Abstract
Although one of key ideas behind the introduction of STEM (or STEAM) as a unifying concept, is to emphasize the interdisciplinary character of many real world problems, there is a non-trivial educational challenge in exceeding existing subject boundaries and implementing multidisciplinary activities into the classroom. The present case study covers the design, implementation and evaluation of a multidisciplinary unit in a Finnish lower secondary school, grade 9. The entire multidisciplinary unit was organized around the central concept of energy, and the present study focuses on an activity within that unit that had as theme how energy can be used to analyze both living and non-living systems. Evaluation of the activity was done with pre and post student questionnaires, analyzing the students’ written poster presentations and focus group interviews done with a voluntary group of students after the whole unit. Our results show both the challenges and the possible gains of working in a multidisciplinary way. However, to succeed serious thought has to be invested in both identifying core concepts that gain by being analyzed in an interdisciplinary way, and in the design of appropriate learning activities around these core concepts. Our study is as an effort in this direction.
Highlights
To meet the societal and educational challenges of the future, a set of so-called 21stcentury skills have been identified as vital for students to thrive in a rapidly changing, digital society
what to document in their poster presentations
activity 1 proved to be too challenging for both groups
Summary
To meet the societal and educational challenges of the future, a set of so-called 21stcentury skills have been identified as vital for students to thrive in a rapidly changing, digital society. In some countries the answer to the question of how to design a curriculum that better supports the development of these skills, is a push towards an increased integration among different school subjects and disciplines, or towards an increased interdisciplinarity (Czerniak & Johnson, 2014). The underlying idea is that by emphasizing the interdisciplinary features, of until now mostly STEM related subjects, the curriculum will better reflect the real world and provide students with a more authentic context in which learning can take. This will, according to the proponents of interdisciplinarity, sharpen students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and have a positive effect on student interest and motivation for school (Czerniak & Johnson, 2014). The concept of energy, which is the focus of the present study, is by its very nature interdisciplinary
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