Researchers as Coaches: Developing Mathematics Teaching Capacity Using MEAs for STEM Integration

Baker, Courtney K.; Galanti, Terrie M.; Kraft, Tammy; Holincheck, Nancy; Hjalmarson, Margret; Nelson, Jill K.

doi:10.1080/19477503.2021.2023966

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Elementary educators bring their identities as K-16 STEM learners to their teaching practice. STEM professional development often focuses on innovative curriculum and positions teachers as learners (e.g., Baker & Galanti, 2017;Baker et al, 2022;Nadelson et al, 2013). These new educational experiences add another layer to the construction of their evolving STEM learner identities.…”

Section: Stem Learner Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond content and curriculum in elementary classrooms: conceptualizing the cultivation of integrated STEM teacher identity

Galanti

Holincheck

2022

IJ STEM Ed

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As K-12 STEM education moves toward the integrated application of mathematics and science concepts in collaborative and complex real-world problem solving, there is a commensurate need to redefine what it means to be a STEM teacher in the early grades. Elementary teachers need more than professional development with innovative content and curriculum to be ready to integrate STEM; they need the agency that comes with a strong sense of who they are and who they want to become as STEM teachers. In this commentary, we propose a model for integrated STEM teacher identity with the goal of building a robust definition that is applicable to multiple educational contexts. The model captures the tensions between elementary teachers’ multiple identities as STEM learners, professional teachers, and STEM education innovators. Our proposed model structures the complexity of these roles as an intertwining of components from extant professional teacher identity and STEM learner identity models. The careful cultivation of integrated STEM identities has the power to increase teachers’ readiness to not only try but to sustain innovative curriculum. Teacher educators and professional development facilitators can use this model to provide more personalized support to teachers. Recommendations for future refinement of this model are offered along with implications for more equitable access to integrated STEM experiences for all students.

show abstract

Section: Stem Learner Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond content and curriculum in elementary classrooms: conceptualizing the cultivation of integrated STEM teacher identity

Galanti

Holincheck

2022

IJ STEM Ed

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Modeling is the process by which learners use STEM knowledge to describe, explain, represent, and predict real phenomena [6]. MEAs have more recently been used as a transdisciplinary curricular approach to STEM integration with an emphasis on problem solving and the engineering design process [16,17]. Creating and applying models within MEAs engages learners in inquiry around a meaningful STEM problem and provides teachers a window into student thinking.…”

Section: Literature Review 21 Model-eliciting Activities As An Approa...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors of this study collaborated with this district for several years to support mathematics coaches and elementary teachers with STEM professional development [9,16]. The participants in this study attended a full-day professional development workshop to learn about integrating STEM using MEAs.…”

Section: Setting and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our goal in the Box Turtle MEA professional development was for participants to understand how teachers can use MEAs to engage students in STEM reasoning and sensemaking about a tangible real-world phenomenon [16]. School-based teams collaboratively engaged in the MEA process and considered potential barriers to STEM integration, such as curriculum constraints, time, logistics, and student readiness [40,61].…”

Section: Structure Of Our Professional Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“Everybody Was Included in the Conversation”: Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Engagement in Transdisciplinary STEM Learning in Diverse Elementary Schools

Holincheck,

Kraft,

Galanti

et al. 2024

Education Sciences

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This qualitative interview study examines STEM integration in three diverse elementary schools through the eyes of the teachers and instructional coaches (n = 9) who facilitated the transdisciplinary Box Turtle Model-eliciting Activity (MEA). Prior to implementation, participants attended a full-day professional development workshop in which they experienced the MEA in school-based triads of principals, coaches, and teachers. The educators then implemented the MEA with elementary students from across multiple grade levels. We used the guiding principles of productive disciplinary engagement in our analysis of educator interviews to interpret participants’ perceptions of how an MEA encourages elementary students to (a) problematize real-world scenarios, (b) direct their own learning, and (c) collaborate through meaningful academic discourse. Educators also identified challenges to integrating STEM in elementary classrooms. The Box Turtle MEA offered more equitable access to STEM by positioning students as authorities and providing space for them to be accountable to themselves and others in solving an authentic, real-world problem.

show abstract

“…This assertion is not only accurate but also of critical importance. Real-world challenges are optimal for stimulating student motivation and creativity [4][5][6]9,[33][34][35][36]. Several research studies exemplify the application of analysis to model real-life situations.…”

Section: Modeling Activities and Real-world Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Physics and Mathematics in STEM Education: Use of Modeling

Dominguez,

De la Garza,

Quezada-Espinoza

et al. 2023

Education Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, integrating real-world problem scenarios is paramount. Within interdisciplinary education, modeling is an approach to fostering student learning and skill development in a student-centered learning environment. This study focuses on an integrated physics and mathematics course in STEM education based on modeling for first-year engineering students. The main objectives of this study are to analyze students’ models, assess the effectiveness of the pedagogical approach, and evaluate the benefits of integrative education. This study uses a Model-Application Activity as a closure for the quadratic model and extends the models built to a two-dimensional motion situation. The core activity involves a real-world experiment where students attempt to roll a ball down a ramp into a cup. While most groups successfully constructed theoretical models, only a few hit the target, highlighting the complexities of applying theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. The study also emphasizes the seamless integration of physics and mathematics, enriching the learning experience and making the models more robust and versatile. Despite the promising results, the study identifies a gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, suggesting the need for more hands-on activities in the curriculum. In conclusion, this study underlines the value of integrating physics and mathematics through modeling and a student-centered approach, setting the stage for future research to enhance the effectiveness of STEM education.

show abstract

Researchers as Coaches: Developing Mathematics Teaching Capacity Using MEAs for STEM Integration

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

Beyond content and curriculum in elementary classrooms: conceptualizing the cultivation of integrated STEM teacher identity

Beyond content and curriculum in elementary classrooms: conceptualizing the cultivation of integrated STEM teacher identity

“Everybody Was Included in the Conversation”: Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Engagement in Transdisciplinary STEM Learning in Diverse Elementary Schools

Integration of Physics and Mathematics in STEM Education: Use of Modeling

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About