SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) APPROACHES TO IMPROVING STUDENTS' LEARNING OUTCOMES IN THE SUBJECT OF REDOX REACTIONS

The rapid development of science and technology affects the world of education. The challenge for 21st century educators is that teachers are required to be able to carry out innovative learning by utilizing technology to prepare students for the real world and ready to face global challenges. One approach that meets these demands is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) approach by applying four disciplines, namely science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as combining knowledge and skills. The purpose of this review is to find out the role of the STEM approach in improving student learning outcomes in the Redox Reaction chemistry subject for class XII. The method used is by collecting and reviewing data through literature studies from several relevant articles using the VOSViewer application and using the n-Gain enhancement test. The results of a review of 20 articles and 3 articles analyzed obtained data that the STEM learning approach was effective in improving student learning outcomes in Redox Reaction chemistry learning with an average increase in learning outcomes in the medium category. Through this category, learning with the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) approach is able to improve student learning outcomes

Field Experience as the Centerpiece of an Integrated Model for STEM Teacher Preparation

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive account of one pathway for preparing high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers for work in high-need urban schools. In this account, we discuss the supports that STEM majors need in learning how to think about the content that they know well, through an educational perspective that focuses on teaching and learning. We also describe the approach that we use that integrates content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and three extensive teaching co-op experiences to facilitate the transition from successful STEM undergraduate students to effective teachers of STEM content. We suggest that by using the teaching co-op experiences to both filter and reflect on content and pedagogical content knowledge, the STEM undergraduates develop a particularly strong foundation of knowledge for teaching

KAJIAN PENDEKATAN PEMBELAJARAN STEM DENGAN MODEL PJBL DALAM MENGASAH KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KREATIF MATEMATIS SISWA

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is an active learning approach to improve (mathematics) students'  creative thinking abilities in mathematics learning. In the learning process, STEM combines four main areas, namely knowledge, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Project-Based Learning (PjBL) is a learning model that teaches concepts through a student-centered project so students can work creatively and collaboratively. The purpose of this article is to describe and provide many things related to STEM as an approach that can integrate knowledge, technology, techniques, and mathematics as well as design the implementation of STEM learning approaches with PjBL models to enhance students' creative thinking in mathematics learning. The method used is a literature review. The results of the study show that some essential competencies in mathematics learning can integrate with the STEM approach in the form of routine activity of the STEM approach in the classroom and the provision of projects to students. Thus, the implementation of the STEM approach to mathematics learning can be done in Indonesia to prepare quality human resources and be ready to face challenges and competitions in the industrial revolution era 4.0 in the 21st century

Bridging the gap: a novel approach to mathematics support

The ever growing gap between secondary and university level mathematics is now becoming a major concern to higher education institutions. The increase in diversity of students’ background in mathematics, from students who have studied the more traditional A-level programmes to students with BTEC or international qualifications and part-time students who have been out of education for long periods, means that they are often unprepared for the marked shift in levels and catering for all abilities is difficult in the normal lecture, tutorial format. Lack of sufficient mathematical knowledge not only affects students’ success on courses but also leads to disengagement and thus a high drop-out rate in the first 2 years of study. Many universities now offer a maths support service in an attempt to overcome this but their success is varied. This paper presents a novel approach to maths support designed and adopted by the University of Lincoln, School of Engineering, to bridge this transition gap for students, offer continued support through assessment for learning (AFL) and Individual Learning Plans (ILP’s) and ultimately increase student success, engagement and retention. The paper then extends this proven approach and discusses proposed enhancements through the use of on-line diagnostic testing and implementation of a ‘student expert’ system to harness mathematical knowledge held by those gifted and talented students often overlooked by higher education institutions and to promote peer-to-peer mentoring. The paper shows that with the current support system in place, there is a marked increase in student retention, compared with national benchmark data, and an increase in student engagement and success measured through student feedback and presented retention data

Primary school teachers’ awareness on STEAM learning: A starting point to develop STEAM-CB textbook

STEAM learning is an approach which integrates multidisciplinary knowledge while enriching students' skills to explore, try, ask, find, and build innovation, namely science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. We found that the learning resources of STEAM in Yogyakarta is very limited due to lack of knowledge about it. On the other hand, using local contexts as the starting point of learning is also important to foster character building.  This preliminary research aims to provide insight on the teachers’ awareness on STEAM learning and textbook, as well as the design we figured out after discussing it with the teachers. It was a descriptive qualitative research involving 214 primary school teachers. We collected the data through questionnaire and focus group discussion. The results suggest that STEAM is quite a new concept for most of primary school teachers in Yogyakarta. Not many teachers used to or have developed the STEAM learning resources, especially the one integrated with the character building. Therefore, a STEAM textbook needs to be developed to fulfill the need. Furthermore, the design of the textbook could have the characteristics of integrating all components of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics), starting from local context to develop characters, improving creative and critical thinking, having knowledge and skill assessment, and using project-based learning model

Increasing the impact of mathematics support on aiding student transition in higher education

The ever growing gap between secondary and university level mathematics is a major concern to higher education institutions. The increase in diversity of students’ background in mathematics, with entry qualifications ranging from the more traditional A-level programmes to BTEC or international qualifications is compounded where institutions attempt to widen participation. For example, work-based learners may have been out of education for prolonged periods, and consequently, are often unprepared for the marked shift in levels, and catering for all abilities is difficult in the normal lecture, tutorial format. Lack of sufficient mathematical knowledge not only affects students’ achievement on courses but also leads to disengagement and higher drop-out rates during the first two years of study. Many universities now offer a maths support service in an attempt to overcome these issues, but their success is varied. This paper presents a novel approach to maths support designed and adopted by the University of Lincoln, School of Engineering, to bridge this transition gap for students, offer continued support through assessment for learning (AFL) and Individual Learning Plans (ILP’s), and ultimately increase student achievement, engagement and retention. The paper then extends this proven approach and discusses recently implemented enhancements through the use of on-line diagnostic testing and a ‘student expert’ system to harness mathematical knowledge held by those gifted and talented students (often overlooked by higher education institutions) and to promote peer-to-peer mentoring. The paper shows that with the proven system in place, there is a marked increase in student retention compared with national benchmark data, and an increase in student engagement and achievement measured through student feedback and assessments. Although the on-line enhancements are in the early stages of implementation it is expected, based on these results, that further improvements will be shown

Exploring Strategies To Promote Engagement And Active Learning Through Digital Course Design In Engineering Mathematics

This research explores the strategies and techniques used to foster and promote the engagement and active learning of engineering students within a digital course. This digital course has been developed to address the varying levels of understanding of fundamental mathematics among first-year engineering students, who often have disparate levels of prior knowledge at their high school completion. We observe an increasing need to bridge the widening gap between high school and university mathematics in order to prevent engineering students from being hindered in their academic successes due to a lack of prior mathematical understanding. With a team of engineers and mathematicians, both researchers and educators, we are developing a mathematics Bridging Course including the use of digital tools, such as videos, online interactions and technology-based assessments. These sources were created, investigated and/or modified to develop an engaging learning environment in which students are made aware of and guided through misconceptions and mistakes in their understanding of fundamental mathematics. In the development of this Bridging Course, we consider the importance of interactive learning and timely feedback for student learning. We investigate the impact of digital course design on students’ performance and learning outcomes using a qualitative approach. Students feedback within the first stage of the implementation of the course offered a positive assessment of the course, accentuating its inherent advantages and attributes. The students’ feedback proved to be an invaluable source of insights, specifically concerning the enhancement of question distractors, thus prompting revisions and augmentations in the assessment items employed

NSF COMPLEAT: Year 2 Evaluation

The objective of the COMPLEAT project is to improve prospective elementary teacher (PSET) engagement through an innovative, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based approach that addresses the pressing need for integration of multiple disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The project seeks to improve learning experiences for PSETs in acquiring mathematics (math) skills by exploring the rules of math in other STEM disciplines and solidifying knowledge and skills in teaching contexts as sustainable practices. The project aims to meet these objectives through the Applying, Connecting, Experiencing (ACE) instruction model, integrating Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) into PSET courses, and using Integrated Math-Enhanced (IME) STEM inquiry activities. The COMPLEAT project is being implemented at Augusta University (Augusta) in Georgia, Boise State University (Boise State) in Idaho, Kapiolani Community College (KCC) in Hawaii, and University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) in Texas

Board # 102 : PECASE: Implementing K-12 Engineering Standards through STEM Integration - An Executive Summary of the Products and Research

This executive summary of the grant, PECASE: Implementing K-12 Engineering Standards through STEM Integration, comes at the conclusion of the project. The purpose of the grant was to develop a definition and explore the practice of engineering in K-12 STEM classrooms. The definition was then used to assess curricula, policy documents, teacher practice, and student learning. Through this work, the definition was then used to help with the framing and development of curricula for K-5 classrooms. The resulting curricula are called the PictureSTEM units. These instructional units for K-5 classrooms utilize engineering design and picture books to teach young students about mathematics, science, engineering, technology, computational thinking, and reading in an integrated manner. Each of the modules in the PictureSTEM curriculum was developed using the curriculum design method described by Clements’ Curriculum Research Framework, which follows three stages: Stage 1: Initial Development, Stage 2: Pilot and Teaching Experiment, and Stage 3: Classroom Implementation. The theoretical framework guiding the development of the PictrueSTEM modules came from the initial work of this grant in developing a definition of engineering for K-12 environments and built upon that work to include the following four foundational components: 1) engineering design as the interdisciplinary glue, 2) realistic engineering contexts to promote student engagement, 3) high-quality literature to facilitate meaningful connections, and 4) instruction of specific STEM content within an integrated approach. The units have an overarching engineering design project that provides the scaffolding for all learning in the unit. The engineering design learning highlights problem scoping and solution generation as an iterative process that requires learning about client needs and relevant background knowledge and applying these to their solution. The context of the units revolves around having a client who has asked for the students’ help with a problem. The contexts have multiple ways the students can get interested in the problem, such as providing a challenge, helping them to making personal connections, or highlighting the realistic nature of the work that engineers do. In recognizing the large emphasis on reading in elementary classrooms, these units build upon the rich literature in STEM and reading integration to support the learning of literacy skills, as well as providing students with background knowledge and real-world contexts through the use of high-quality STEM-focused literature. Each of the units includes science, mathematics, computational thinking, picture books, and an engineering design challenge to integrate STEM+C learning. STEM+C activities throughout the unit help students develop their prototypes or make evidence-based decisions while designing. The focus on engineering and reading allows for a rich environment in which students can explore the interdisciplinary nature of learning engineering, science, mathematics, and computational thinking. This paper and poster presentation will highlight the engineering definition and the curricular units developed through this project, as well as highlights from the research results gleaned from this work