What Is STEM? A Discussion About Conceptions of STEM in Education and Partnerships

Abstract

Educational reformation has proceeded slowly despite the many calls to improve science and mathematics for our students. The acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has been adopted by numerous programs as an important focus for renewed global competitiveness for the United States, but conceptions of what STEM entails often vary among stakeholders. This paper examines the conceptions of STEM held by faculty members from a public Research I institution in the middle of a regional "STEM movement. " Faculty members responded to two open-ended questions: (1) What is STEM? and (2) How does STEM influence and/or impact your life? Although 72% of these faculty members possessed a relevant conception of STEM, the results suggest that they do not share a common conceptualization of STEM. Their conception is most likely based on their academic discipline or how STEM impacts their daily lives. STEM faculty members were likely to have a neutral or positive conception where non-STEM faculty members often had negative feelings about STEM.

Context of STEM Integration in Schools: Views from In-service Science Teachers

“…Within such interdisciplinary philosophy, deep conceptual understanding and what is termed 21 st century skills could be developed (Biasutti & EL-Deghaidy, 2014). Despite the increased interest in STEM education, Breiner, Johnson, Harkness, & Koehler, (2012) claim that advocates have struggled to conceptualise its instructional practices. By a review of the literature, with an emphasis on STEM pedagogical implementation, there seems to be a struggle in incorporating all four disciplines (Atkinson & Mayo, 2010) as there is still a constant focus on integrating just science and mathematics.…”

A bibliometric mapping of the structure of STEM education using co‐word analysis

“…A previous study that looked into STEM education showed the existence of a wide range of interpretations and conceptions by different stakeholders, ranging from K-12 school districts where it is seen as traditional disciplinary coursework composed of the subjects that make up STEM, to policy views most popularized by the National Science Foundation (NSF), to current understanding of the integration of the various disciplines as used in solving real-world problems (Breiner, Harkness, Johnson, & Koehler, 2012). The NSF, whose mission includes support for research and education in a number of STEM fields (except medical sciences), defines STEM broadly.…”

Assessing Urban and Rural Teachers’ Competencies in STEM Integrated Education in Malaysia

“…Reference [6] concludes that the main purpose of STEM education is to enhance one's ability to address STEM-related personal, social, as well as global issues. To do this, STEM education should emphasize on problem-based learning [7]. Apart from problem-solving, reference [8] mentions that STEM education is also necessary to produce students with the following knowledge and skills: innovation, creative, independent, logic, and IT-savvy.…”