How Integrated Approaches to STEM Education Support Outcomes Across Disciplines

STEM helps learners relate complex contexts with real-world situations, and master skills and concepts that help them deliver consistent, quality results in the much-anticipated job world.

According to the United States Department of Commerce, most job occupations will soon require applicants to have solid knowledge in the STEM areas. While non-STEM fields record a growth rate of 4%, STEM occupations have recorded a tremendous growth of 24%. Therefore, integrating STEM into curriculums will help create innovators and creative thinkers through design, project, and problem-based tasks.

Why Expose Students to STEM Education?

According to a recent publication made by the National Science Foundation, students need well-rounded skills to thrive in a wide range of industries. By integrating STEM into the learning curriculum, students can develop a passion for the program. As a result, they can learn minds-on and hands-on lessons and pursue a career in a STEM field.

What are the benefits of STEM Education?

• Increase teamwork and collaboration

• Develop critical thinking skills

• Explore careers and occupations

• Boost students social-emotional learning

• Boost curiosity

Outcomes of STEM Education: Learning and Achievement

STEM education helps students engage in the creation, planning, improving, and testing of inventions across various disciplines. According to Angela Calabrese Barton et al., the integration of STEM education in learning leads to conceptual understanding of multiple disciplines. However, the effects entirely depend on the outcomes measured, nature of integration, and students' experience and knowledge. STEM learning leads to successful results when the integration is executed appropriately. When implemented correctly, STEM education contributes to students' coherent learning and academic achievement. 

There are several integrated STEM education pairings. These pairing include:

Science and Mathematics

Science and mathematics pairing is undoubtedly one of the most studied STEM education pairing. According to Pang and Good (2000), multiple empirical studies highlights the integration of science and mathematics in the learning system. However, the scholars note that very few studies indicate the approaches and nature of integration used.

On the same note, Hurley (2001) conducted a case study to compare integrated science and mathematics to a nonintegrated learning group. She reported positive effects of both science and mathematics. However, the results varied by the subject (Hartzler 2000). To summarize the case study, Hurley categorized the achievement results as follows:

• Parallel: According to Hurley, both mathematics and science are taught through parallel concepts

• Sequenced: Hurley states that both subjects are taught and planned in a sequential manner

• Enhanced: Hurley concludes that either mathematics or science acts as the primary discipline, where the other field serves apparently

• Partial: Both areas are taught partially together in the same classes

• Total: mathematics and science are introduced and planned together equally

Besides focusing on effect size (ES) to measure the achievement of integrated science and mathematics instruction, Hurley also considered the grade levels in her studies. At a college level, three studies had outcomes for mathematics and two for sciences. For the high school level, four studies had mathematics outcomes and six for science. At the middle school level, two products resulted for both mathematics and science disciplines. At high school and middle school levels, she concluded that the effect sizes for mathematics were lower than those for sciences. 

Collectively, studies from various scholars suggest that integrating science and mathematics can be fully supported by engaging students in the revision of multiple models.

Learning mathematics and science in engineering-based approaches

According to a report by NAE and NRC (2009), there is a positive impact of engineering design learning on mathematics and science. Additionally, learners enrolled in one or more engineering classes recorded a minimal improvement in mathematics when compared to the control group (Tran and Nathan 2010a).

Further studies (Fortus et al. 2004) indicate that students find it difficult to connect between the designed devices and specific scientific concepts. Therefore, the students primarily focus on aesthetic aspects of design rather than concept. 

According to Crismond (2001), engineering design can help learners understand multiple scientific concepts. For instance, students can use these concepts to redesign and become more innovative. However, without STEM, it can be difficult to challenge learners' ideas.

Exposing students to engineering design tasks helps develop their independent contextual ideas in the designing field (Hmelo-Silver et al. 2007). Therefore, learners who have undergone STEM instructional support can easily connect science ideas compared to regular students. With these findings, teachers and principals can quickly develop an instructional framework designed to help students connect to scientific concepts as explained in this example.

Learning maths in the technology content

Multiple studies indicate mathematics can be supported in integrated contexts. Stone et al. (2008) took the initiative of learning mathematics-based CTE (career and technical education) that covered a guide range of disco[plines, but not engineering. CTE teachers were assigned courses on a random basis. However, teachers specializing in enhanced courses were offered professional development guides. Students were also provided ideal opportunities to focus on mathematics concepts compared to maths in the occupational context. In both studies, students performed equally. However, it was concluded that learners pursuing math-enhanced courses performed better in terms of abilities than students pursuing regular CTE courses.

Learning about engineering and technology

Few studies have been conducted to examine outcomes on technology and engineering. However, pilot studies have recorded promising results. For instance, a study was conducted at a high school level where 11 teachers based from 10 high schools used two modules from the NCTL engineering curriculum (NCTL 2005). One module involved communication and electrical systems, whereas the second module focused on thermal systems, where students were supposed to improve and redesign the boat. The results showed tremendous improvements in understanding electrical circuits and thermal systems. Therefore, researchers and teachers need to consider multiple methodological and design approaches when integrating STEM education in learning.

Interest and Identity

STEM plays a pivotal role in fostering students' interest and identity. The learning program helps students choose their career path. There is evidence that integrated approaches support students' development of interest and identity in the STEM fields.

For starters, interest develops when students become curious and persistent, hence developing voluntary reengagement (Renninger and Hidi 2011). According to Hidi and Renninger (2006), interest positively impacts learners to set clear goals. Also, interest revolves around other outcomes such as self-efficacy and developing behaviors to deal with challenging tasks. 

On the other hand, identity refers to how others perceive learners. With STEM, learners use identity to enroll in courses and use knowledge learned in STEM fields outside the classroom. According to Holland et al. (2011), learners develop various identities depending on the subjection of resources, historical, and cultural context.

Conclusion

STEM education learning helps students develop skills and competencies that help them fit across multiple disciples and job fields. Integrated STEM approaches help learners develop identities that enable them to shape their lives and career paths. In the long run, it's proven that students exposed to the STEM education system can demonstrate representational fluency and make connections in multiple disciplines.