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General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/about/ebr-terms STEM in England: meanings and motivations in the policy arena Vicky Wong, King's College London, Corresponding author, Victoria.wong@kcl.ac.uk Justin Dillon, University of Bristol, Justin.dillon@bristol.ac.uk Heather King, King's College London, heather.1.king@kcl.ac.uk Abstract STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is widely used in science education. There is confusion, however, as to its provenance and meaning which is potentially problematic. This study examines the purpose and underlying philosophy of STEM practice in education in England and asks if there are differences in perceptions of STEM between science and mathematics educator stakeholders. The study's contribution to the literature is its unusual focus on those who were responsible for making and enacting national STEM policy. A two-phase qualitative approach was followed comprising an analysis of government documentation related to STEM initiatives together with semi-structured interviews with 21 key contributors to the science and mathematics education discourse in England. Using thematic analysis, recurring patterns were identified in the data. Findings suggest that there is a disconnect between the interpretations of the science and mathematics educators with a danger/advantage dichotomy to participation in STEM being perceived by the mathematics educators. Potential danger did not appear to be felt by science educators, possibly as science was perceived as dominant in STEM discourse. Broader early aims of the architects of the STEM agenda, including those of increasing diversity among STEM students, gave way to a focus on numbers of post-16 physics and mathematics students. We conclude that if the term STEM is to continue to be used then there is a need for greater clarity about what it represents in educational terms and a wider debate about its compatibility with the aims of science education for all. Key words: STEM, mathematics, policy developmentFrom past to present: the story of STEM STEM has become a key driver in science education with many projects funded by the European Union coming under the STEM banner (European Commission, 2016), yet there is a lack of clarity regarding its history and a variety of different meanings are ascribed to it. Part of the reason is that it is an acronym with a vague history. In this section, the history of STEM will be traced and links to wider discourses in education examined. We begin by looking at STEM as a single construct as it is a well-known and frequently used term, however we will also tease out whether seeing it in this way is always helpful.Page 2 of 20 STEM usually refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, but to some it is Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine and for many outside the 'STEM community' it ...

There are many calls in the literature for school science and mathematics departments to collaborate. They are largely in response to perceived similarities in content yet few studies explore how such collaborations might work. This paper explores how mathematics and science departments actually work together in schools in England. It is unusual in its focus both on collaborations which arose organically rather than as the result of a specific intervention and in its focus on the views of practising teachers. Six schools were visited and semistructured interviews carried out with the teachers most closely involved in collaborating to explore their perspectives and insights. The findings show that collaboration is possible and it can be approached in a variety of ways although it is often fragile and difficult to sustain. Collaboration can be a key site of professional learning for teachers, particularly about the 'other' curriculum. Informal conversations across departments were highly valued, but tended to be between those with a well-established pre-existing relationship. Contrary to the idea that there are similarities it can be a significant challenge for teachers to find points of overlap between curricula.

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Science is a much-revised and contested area of the curriculum. A new curriculum has recently been introduced in England which includes far more mathematical aspects of science than previous versions. This study asks what the influences, ideologies and values are which led to this change. A two-phase qualitative approach was followed comprising an analysis of government and other influential documentation together with semi-structured interviews with key contributors to the science and mathematics education discourse together with an analysis of government and other influential documentation. This study is unusual both in its focus on those who were responsible for making science education policy and its focus on the policy development of the mathematical aspects of the science curriculum. The findings suggest that drivers for increasing the amount of mathematics in science include concerns about standards, the difficulties students have transitioning to higher stages of science education and the desire to improve students' broader mathematical competence. Aiming to improve students' mathematical competence is an aim for all students. In contrast, helping students transition to further scientific study is for a minority. I argue that ideologies and values which underpin the curriculum need to be interrogated more closely and should remain a focus of research.

The version presented here may differ from the published version. If citing, you are advised to consult the published version for pagination, volume/issue and date of publication 'Voodoo maths', asymmetric dependency and maths blame: Why collaboration between school science and mathematics teachers is so rare

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