Learning Contexts and Visions for STEM in Schools
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| Title: | Learning Contexts and Visions for STEM in Schools |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mellita Jones (ORCID |
| Source: | International Journal of Science Education. 2025 47(3):337-357. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | STEM Education, Social Problems, Administrator Attitudes, Principals, Teacher Attitudes, Social Justice, Activism, Robotics, Coding, Relevance (Education), Ethics, Foreign Countries, Science Education, Elementary Secondary Education, Context Effect |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09500693.2024.2323032 |
| ISSN: | 0950-0693 1464-5289 |
| Abstract: | STEM education is viewed as being vital for economic prosperity and productivity; and can contribute productively to changing technological, economic, and social demands of the twenty-first Century. However, there is limited consensus on how STEM education is understood and taught, and inadequate discussion around its role in addressing global issues such as climate change, health, poverty, food security, and other STEM-related social concerns. In this paper, we identify the contexts adopted for STEM teaching and learning in 47 Australian schools, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers who participated in the Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL) project. These data were categorised according to four visions for STEM education that align with different levels of social justice and activist approaches to STEM teaching and learning. Findings indicate that STEM education in Australia is predominantly enacted through instrumental 'products and processes' approaches dominated by robotics and coding. Learning contexts had minimal 'real-life' applications and were devoid of social and ethical dimensions of STEM applications that would better equip students with the knowledge, skills, and agency to make informed, socially just decisions about their own and others' futures, and that of our shared environment. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1459523 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1459523 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Learning Contexts and Visions for STEM in Schools – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mellita+Jones%22">Mellita Jones</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2192-6000">0000-0002-2192-6000</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vince+Geiger%22">Vince Geiger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Garry+Falloon%22">Garry Falloon</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sharon+Fraser%22">Sharon Fraser</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0766-4892">0000-0002-0766-4892</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kim+Beswick%22">Kim Beswick</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Benjamin+Holland-Twining%22">Benjamin Holland-Twining</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vesife+Hatisaru%22">Vesife Hatisaru</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2101-1764">0000-0003-2101-1764</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Science+Education%22"><i>International Journal of Science Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 47(3):337-357. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 21 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+Education%22">STEM Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Problems%22">Social Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Attitudes%22">Administrator Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Principals%22">Principals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Justice%22">Social Justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Activism%22">Activism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Robotics%22">Robotics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Coding%22">Coding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Relevance+%28Education%29%22">Relevance (Education)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics%22">Ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Education%22">Science Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Context+Effect%22">Context Effect</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1080/09500693.2024.2323032 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0950-0693<br />1464-5289 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: STEM education is viewed as being vital for economic prosperity and productivity; and can contribute productively to changing technological, economic, and social demands of the twenty-first Century. However, there is limited consensus on how STEM education is understood and taught, and inadequate discussion around its role in addressing global issues such as climate change, health, poverty, food security, and other STEM-related social concerns. In this paper, we identify the contexts adopted for STEM teaching and learning in 47 Australian schools, drawing data from semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers who participated in the Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL) project. These data were categorised according to four visions for STEM education that align with different levels of social justice and activist approaches to STEM teaching and learning. Findings indicate that STEM education in Australia is predominantly enacted through instrumental 'products and processes' approaches dominated by robotics and coding. Learning contexts had minimal 'real-life' applications and were devoid of social and ethical dimensions of STEM applications that would better equip students with the knowledge, skills, and agency to make informed, socially just decisions about their own and others' futures, and that of our shared environment. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1459523 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1459523 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/09500693.2024.2323032 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 21 StartPage: 337 Subjects: – SubjectFull: STEM Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Problems Type: general – SubjectFull: Administrator Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Principals Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Justice Type: general – SubjectFull: Activism Type: general – SubjectFull: Robotics Type: general – SubjectFull: Coding Type: general – SubjectFull: Relevance (Education) Type: general – SubjectFull: Ethics Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Science Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Context Effect Type: general – SubjectFull: Australia Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Learning Contexts and Visions for STEM in Schools Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mellita Jones – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Vince Geiger – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Garry Falloon – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sharon Fraser – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kim Beswick – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Benjamin Holland-Twining – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Vesife Hatisaru IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0950-0693 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1464-5289 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 47 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal of Science Education Type: main |
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