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Current Praxis and Conceptualization of STEM Education: A Call for Greater Clarity in Integrated Curriculum Development

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Critical Questions in STEM Education

Part of the book series: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education ((CTISE,volume 51))

Abstract

One issue surrounding contemporary STEM education is the ambiguity of what constitutes a “STEM” lesson. This ambiguity is in part due to STEM being comprised of four related but distinct fields. We conceptualize a STEM lesson as an integrated endeavor between these disciplines, where the resulting lesson involves skills and knowledge from all fields using a balanced approach. We believe that balanced integration creates opportunities for authentic learning. In this chapter, we communicate a review of recent secondary education practitioner literature that was collected and analyzed based on the amount of integration of the component STEM disciplines and the extent in which connections were made between these fields. We found that not only does there exist a wide variation in the types of lessons that are classified as “STEM,” but that most lessons exhibited a disciplinary bias towards one specific field. It is our belief that the observed imbalance in integration is due to several factors, including the wide range of stakeholders, the knowledge and experiences of teachers, and the constraints of a typical school day. We believe that greater clarity of what constitutes “STEM” may help teachers construct more balanced lessons, creating opportunities for authentic learning experiences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Theory and Practice, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA

    Christopher M. Sgro, Trisha Bobowski & Alandeom W. Oliveira

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  1. Christopher M. Sgro
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  2. Trisha Bobowski
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  3. Alandeom W. Oliveira
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Correspondence to Christopher M. Sgro .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Curriculum & Instruction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Valarie L. Akerson  & Gayle A. Buck  & 

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Sgro, C.M., Bobowski, T., Oliveira, A.W. (2020). Current Praxis and Conceptualization of STEM Education: A Call for Greater Clarity in Integrated Curriculum Development. In: Akerson, V.L., Buck, G.A. (eds) Critical Questions in STEM Education. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 51. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57646-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57646-2_11

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