Walking the Walk: An Integrated STEM Project for Elementary Teachers

Abstract

Preparing effective STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education teachers has become a priority of national economic importance (National Research Council [NRC], 2007) and this goal depends on teachers who understand content and possess effective teaching practices that impact student learning true integration of STEM will require significant changes in classroom practices, shifting away from traditional instruction and begin with teacher preparation. The present article originates from an interdisciplinary STEM project within an elementary teacher preparation program that has a stated and explicit STEM focus for undergraduate pre-service elementary teachers, yet this investigation also applies to practicing teachers interested in STEM integration. The investigation aims to blur the rigid boundaries that traditionally separate school subjects. Here we highlight a unified investigation project that spans not only disciplines and courses but also pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) mindsets.

Teaching and Learning Inquiry Framework

“…Multidisciplinary forms of integration retain the emphasis on the individual disciplines, while interdisciplinary integration mixes all the subjects in a way that they can't be easily separated and the boundaries among subjects get blurry (Wang, Moore, Roehrig, & Park, 2011). The process of interdisciplinary teaching and learning should begin in elementary school (Carrier, Faulkner, & Bottomley, 2016) and gain complexity as learners get older. This will require teachers to shift their thinking and practice in order to prepare children with the authentic inquiry-oriented experiences needed to make interdisciplinary learning possible (Carrier et al, 2016;Feiman-Nemser, 2001).…”

“…The process of interdisciplinary teaching and learning should begin in elementary school (Carrier, Faulkner, & Bottomley, 2016) and gain complexity as learners get older. This will require teachers to shift their thinking and practice in order to prepare children with the authentic inquiry-oriented experiences needed to make interdisciplinary learning possible (Carrier et al, 2016;Feiman-Nemser, 2001).…”