science and improve scientific literacy. The existing literature, and work that has attempted to use argument within science education, is reviewed to show that classroom practice does provide the opportunity to develop young people's ability to construct argument. Furthermore, the case is advanced that the lack of opportunities for the practice of argument within science classrooms, and lack of teacher's pedagogical skills in organizing argumentative discourse within the classroom are significant impediments to progress in the field. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed84:287–312, 2000.
Article
This paper contrasts performances overall and by gender, ethnici-ty, and socioeconomic status (SES) for middle school students learning science through traditional scripted inquiry versus a design-based, systems approach. Students designed and built electrical alarm systems to learn electricity concepts over a four-week period using authentic engineering design methods. The contrast study took place in the eighth grade of an urban, public school district, with the systems approach implemented in 26 sci-ence classes (10 teachers and 587 students) and the scripted inquiry approach implemented in inquiry groups of 20 science classes (five teachers and 466 students). The results suggest that a systems design approach for teaching science concepts has superi-or performance in terms of knowledge gain achievements in core science concepts, engagement, and retention when compared to a scripted inquiry approach. The systems design approach was most helpful to low-achieving African American students.
Article
Argumentation is a central goal of science education because it engages students in a complex scientific practice in which they construct and justify knowledge claims. Although there is a growing body of research around argumentation, there has been little focus on developing a learning progression for this practice. We describe a learning progression to understand both students' work in scientific argumentation and the ways in which the instructional environment can support students in that practice. This learning progression describes three dimensions: (1) instructional context, (2) argumentative product, and (3) argumentative process. In this paper, we compare four examples from elementary, middle, and high school science classrooms to explore the ways in which students' arguments vary in complexity across grade level and instructional contexts. Our comparisons suggest that simplifying the instructional context may facilitate students in engaging in other aspects of argumentation in more complex ways. The instructional context may also be used as a tool to support students in argumentation in new content areas and to increase the complexity of their written arguments, which may be weaker than their oral arguments. Furthermore, classroom norms play an important role in supporting students of all ages, including elementary students, in argumentation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed94:765–793, 2010
Article
Design-Based Science (DBS) is a pedagogy in which the goal of designing an artifact contextualizes all curricular activities. Design is viewed as a vehicle through which scientific knowledge and real-world problem-solving skills can be constructed. Following Anderson and Hogan's (1999) call to document the design of new science pedagogies, this goal of this article is twofold: (a) to describe DBS, and (b) to evaluate whether significant science knowledge was constructed during consecutive enactments of three DBS units. In this study, 92 students participated in the consecutive enactments of three different DBS units. The development of their scientific knowledge was assessed through posters and models constructed during the curricular enactments and by identical pre- and post-instruction written tests. The posttests showed considerable gains compared with the pretests, while the models and posters show application of this newly constructed knowledge in solving a design problem. These positive results support efforts being made to restructure school science around inquiry-based curricula in general and design-based curricula in particular. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 1081–1110, 2004
Article
For the past year we have been developing and implementing a program in which students design and construct remote operated vehicles. In this paper, we report on a pilot study that occurred over the course of an academic year in an inner city high school. Specifically, we have been investigating whether students learn meaningful science content through design activities. Through our teaching experiment methodological stance and analysis we found that (1) student attendance and engagement increased, (2) students learned physics content and recognized connections to their other coursework (3) teachers adopted an organized chaos posture and shifted their role from one of discipline keeper and content gatekeeper to one of coach and facilitator, (4) design projects need to be modularized if they are to be effective urban classrooms, and (5) teachers need to balance the tradeoffs between allowing students to develop aesthetically pleasing designs versus learning content and creating designs that are functional and useable.
Article
This study examines the use of engineering design to facilitate science reasoning in high-needs, urban classrooms. The Design for Science unit utilizes scaffolds consistent with reform science instruction to assist students in constructing a design solution to satisfy a need from their everyday lives. This provides a meaningful context in which students could reason scientifically. Eighth grade students from two urban schools participated in the unit. Both schools contained large percentages of racial/ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged students. Students demonstrated statistically significant improvement on a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice pre and post assessment. The results compare favorably with both a high-quality inquiry science unit and a traditional textbook curriculum. Implications for the use of design-based curricula as a viable alternative for teaching science reasoning in high-needs, urban settings are discussed.
Article
Infusing engineering design projects in K-12 settings can promote interest and attract a wide range of students to engineering careers. However, the current climate of high-stakes testing and accountability to standards leaves little room to incorporate engineering design into K-12 classrooms. We argue that design-based learning, the combination of scientific inquiry and engineering design, is an approach that can be used to meet both K-12 educators’ and engineering advocates’ goals. This paper describes an 8-week high school curriculum unit, the Heating/Cooling System, in which engineering design is used to teach students central and difficult chemistry concepts such as atomic interactions, reactions, and energy changes in reactions. The goals of the paper are to (1) describe this successful design-based unit, (2) provide guidelines for incorporating design-based learning into other science topics, and (3) provide some evidence of its value for teaching difficult chemistry concepts and increasing interest in engineering careers.
Article
Contenido: Parte I.Cuestiones conceptuales en la investigación cualitativa: Naturaleza de la investigación cualitativa; Temas estratégicos en la investigación cualitativa; Diversidad en la investigación cualitativa: orientaciones teóricas; Aplicaciones cualitativas particulares. Parte II. Diseños cualitativos y recolección de datos: Estudios de diseños cualitativos; Estrategias de trabajo de campo y métodos de observación; Entrevistas cualitativas. Parte III. Análisis, interpretación e informe: Análisis cualitativo e interpretación; Incrementar la calidad y la credibilidad del análisis cualitativo.
Article
Using grounded theory as an example, this paper examines three methodological questions that are generally applicable to all qualitative methods. How should the usual scientific canons be reinterpreted for qualitative research? How should researchers report the procedures and canons used in their research? What evaluative criteria should be used in judging the research products? We propose that the criteria should be adapted to fit the procedures of the method. We demonstrate how this can be done for grounded theory and suggest criteria for evaluating studies following this approach. We argue that other qualitative researchers might be similarly specific about their procedures and evaluative criteria.
Engineering notebook prompts for intermediate and middle grades
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A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas
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The case for STEM education: Challenges and opportunities
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Establishing the norms of scientific argumentation in classrooms
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Students' use of evidence-based reasoning in K-12 engineering: A case study (Fundamental)
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Students' use of evidence-based reasoning in K-12 engineering: A case study (Fundamental). ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition
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Engineering in pre-college settings: Synthesizing research, policy, and practices
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Moore, T. J., Stohlmann, M. S., Wang, H.-H., Tank, K. M., Glancy, A. W., & Roehrig, G. H. (2014). Implementation and integration of engineering in K-12 STEM education. In Ş. Purzer, J. Strobel, & M. E. Cardella (Eds.), Engineering in pre-college settings: Synthesizing research, policy, and practices (pp. 35-59). West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press. National Academy of Engineering, & National Research Council. (2014). STEM integration in K-12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https ://doi.org/10.17226/ 18612
Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states
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