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We have been invited by the editors of this special issue to consider our work in the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with particular attention to the M in STEM. There is some irony in this invitation, as we rarely refer to the work we do as STEM; the term often does not fit the contexts and communities in which we find ourselves.Nevertheless, we recognize that others may view the work as STEM in relation to how it aligns with integrated approaches to teaching and learning (Bybee, 2010a,b;Zollman, 2011Zollman, , 2012 in which problems and questions are central and learners take up various elements of STEM as required in particular instances (Lunney Borden & Wiseman 2016). We note also that this special issue is based on moving beyond conceptions of STEM that privilege neoliberal imperatives of growth, innovation, and economics (e.g. Government of Canada 2018a,b). We