Analysis of integrated STEM education: how they are reflected in integrated STEM curriculum writing and classroom implementation

Abstract

The global urgency to improve STEM education is driven by the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century, which threaten global security and economic stability. Addressing these complex issues requires more than helping students achieve high scores in math and science; it demands educational systems that equip learners with interdisciplinary knowledge and problem-solving skills. In response to these challenges, the United States has implemented extensive STEM education reforms over the past two decades. However, this shift in pedagogical, curricular, and epistemological approaches necessitates a deeper understanding of integrated STEM (I-STEM) education, particularly for educators responsible for translating it into practice. Despite growing efforts, the challenges of defining and operationalizing I-STEM have led to uncertainty among practitioners, highlighting the need for clearer models of I-STEM implementation at both the curricular and classroom levels. This dissertation seeks to fill key gaps in the literature by analyzing curriculum content and teacher practices. The dissertation focuses specifically on I-STEM integration in elementary science education, providing valuable insights into how I-STEM principles are implemented in both curriculum and instructional practice. Through three interrelated studies, the research offers important findings that contribute to the broader goals of STEM education. The first study investigates how core I-STEM characteristics are represented in curriculum writing. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate the extent and quality of I-STEM integration. Quantitative analysis identifies which activities demonstrate core I-STEM features, while qualitative analysis examines how effectively these features are embedded across different activities. The findings provide a comprehensive evaluation of the strengths and limitations of commercially available STEM activities, offering practical recommendations for curriculum developers seeking to enhance I-STEM content. The second study takes a deeper look into I-STEM implementation at the classroom level through a single-case study of an elementary science teacher. This study explores how the teacher integrated both content and context into her instructional practices, providing insight into how I-STEM principles are applied in real-world classroom settings. The findings from this case study establish a foundation for the third study, expanding the research to explore how these practices vary across multiple classrooms. The third study employs a multiple-case study approach to investigate how three different elementary science teachers implemented the same I-STEM curriculum. Through cross-case analysis, this study reveals how the integration of context varied among the teachers, demonstrating the diverse ways in which instructional practices can reflect I-STEM principles. Together, these three studies provide a comprehensive exploration of I-STEM education, offering insights at both the curricular and instructional levels. The progressive nature of the research, along with the use of diverse methodologies and data analysis techniques, contributes to the expansion of STEM education literature. The findings offer valuable guidance for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers, supporting efforts to improve STEM education by aligning curriculum design with effective classroom practices and promoting interdisciplinary, real-world learning.