STEM Learning Experiences Research Articles

Innovating STEM education: Teacher reflections on challenges, strategies, and development

This study investigates the crucial role of teachers' perspectives in enhancing STEM education, specifically focusing on evaluating existing programs, identifying challenges, and proposing actionable improvements. A comprehensive survey was administered to gather detailed insights from teachers regarding the effectiveness of STEM educational materials and methodologies. The survey results reveal key areas requiring enhancement to better support student learning, particularly in the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics within the curriculum. The findings indicate that incorporating teachers' feedback can lead to substantial improvements in teaching practices, professional development opportunities, and overall student outcomes. The study emphasizes the significance of inclusive education, the importance of hands-on and experiential learning, and the critical role of technology integration in modern STEM curricula. Additionally, it highlights the necessity for targeted professional development programs that are closely aligned with the specific needs and challenges identified by teachers. By applying the firsthand experiences and practical recommendations of teachers, this research aims to inform and influence curriculum development processes, ultimately fostering a more effective and equitable STEM education system. The practical implications of the study suggest that schools and educational institutions can overcome current barriers by adopting these recommendations, thereby improving the STEM learning experience and more effectively preparing students to face future challenges and seize opportunities in the rapidly evolving fields of science and technology.

Unpacking the nuances: an exploratory multilevel analysis on the operationalization of integrated STEM education and student attitudinal change

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.

Novice Decision Making During Creation of Electric Go-Kart Racing Educational Material

In 2017 Purdue evGrand Prix hired a K-12 Indiana public educator (the author) to write instructional material that could be implemented into participating teams’ high school science and engineering classrooms. The goal was to create science-based integrated STEM learning experiences that complement the construction and racing of a 48-volt electric go-kart. Over the next four years, the instructional designer learned how to implement instructional design techniques and theories while navigating the changing dynamics of a fledgling educational program. Personal experience with woodworking, classroom instruction, and classroom curriculum development played a huge role in instructional design decisions. Early decision-making processes were rooted in making slight modifications to existing educational resources. Here, minor edits were made for application to motorsports generally, and go-kart racing specifically. When specific go-kart educational materials were not available, educational and classroom best practices became the raw material for creating new and innovative instructional material. Collaboration with peers, professionals, and subject matter experts became the norm, while feedback from participating schools helped develop a single-minded focus to meet both teacher and student needs. Formalized training within an instructional design and technology course provided much-needed organizational and methodological skills associated with the transition from a teacher designing classroom resources to an instructional design professional.

Reimagining STEM Education in South Africa: Leveraging Indigenous Knowledge Systems Through the M-Know Model for Curriculum Enhancement

This conceptual paper investigates the integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into South African Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, exploring its conceptions, historical roots, significance, and the challenges and benefits associated with such integration. The objective was to understand the role of IKS in enriching STEM education and its potential contributions to global scientific knowledge. A culturally sensitive research approach was employed, with criteria set for selecting relevant literature on IKS and STEM. The results highlighted the profound historical significance of IKS in South Africa and its potential in bridging cultural gaps in education. Pedagogical innovations rooted in indigenous practices were identified as key to revitalising the STEM learning experience. However, challenges such as educational barriers, policy constraints, and institutional norms were also noted. Thus, the Multiple-ways of knowing (M-Know) model is proposed to demonstrate the possibility of using an integrated approach for the inclusion of IKS and enhancement of the STEM higher education school curriculum in South Africa. The model negotiates for a synergic or integrated arrangement between formal STEM curriculum and IKS in terms of using IKS to interrogate, complement, and consolidate the contents and pedagogy of Westernised STEM education in higher education.

League of VetaHumanz SuperPower Pack Program: Introducing Young People from Diverse Backgrounds to STEM Learning Activities and Veterinary Science Careers.

League of VetaHumanz uses a nationwide network of university-community partnerships to provide veterinary STEM learning experiences for children who are more likely to lack access to enriching, supplemental educational opportunities due to systemic barriers based on their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. To include participation beyond in-person programming, SuperPower Packs, self-guided, learning experiences, were developed. Leveraging social cognitive career theory and the "Batman Effect," SuperPower Packs are designed to build self-efficacy, and seed STEM and veterinary science career aspirations by engaging children in STEM learning through connections with a veterinary role model. Four SuperPower Packs were developed. Beginning in the fall of 2021, for 17 months, 16,655 SuperPower Packs were distributed to children in 23 states. A small portion of children who received the game (3.8%, N = 614, 6-12 years old) returned evaluation surveys that measured activity engagement, likelihood of role model identification and demographics. Participants indicated variation in their experiences, but mean scale scores show desirable perceptions of engagement (MRange = 2.38 - 2.90/3) and role model identification (MRange = 2.15 - 2.94/3). These positive learning and role model experiences help set the stage to encourage youth to pursue similar learning and career opportunities in the future.

A systematic review of Drone integrated STEM education at secondary schools (2005–2023): Trends, pedagogies, and learning outcomes

As the prominence of drone technology continues to captivate interest for its myriad applications in education, an understanding of the current status of drone-integrated education becomes imperative. This systematic review endeavors to furnish an updated and comprehensive analysis of the drone education studies across academic levels, with a specific emphasis on secondary education settings. To accomplish this objective, a review study with 181 publications was conducted, with a particular focus on 41 publications explicitly addressing the integration of drones in secondary STEM education. Employing a systematic approach, this review identifies, analyzes, and synthesizes pertinent literature, ensuring a thorough comprehension of the current state of the field. The key findings of this review can be summarized as follows: 1) Among the diverse array of subjects incorporating drones, STEM disciplines emerge as the most prominently featured. 2) Experiential and project-based learning stand out as the most commonly adopted pedagogical methods in drone-integrated STEM education. The incorporation of teamwork and hands-on activities is frequently cited as instructional strategies aimed at enhancing drone-integrated STEM learning experiences. 3) Beyond the acquisition of drone-related technical skills, the reported learning outcomes encompass a spectrum of aspects, including heightened STEM career awareness, increased engagement and learning interest, and collaborative problem-solving abilities. The findings underscore the potential of drones to ignite passion for STEM subjects among secondary students, achieved through interdisciplinary, hands-on applications that foster problem-solving and design competencies.

Improving Elementary Pre-Service Teachers’ Science Teaching Self-Efficacy through Garden-Based Technology Integration

School gardens and outdoor learning spaces are increasingly available to support authentic, student-centered exploration in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Integrating technology tools into school garden spaces in alignment with modern agricultural practices can support inquiry-based learning in which students engage in science practices such as collecting and analyzing data. However, educators currently lack the necessary knowledge, skills, and instructional support to enact technology-rich, garden-based STEM learning experiences. The Garden TOOLS program was designed to support teachers in leveraging technology to support inquiry-based teaching (IBT) in outdoor learning spaces. In this paper, we examine the impact of combining Garden TOOLS professional development workshops with lesson plan implementation in a practicum setting on elementary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) science teaching self-efficacy. We administered the STEBI-B pre- and post-intervention and assessed change in the STEBI-B subscales, personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE), and science teaching outcome expectancy (STOE). Participants included thirty-nine elementary PSTs enrolled in a 300-level science methods course in the rural Midwest. Garden TOOLS professional development workshop participants saw a statistically significant increase from pre- to post-workshop in their PSTE. Participants who also implemented the Garden TOOLS lesson showed both an increase in PSTE and STOE.

Model-Eliciting Activities: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Integrated STEM

This study examines how experiencing model-eliciting activities (MEAs) influenced elementary pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of an engineering-based approach to integrated STEM. The participants included 17 elementary PSTs from large public universities located in the southeastern and western regions of the United States. The participants engaged in MEA engineering-based integrated STEM learning experiences. The data included open-ended reflections about the experience. The reflections were coded deductively using the elements of the Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy Framework: dispositions, applicability and utility, empowerment, critical thinking and problem solving, identity development, and empathy. The findings indicate that when PSTs use engineering to teach mathematics and science through MEAs and approach integrated STEM with an equity focus, they increase their knowledge about the applicability and utility of STEM while simultaneously developing their identities as STEM teachers; this positively influences their dispositions towards STEM and empowers them to be teachers of STEM.

More than Just the Facts: Contributions of Subject Matter Experts to Out-of-School Time Youth Programs

Background Out-of-school time (OST) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming has positive impacts for youth, and the importance of engineering design activities and principles within STEM programming is well-supported by research. Including subject matter experts (SMEs) in these programs enriches the experience of youth participants. Public libraries are widely accessible to the public, and their role in the OST arena is expanding. Library staff can boost the quality of STEM learning experiences by partnering with SMEs. Purpose Subject matter experts (SME) contribute more than just their expertise. Between 2018 and 2019, a group of diverse professional engineers and librarians co-facilitated engineering activities at six U.S. libraries serving traditionally underserved populations. This study investigates the alignment in active learning preferences between youth, library staff, and professional engineer volunteers. Method The study’s design implemented the Framework for the Observation and Categorization of Instructional Strategies (FOCIS), which identifies seven different types of learning activities: collaborating, competing, performing, discovering, making, teaching, and caretaking. The FOCIS helped researchers evaluate the learning activity preferences of youth participants, engineers, and librarians. Results The analysis showed that the learning activity preferences of youth and engineers were much more closely aligned than those of librarians. Conclusions Alignment between youth-program participants and SME program facilitators has the potential to enrich the program experience and foster active engagement.

An Investigation into Secondary School- age Learners’ Out -of-class (Community and Home-based Settings) STEM Learning Experience with Digital Technology

Digital learning resources are commonly employed to support learning in out-of-class contexts, either as a complement to the learning in formal classrooms or as an alternative that can be used by learners to pursue personal learning goals. This study identified a significant gap in the literature concerning children's use of digital technology to support STEM (science and mathematics in particular) learning outside of the classroom. To develop a framework for further research in this area, this study adopted a multiple case study design using semi-structured interviews and observations as data collection methods. Following a sociocultural framework, this research primarily confirmed existing work regarding the identification of motivational factors and concluded that the user interface (UI), all-in-one features of digital technology, simulation and alternative learning experience were factors that influenced the learning motivation of secondary schoolage learners when learning science and mathematics with digital technology in out-of-class contexts.

“Girls Hold All the Power in the World”: Cultivating Sisterhood and a Counterspace to Support STEM Learning with Black Girls

For far too long, schools have been violent places where Black girls are often adultified, overdisciplined, and overlooked. In school science and mathematics specifically, Black girls have been isolated, tokenized, and made to feel invisible. This qualitative study leveraged the Multidimensionality of Black Girls’ STEM Learning conceptual framework to explore the roles of two Black women middle school science and mathematics teachers on the STEM learning experiences of 12 Black girls who live in the U.S. Midwest and how the girls engage with culturally relevant lessons in an afterschool program—SISTERHOOD I AM STEM. Data sources included a demographic questionnaire, program artifacts, and semi-structured transformative dialogic interviews with student and teacher participants. Findings revealed the significance and benefits of single-gender STEM learning environments for Black girls who struggle to connect with school and the role of Black women teachers in creating safe spaces for STEM engagement. In addition, the afterschool STEM program served as a mechanism to promote self-visualization and confidence for Black girls in science with the HyFlex model fostering a communal experience for the girls and their families. This STEM learning space organized and facilitated by Black women educators resisted Black girls’ pathologization and cultivated their sense of belonging. It holds promise for developing the social bonds that are critically important to their persistence in the field and a new narrative where “Girls hold all the power in the world”.

Justice-Centered STEM Education with Multilingual Learners: Conceptual Framework and Initial Inquiry into Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense-Making

ABSTRACT When pressing societal challenges (e.g., COVID-19, access to clean water) are sidelined in science classrooms, science education fails to leverage the knowledge and experiences of minoritized students in school, thus reproducing injustices in society. Our conceptual framework for justice-centered STEM education engages all students in multiple STEM subjects, including data science and computer science, to explain and design solutions to pressing societal challenges and their disproportionate impact on minoritized groups. In the first part of this article, we extend our conceptual framework by articulating the affordances of justice-centered STEM education for one minoritized student group that has been traditionally denied meaningful STEM learning experiences: multilingual learners (MLs). Justice-centered STEM education with MLs leverages the assets that MLs bring to STEM learning, including their transnational knowledge and experiences as well as their rich repertoire of meaning-making resources, thus refuting deficit narratives of these students. To illustrate the affordances of justice-centered STEM education with MLs, we draw on examples from our instructional unit that engages students in the pressing societal challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second part of the article, we report on an initial inquiry into how 14 undergraduate pre-service teachers made sense of our conceptual framework after participating in lessons from our COVID-19 instructional unit. Findings indicated that pre-service teachers perceived both opportunities and obstacles of justice-centered STEM education with MLs. We close by discussing what it might take to prepare the next generation of teachers to disrupt systemic injustices in and out of school.

Enhancing STEM learning with ChatGPT and Bing Chat as objects to think with: A case study

This study investigates the potential of ChatGPT and Bing Chat, advanced conversational AIs, as “objects-to-think-with,” resources that foster reflective and critical thinking, and concept comprehension in enhancing STEM education, using a constructionist theoretical framework. A single-case study methodology was used to analyze extensive interaction logs between students and both AI systems in simulated STEM learning experiences. The results highlight the ability of ChatGPT and Bing Chat to help learners develop reflective and critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving skills, and concept comprehension. However, integrating AIs with collaborative learning and other educational activities is crucial, as is addressing potential limitations like concerns about AI information accuracy and reliability of the AIs’ information and diminished human interaction. The study concludes that ChatGPT and Bing Chat as objects-to-think-with offer promising avenues to revolutionize STEM education through a constructionist lens, fostering engagement in inclusive and accessible learning environments.

Childhood experiences and undergraduate student interest in STEM disciplines: Attending to setting and activity type.

Informal STEM learning experiences (ISLEs), such as participating in science, computing, and engineering clubs and camps, have been associated with the development of youth's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics interests and career aspirations. However, research on ISLEs predominantly focuses on institutional settings such as museums and science centers, which are often discursively inaccessible to youth who identify with minoritized demographic groups. Using latent class analysis, we identify five general profiles (i.e., classes) of childhood participation in ISLEs from data reported by a nationally representative sample of college students (N = 15,579). Results show that childhood participation in specific typologies of ISLEs (i.e., setting and activity type) is associated with youth's disciplinary interests at the end of high school. Participation in outdoor activities that invite observation is more often reported by female respondents and is negatively associated with interest in computing and mathematics. Participation in indoor activities that invite object manipulation is more often reported by male respondents and is positively associated with interest in computing and engineering. However, frequent participation in multiple ISLEs is positively associated with interest in "science." Theseresults elucidate stereotypical discourses that reinforce the exclusionof minoritized students and exposecritical areas needing reform.

Engaging STEM Learning Experience of Spatial Ability through Activities with Using Math Trail

Math trail is a type of outdoor activity conducted in groups. Group members work together, communicate, and find common and best strategies for solving problems. Thus, it combines the use of mathematics in real life with a pleasant walk. Pupils have the opportunity to explore mathematics linked to real objects, solving standard and non-standard problems. Teachers, in turn, can use mathematics in this way as a tool to connect it to other STEM disciplines. This article first describes the results of research aimed at assessing spatial ability and mental rotation in students at technical vocational schools in Slovakia. A stereometry test was solved by 455 students. We then created a mathematical walk aimed at developing students’ spatial ability. The experiences presented in the article may be helpful as other mathematics’ popularization stimuli. We believe that when students are engaged in problem-based learning activities that are related to STEM disciplines, in particular, by connecting with the subjects in the problem context of the real world, STEM disciplines may become more important for students. Interdisciplinary STEM learning imitates authentic real-world problem-solving.

Introduction to Building from strengths: Culturally situated early STEM learning

Despite the wide acknowledgement that children's learning is culturally situated, there is a dearth of research describing the early STEM learning experiences of children from ethnoculturally and linguistically minoritized backgrounds. In this introduction to the special issue, we argue for the need to diversify the child and family populations who provide the basic knowledge and metrics for developmental work on early STEM learning.

What shapes implementation of a school-based makerspace? Teachers as multilevel actors in STEM reforms

BackgroundWe investigate the factors that shape teachers’ implementation of a school STEM reform—the creation of a high-school makerspace. Educational reformers have increasing interest in making and makerspaces in schools. Prior research shows how factors shape reform at the classroom, school (organizational), and institutional levels, as well as across levels. However, most research on teachers tends to focus on classroom-level effects, which may not capture the full complexity of how they navigate multilevel reforms. We consider teachers’ decision-making from an ecological perspective to investigate what shapes their implementation efforts, using observational and interview data collected over 2 years in a large comprehensive high school.ResultsWe find teachers’ efforts are shaped by four “distances”—or spaces teachers traversed, physically and conceptually—related to skillsets and distributed expertise, physical space, disciplinary learning, and structural factors. The distances operate as a constellation of factors—independently identifiable, co-operatively manifesting—to shape implementation. We position teacher deliberations and decision-making as portals into the forms of organizational and institutional supports offered in multilevel reforms.ConclusionsThe paper contributes insights into makerspace implementation in schools, adding to the emerging literature on how making can transform STEM learning experiences for students. We conclude that teachers’ decision-making around multilevel implementations can inform our understanding of how makerspaces are implemented and their impact on students’ experiences, as well as how seeing teachers as multilevel actors can offer new insights into reform dynamics writ large. We offer implications for makerspaces in schools, as well as methodological and theoretical considerations for how organizations and institutions can better support teachers as agents of STEM reform.

STEM Education in Malaysia: An Organisational Development Approach?

A new breath has taken place to re-position STEM education based on its importance in providing a skilled STEM workforce, which is crucial for Malaysia. The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) have launched strategic plans to boost students’ enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to develop a STEM-literate society and high-quality and sufficient workforce in Malaysia. Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB), the leadership training centre in MoE, collaborate with Curriculum Development Division (BPK) have piloted a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Executive Consultation (STEMEC) project under the Malaysia Educational Blueprint 2013-2025 (MEB) Initiative #49 in 2019. The project aims to strengthen integrated STEM Education in 32 primary and secondary schools by providing pupils with continuous meaningful STEM learning experiences. The STEMEC conceptual framework is grounded in the organisation development approach to develop model STEM schools that others can benchmark on holistically implementing integrated STEM education. In addition, the pilot project introduced an instrument that can assist schools in planning, implementing and accessing integrated STEM education, which impacts their strategically crafted integrative learning experiences.

Considerations for challenges with STEM standards alignment in the middle grades

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Addressing the challenges of online and blended STEM learning with grounded design

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning became a major alternative to college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in postsecondary education. Faculty members, although subject matter experts, often lack pedagogical knowledge and training on how to effectively teach new generations of students online, or incorporate appropriate technologies. Faculty teaching online courses needed a new guiding framework to balance domain goals and emerging technologies. We present grounded design for STEM courses to align domain goals and instructional methods and technologies while reflecting instructors’ pedagogical beliefs and addressing cultural and pragmatic issues. It is critical to provide students with aligned STEM learning experience and engagement via defensible theories and research-evidenced pedagogy in online and blended courses while technological, cultural, and pragmatic considerations are also addressed. We suggest grounded design as the conceptual and design framework for designing online and blended courses and discuss the assumptions, approaches, and examples. We provide practical guidelines to apply grounded design to online and blended learning environments and suggest future research. This article can assist both novice and seasoned STEM faculty to connect theory and research to teaching practices and optimise their online and blended courses. Implications for practice University STEM instructors can use grounded design framework for online, blended, and technology-enhanced teaching. Instructors should begin the course design by aligning the domain goals with optimal psychological and pedagogical foundations. When choosing technology to support online learning, instructors should align it with learning goals and needs of students, and consider cultural and pragmatic foundations.