Abstract
The Real Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Project was conducted in middle schools and high schools in Georgia, USA. The project supported the development of interdisciplinary STEM modules and courses in over 20 schools. A project focus was development of five 21st century STEM reasoning abilities. In this chapter, I provide classroom activities from the Real STEM project that exemplify each form of reasoning: complex systems; model-based; computational; engineering design-based; and quantitative reasoning. Quantitative reasoning plays a critical role in authentic real-world interdisciplinary STEM problems, providing the tools to construct data informed arguments specific to the problem context, which can be debated, verified or refuted, modelled mathematically and tested against reality. Yet quantitative reasoning is often misrepresented, underdeveloped, and ignored in STEM classrooms. The chapter finishes with a discussion of the impact of Real STEM.
Highlights
Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning is a national obsession in the United States
I begin by discussing what interdisciplinary STEM teaching and learning means, present these five STEM reasoning modalities and provide authentic problem-solving situations in which these reasoning modalities were explored by students in partner schools
Quantitative Literacy (QL): The use of fundamental mathematical concepts in sophisticated ways for the purpose of describing, comparing, manipulating, and drawing conclusions, from variables developed in the quantification act (Steen, 2001; Madison, 2003; Briggs, 2004)
Summary
Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning is a national obsession in the United States. The Real STEM project went further by identifying five 21st century STEM reasoning modalities, that are of high demand in the work force, and support being a STEM literate citizen These five STEM reasoning modalities are: complex systems reasoning, scientific model-based reasoning, technologic computational reasoning, engineering design-based reasoning, and mathematical quantitative reasoning. I begin by discussing what interdisciplinary STEM teaching and learning means, present these five STEM reasoning modalities and provide authentic problem-solving situations in which these reasoning modalities were explored by students in partner schools. This chapter structure enables me to illustrate problem-based learning and place-based education in authentic settings as experienced by Real STEM project teachers and students. Teacher (n 39) and student responses (n 898) to increased engagement through interdisciplinary STEM problems was very positive and the chapter concludes with a discussion of how to take such work forwards
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