Reimagining the Mathematics Curriculum Through a Cross-Curricular and Maker Education Lens

Abstract

Despite the positive impact of maker education on student learning, challenges towards its implementation in formal school settings still exist. There is limited research on maker education in teacher education programs and a lack of knowledge on how to integrate it into the mathematics classroom. To address these issues, the following research questions were examined: What is the nature of the productive design features of maker education for teacher candidates? What are the benefits and challenges of these opportunities for teacher candidates learning to teach mathematics? The methods used were a case study interlinked with design-based research. A total of 114 teacher candidates participated in the study. The research findings have implications for educators who design/implement maker education curricula into STEM courses. For educators and researchers, the maker education opportunities from this study contribute to further re-imagining learning competencies, pedagogy, and resources in teaching mathematics and other STEM disciplines.