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Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 31021

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Andrea C. Burrows

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Guest Editor

School of Teacher Education, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Ave, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
Interests: science education; STEM integration; teaching and learning partnerships; teaching; pedagogy and education; professional development; teacher training; curriculum development; pedagogy; collaborative learning; teaching experience
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mike Borowczak

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Guest Editor

Department of Computer Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
Interests: secure distributed systems; security and resilience of autonomous systems; continuous and adaptive authentication; cyber-physical systems and applications; hardware-level security for lightweight agents

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The overall focus of this Special Issue is on educational spaces relating to integrated STEM and interdisciplinary partnerships that might occur in integrated STEM spaces. These educational spaces include formal and informal schooling and could include studies involving collaborative work teams, pre-service or in-service teachers, STEM faculty experiences, pre-collegiate students, interdisciplinary education, science education, technology education, engineering and computer science education, or mathematics education. The purpose of this Special Issue is to bring together a showcase of current studies in integrated STEM and related partnership work in teaching and learning. The newly released Handbook of Research on STEM Education (Johnson, Mohr-Schroeder, Moore, and English, 2020) explores areas of STEM in an international context and sets the stage for this Special Issue. Attention to utilizing integrated STEM frameworks is encouraged. Future research on effective integrated STEM practices and supports is presented in the Handbook of Research on STEM Education and serves as a springboard for Special Issue submissions. Additionally, we welcome studies involving interdisciplinary teams or individuals (that integrate information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines (nsf.gov)) as well as transdisciplinary work (showing a practical focus and skills) that might not traditionally be found in integrated STEM literature.

Dr. Andrea C. Burrows
Dr. Mike Borowczak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Integrated STEM
Pre-service and in-service teacher education
Faculty experiences
Pre-collegiate education
Partnerships
Interdisciplinary teams
Science education
Technology education
Engineering and computer science education
Mathematics education

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Undergraduate Engineering and Education Students Reflect on Their Interdisciplinary Teamwork Experiences Following Transition to Virtual Instruction Caused by COVID-19

by Kristie S. Gutierrez, Jennifer J. Kidd, Min Jung Lee, Pilar Pazos, Krishnanand Kaipa, Stacie I. Ringleb and Orlando Ayala

Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 623; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12090623 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2210

Abstract

This study explores undergraduate engineering and education students’ perspectives on their interdisciplinary teams throughout the rapid transition to online learning and instruction from a face-to-face to a virtual format. In this qualitative study, students’ reflections and focus groups from three interdisciplinary collaborations were analyzed using the lens of Social Cognitive Theory. COVID-19 created a dramatic change in the environment such that the most immediate and direct impact on students’ experiences was on the environmental aspects of Bandura’s triadic reciprocal determinism model, which then triggered behavioral and personal responses to adapt to the new environment. Subsequent evidence of reciprocal effects between environmental, behavioral, and personal factors took place as students continued to adapt. Results suggest that the modifications made to transition the project fully online were meaningful experiences for students’ learning and teaching of engineering through teams. This interdisciplinary partnership provided both pre-service teachers and undergraduate engineering students with the opportunity to learn and practice content and professional skills that will be essential for success in future work environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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22 pages, 1455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Improvised Microbial Fuel Cells: A Model Integrated STEM Curriculum for Middle-School Learners in Singapore

by Timothy Ter Ming Tan and Yew-Jin Lee

Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 417; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12060417 - 18 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

The benefits of STEM education for learning important knowledge, skills, and affect are widely accepted, though the former is currently absent in Singapore’s formal curriculum. This study therefore describes a model-integrated STEM curriculum at the middle-school level for developing scientific as well engineering literacy. Based on design-based inquiry (DBI), it incorporated inquiry science learning with an engineering design challenge for students to build improvised microbial fuel cells (MFC). Co-planned with science teachers from various disciplines, the curriculum was implemented as a 10-week enrichment program with two groups of Grade 8 students (N = 77) from one secondary school in Singapore. Through the use of vignettes, we show how learning about/of science and engineering occurred in the conceptual, epistemic, and social domains. In addition, students applied evidence-based reasoning, various epistemic skills, and a variety of problem-solving approaches as they iteratively improved their MFC set-ups, which often outperformed commercial kits. This proof-of-concept case study represents the first successful implementation of a STEM-integrated curriculum for middle-school students and can serve as a model for the development of similar programs elsewhere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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19 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated STEM and Partnerships: What to Do for More Effective Teams in Informal Settings

by Trina J. Kilty and Andrea C. Burrows

Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 58; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12010058 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2495

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how undergraduate college students formed partnerships in informal educational teams to design and build an interdisciplinary, ill-defined, integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project and translate it to lessons taught to a pre-collegiate student (e.g., K-12 in the US) audience. The authors pursued two research questions: (a) How does an authentic research project provide space for integrating STEM disciplines? (b) How does an authentic research project impact partnerships among team members? Nine undergraduate college students were accepted into the 2020 cohort, forming three teams of three undergraduates each. Teams were roughly composed of one engineering major, one science major, and one education major. Methods of data collection included interviews and field notes. Data were analyzed by assessing the level of partnership achieved based on an already established model. Results indicate that all teams progressed through pre-partnership to at least the partnership (little p) level. Two partnership dimensions achieved the highest (big P) level: one of perception of benefit and one of products and activities. The results have implications that integration of STEM disciplines and forming partnerships could be related, and that building teamwork skills results in products of higher quality. The results are linked to previous research and recommendations for more effective partnerships are provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

13 pages, 1579 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Computer Science beyond Coding: Partnering to Create Teacher Cybersecurity Microcredentials

by Andrea C. Burrows, Mike Borowczak and Bekir Mugayitoglu

Educ. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 4; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci12010004 - 22 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3502

Abstract

Computer science, cybersecurity education, and microcredentials are becoming more pervasive in all levels of the educational system. The purpose of this study was partnering with precollegiate teachers: (1) to investigate the self-efficacy of 30 precollegiate teacher participants towards computer science before, during, and after three iterations of a cybersecurity microcredential, and (2) to make changes to the cybersecurity microcredential to improve its effectiveness. The authors explored what teachers need in a microcredential. The first Cohort (n = 5) took the microcredential sequence over 28 days in the summer of 2020, the second Cohort (n = 16) took it over 42 days in the fall of 2020, and the third Cohort (n = 9) took it over 49 days in the summer of 2021. The authors investigated three research questions and used a systems thinking approach while developing, evaluating, and implementing the research study. The researchers used quantitative methods in the collection of a self-efficacy subscale survey to assess whether the precollegiate teachers’ beliefs about computer science changed, and then used qualitative methods when conducting semi-structured teacher participant interviews to address the research questions. The findings show that the precollegiate teachers’ self-efficacy scores towards computer science increased, and that there are areas in need of attention, such as resources and implementation, when creating microcredentials. The implications of this research include the importance of purposefully crafting microcredentials and professional developments, including aspects of creating effective partnerships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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27 pages, 530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Becoming a STEM-Focused School District: Administrators’ Roles and Experiences

by Jeanna R. Wieselmann, Gillian H. Roehrig, Elizabeth A. Ring-Whalen and Thomas Meagher

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 805; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11120805 - 10 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3188

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools and districts continue to emerge, and while some research highlights critical components to be included in STEM schools, there is a need to learn more about the process of becoming a STEM school or district. In this study, we investigated a rural United States school district’s development and expansion of its STEM education focus, which started in the years leading up to the district’s first STEM school opening in 2012. We addressed the research question: How is a district-wide STEM education vision developed, enacted, and sustained by various administrative stakeholders? We interviewed 11 participants, all of whom had some level of administrative responsibility related to the district’s STEM mission, coded interviews based on the critical components of STEM schools, and used narrative inquiry methods to describe the district’s STEM transition from these administrators’ perspectives. Our analysis revealed that several key critical components were central to this district’s STEM mission. These components included elements related to leadership, reform-based instructional strategies, and teachers’ professional learning. By focusing on different elements at different times and prioritizing several key components throughout, this district was able to achieve its goal of providing STEM instruction to all of the elementary and middle school students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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12 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflecting upon 30 Years of STEM Partnerships between Industry, University, and Public Schools: Past Lessons, Current Successes, and Future Dreams

by Lisa A. Dieker, Malcolm B. Butler, Enrique Ortiz and Su Gao

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 760; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11120760 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2162

Abstract

The importance of partnerships is critical in educational arenas, but information on how partnerships form with the involvement of corporations, districts, and universities working in harmony is limited in the current literature. The teacher preparation program described in this paper is a “built-to-last” partnership model with over 650 teachers prepared to be teacher-leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The authors provide a history of the program’s development, the sustainability of the program over time, the content of the various components of the partnership, and the evolution of the program, including its current status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

22 pages, 636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Content: The Role of STEM Disciplines, Real-World Problems, 21st Century Skills, and STEM Careers within Science Teachers’ Conceptions of Integrated STEM Education

by Emily Anna Dare, Khomson Keratithamkul, Benny Mart Hiwatig and Feng Li

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 737; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11110737 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6680

Abstract

Understanding teachers’ conceptions surrounding integrated STEM education is vital to the successful implementation of integrated STEM curricula in K-12 classrooms. Of particular interest is understanding how teachers conceptualize the role of the STEM disciplines within their integrated STEM teaching. Further, despite knowing that content-agnostic characteristics of integrated STEM education are important, little is known about how teachers conceptualize the real-world problems, 21st century skills, and the promotion of STEM careers in their integrated STEM instruction. This study used an exploratory case study design to investigate conceptions of 19 K-12 science teachers after participating in an integrated STEM-focused professional development and implementing integrated STEM lessons into their classrooms. Our findings show that all teacher participants viewed STEM education from an integrative perspective that fosters the development of 21st century skills, using real-world problems to motivate students. Our findings also reveal that teachers have varying ideas related to the STEM disciplines within integrated STEM instruction, which could assist teacher educators in preparing high-quality professional development experiences. Findings related to real-world problems, 21st century skills, and STEM careers provide a window into how to best support teachers to include these characteristics into their teaching more explicitly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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15 pages, 1519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Digital Girls Response to Pandemic: Impacts of in Presence and Online Extracurricular Activities on Girls Future Academic Choices

by Francesco Faenza, Claudia Canali, Michele Colajanni and Antonella Carbonaro

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 715; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11110715 - 08 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2235

Abstract

In the last few years, several initiatives based on extracurricular activities have been organized in many countries around the world, with the aim to reduce the digital gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. Among them, the Digital Girls summer camp, organized every year since 2014 by two Italian universities with the aim to attract female students to ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) disciplines, represents quite a unique initiative for its characteristics of long-duration (3–4 entire weeks) and complete gratuitousness for the participants. The COVID-19 emergency imposed severe changes to such activities, that had to be modified and carried out in the online mode as a consequence of social distancing. However, on one hand, the general lack of high-quality evaluations of these initiatives hinders the possibility to understand the actual impact of extracurricular activities on the future academic choices of the participants. On the other hand, the availability of data collected over different editions of Digital Girls has allowed us to analyze the summer camp impact and to evaluate the pros and cons of in-presence and online activities. The main contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we present an overview of existing experiences, at the national (Italian) and international levels, to increase female participation in integrated STEM and ICT fields. Second, we analyze how summer camp participation can influence girls’ future academic choices, with specific attention to ICT-related disciplines. In particular, the collection of a significant amount of data through anonymous surveys conducted before and after the camp activities over the two editions allowed us to evidence the different impacts of in-presence and online extracurricular activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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17 pages, 461 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Actualizing Change after Experiencing Significant Mathematics PD: Hearing from Teachers of Color about Their Practice and Mathematical Identities

by Richard Kitchen, Monica Martinez-Archuleta, Lorenzo Gonzales and Ali Bicer

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 710; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11110710 - 04 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2030

Abstract

While it is well-documented that students of color and students from low-income communities have often been denied access to a challenging education in mathematics in the United States, less is known about how teachers of color have overcome their deprived educational backgrounds to become teachers of mathematics who implement inquiry-based instructional methods as a means to improve their students’ learning and mathematical identities. In this article, we use a sociopolitical theoretical framework to examine how seven elementary school teachers of color characterized their experiences as mathematics students, themselves as teachers of mathematics, and their mathematical identities after experiencing significant professional development in mathematics. All the participants in this study had experienced extensive professional development support in mathematics over a sustained period of time. We demonstrate through the teachers’ narratives that, given the deprived mathematics education that the majority of the participants experienced as PK-12 students, having opportunities to participate in significant and focused PD in mathematics over a sustained period transformed how teachers viewed themselves as teachers and positively impacted their mathematical identities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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Review

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15 pages, 975 KiB

Open AccessReview

Pedagogical Models to Implement Effective STEM Research Experience Programs in High School Students

by Zubair Ahmad, Mohammad Ammar and Noora J. Al-Thani

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 743; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/educsci11110743 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2149

Abstract

High school research experience programs (HSREPs) provide opportunities for true science education and expose students to scientific investigations in laboratory settings. Various HSREPs models have been practiced to shape students’ research understandings; however, a systematic comparison of the success, challenges, and opportunities of these HSREPs has not been gauged. This article compares the effectiveness of such science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based HSREP models reported in the last two decades. We shortlisted seventeen studies on the most effective HSREPs and identified the characteristics of these reports. Results show that student research experiences vary depending on the structure of the model used and the nature of the laboratory setting to which students are exposed. However, there is a dire need to integrate more collaborative and customized research practices to accommodate more students in HSREPs. Additionally, intensive support, mentoring, and coaching are essential to provide students a comprehensive understanding to excel in their research career pathway. Finally, there is a desperate need for further studies to develop the frameworks that can help the smooth transition of high school students into research-oriented university programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated STEM and STEM Partnerships: Teaching and Learning)

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