The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science

Abstract

An inquiry-based integrative STEM education approach was implemented in two fourth grade Elementary Education classes, in Spain, through a module on simple machines. The viability of this science education model in the official Spanish curriculum and its influence on students' attitudes towards science and learning of STEM subjects has been studied through an adapted Test of Science Related Attitude scale, achievement tests, and teachers' interviews. Students participating in the integrative STEM project reported significantly more favourable attitudes toward science than students from traditional classrooms. Although attitude scale and achievement test results seem to show that an integrative STEM education may be feasible in 4 th grade of the Spanish elementary education, interviews revealed reluctance among teachers to use integrative STEM education and more directive instructions on implementing such an educational model are demanded. Implications for science education and future studies are discussed.

What are we talking about when we talk about STEM education? A review of literature

“…(3) Finally, 4 as the successful attainment of STEM education, we must consider STEM as a meta-discipline created from the integration of the four disciplines (Kaufman, Moss, & Osborn, 2003), in a way that the total is much more than the sum of its parts (Zollman, 2012). We also consider it more appropriate to assume that STEM education can promote and improve the learning of each of the disciplines it refers to (Toma & Greca, 2018), not the other way round.…”

“…Improves ability to apply STEM knowledge (S.-H. Chang et al, 2015;Lamb et al, 2015;Lou et al, 2017;Shahali et al, 2017). Enriches disciplinary STEM knowledge (McLurkin et al, 2013;English et al, 2017;Lamb et al, 2015;Toma & Greca, 2018). Connects STEM disciplinary knowledge (Lou et al, 2017).…”

“…Increases interest in and curiosity towards STEM subjects (Lamb et al, 2015;Lou et al, 2017;Shahali et al, 2017). Encourages positive attitudes towards STEM disciplines (Tseng et al, 2013;Toma & Greca, 2018).…”

“…Teaching methodology Project-based learning is an appropriate STEM teaching method, which permits the integration and application of STEM discipline knowledge (Tseng et al, 2013;Marle et al, 2014;Lamb et al, 2015;Beckett et al, 2016;Lou et al, 2017). Inquiry-based learning contributes to the integration of STEM disciplines (Toma & Greca, 2018). Using real-world examples improves STEM learning (Caglar et al, 2015).…”

“…Along this line, the useful aspects of engineering as a "hinge" discipline have already been described for connecting the other disciplines (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008), which can be appreciated in the results obtained, as 58% (n = 11) of the 19 interventions that apply a STEM education give it a dominant role. Specifically, engineering appears as a dominant discipline via the employment of robotics (e.g., Barak and Assal, 2018), the use of engineering design (e.g., Shahali et al, 2017) and engineering-based problems (e.g., Toma & Greca, 2018).…”