Interdisciplinary Educational Approach STEM and HASS Knowledge Fields Using ICTs Support. Case of an Application for a Pilot Experiment

Abstract

This paper investigates the possibility of a holistic interdisciplinary and cross-thematic educational approach of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and HASS (Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences) knowledge fields. The interdisciplinary educational approach of STEΜ and HASS knowledge branches, set out to resolve complex issues in an innovative way, can assist the development of the students into active and knowledgeable citizens so they will be able to face actual problems whose nature is always interdisciplinary. There is reference in elements which advocate the necessity of this holistic cross-thematic approach and additionally theories and techniques are established which are able to support it. Main characteristic of this development is its support with ICTs. Characteristics of a relevant educational scenario are presented. The scenario is implemented as a pilot experiment and relevant results can be extracted. The scenario is recommended as prototype due to its special interdisciplinarity, the educational techniques that were utilized, and its design procedure based on principles of Educational Management & Engineering and due to the positive results from its pilot implementation. Relevant conclusions are projected.

The Need for Geoethical Awareness: The Importance of Geoenvironmental Education in Geoheritage Understanding in the Case of Meteora Geomorphes, Greece

“…In the Greek educational reality, the results from the implementation of an educational scenario of experimental multidisciplinary educational objects of STEM and HASS branches with the support of ICTs, demonstrate that the design and implementation of teaching approaches that combine in a multidisciplinary way the cognitive objects of the two branches are attainable. There are also indications of improving students' performance in identifying real complex problems caused by specific social behaviors and needs [70].…”

Transformational and Instructional Leadership in Cross-Thematic Teaching

“…Sixty-six leadership practices were recognized, incorporated into 21 leadership responsibilities, each with a statistically significant correlation with student achievement (Waters et al, 2004). Cross-thematic integration in teaching is a concept that entails linking different subjects between different fields or linking different subjects within the same field (Papaioannou, Milosis, & Gotzaridis, 2019;Savelides, Fasouraki, Georgousis, Kolokotroni, & Savelidi, 2020). A cross-thematic curriculum does not only constitute a significant change in the organization and delivery of various courses, but it represents a different way of using knowledge to solve real-life problems (Al Salami, Makela, & de Miranda, 2017;Gosselin, Manduca, Bralower, & Egger, 2019;Karppinen, Kallunki, & Komulainen, 2019).…”

Microcontroller Systems in Education for Sustainable Development Service. A Qualitative Thematic Meta-Analysis

“…The benefit of switching from STEM objects to HASS objects is important because it allows ideas and problems to be approached from different perspectives [25]- [26]. In the Greek educational reality, the results from the implementation of an educational scenario of experimental interdisciplinary didactic management of educational objects of the STEM and HASS branches with the support of ICTs, prove that it is possible to design and implement didactic approaches that combine the interdisciplinary subjects of the two branches [27].…”

“…The Scenario and especially the completeness of its interdisciplinarity were evaluated by 11 teachers of the course Research Project in Technology. The scenario didactically covers scientific areas of HASS & STEM [27]. According to Savelides and Savelidi in the scenario, students are asked to create their own teaching tool, a Model, the "Intelligent Wall".…”