Dimensions of Effective STEM Integrated Teaching Practice

Abstract

While there is widespread agreement about the importance of STEM, it remains an ambiguous term, particularly in education. We know little about what integrated STEM instruction looks like in the classroom, and how teachers conceptualize and implement integrated STEM. We conducted a small-scale case study with six participants to better understand salient features of STEM instruction and their variations in Thai classrooms. Drawing from multiple data sources, we identify four critical dimensions of effective teaching practice that distinguish and represent a teacher’s ability to teach integrated STEM. We consider the relationship between these dimensions and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for STEM, as well as possible implications for future professional development related to integrated STEM teaching.