STEM integration in the school curriculum
STEM integration is receiving greater attention from
multiple perspectives including as a means of addressing
national and international student achievement data, as
well as preparing students to be competitive in the everchanging
global economy (Moore et al. 2014b). Achieving
an integrated approach, however, is a complex endeavor,
as the Californian Department of Education
indicates in citing the axiom, “the whole is more than
the sum of the parts” (http://www.cde.ca.gov/PD/ca/sc/
stemintrod.asp ).
The STEM Taskforce Report (2014) illustrates this
point further, adopting the strong view that STEM education
is far more than a “convenient integration” of its
four disciplines, rather, it encompasses “real-world,
problem-based learning” that integrates the disciplines
“through cohesive and active teaching and learning approaches”
(p. 9). The report argues that the disciplines
“cannot and should not be taught in isolation, just as
they do not exist in isolation in the real world or the
workforce” (p. 9). The benefits to be gained from such
integration have been variously documented, together
with the challenges faced. Studies have indicated that
students become better problem solvers, display more
positive and motivated learning, and improve in their
mathematics and science achievements (e.g., Furner and
Kumar 2007a; Stinson et al. 2009). Specifically, through
the integration of engineering, students should become
more aware of its role and presence in society and be
able to apply engineering design processes to the solution
of real-world problems (e.g., National Academy of
Engineering and National Research Council NAE and
NRC 2009a).