Discussion
There are several implications from this article for
administrators, teachers, and schools that are considering
implementing a PLTW program or STEM integration
program in their school or continuing to improve a current
program. Implementing effective STEM education requires
dedicated, organized, and knowledgeable individuals. It is
important to have teachers that are committed to being
long-term PLTW teachers and not just waiting for a math,
science, or other job to become available. Teacher turnover
can have negative effects for schools in terms of school
cohesion, teaching effectiveness, and students’ achievement
(Cochran-Smith, 2004). While teachers are developing
their content knowledge of integrated STEM education,
they can focus on quality strategies for teaching. A growing
number of institutions are offering integrated programs that
lead to licensure in both math and science, particularly at
the middle school level that might serve to lessen the effect
of this issue (Frykholm & Glasson, 2005).
Since teachers may have different licensures and
backgrounds, it is important for schools to provide
support and time for collaboration. The middle school in
this article used a variety of approaches to support
teachers. Partnering with a local university or a nearby
school, attending professional development, taking advantage
of training offered by curriculum companies, having
common teacher planning time, and encouraging open
communication can help teachers to feel that they have the
support they need to be successful. Mathematics, science,
and PLTW teachers should try to collaborate to make
sure that they are maximizing student learning. Similar
concepts and information can be reinforced in classes or
skipped if students have mastered the content. Simple
machines were covered so well in the PLTW classes
during the year that the science teachers skipped that topic
in their curriculum.
The s.t.e.m. model of considerations for teaching
integrated STEM education classes provides useful information
for teachers to be successful (see Figure 1). The
teaching category is the largest since content knowledge is
the most important for teachers new to integrated STEM
education. Teachers can build on the recommendations for
effective teaching of integrated science and mathematics.
While this study did not investigate self-efficacy, it is an
important area for further study. Research has shown that
teachers’ content knowledge, experience, and pedagogical
content knowledge have a large impact on self-efficacy.
Over time, employing a student-centered approach to
teaching with well-structured activities will allow for
teachers to become more comfortable with the curriculum
and for students to be successful. Supporting teachers in
various ways and providing teachers with the necessary
materials to do their job well may enable integrated STEM
education teachers to be successful.