Search

For several decades there has been a broad consensus on the need to promote scientific literacy and, ultimately, to promote the full development of student competency from an early age. However, many of the results recorded in the educational field are not very encouraging. Although interdisciplinarity has a more extensive trajectory, the continuous questioning of traditional teaching methods, due to their inefficiency, has given rise to the emergence of educational approaches that integrate the teaching of diverse scientific disciplines in a more contextualized, coherent, and comprehensive manner. The body of empirical research on the application of these approaches has grown, while leaving behind some essential theoretical questions. In the present work, a theoretical framework is proposed for integrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, a current teaching approach with the important momentum. Based on the epistemological stance of Larry Laudan, three levels of scientific commitment are adopted: with theories, methods, and aims. Regarding the theoretical commitment, three axes of support are established for this framework: epistemological, psychological, and didactical. This mechanism allows us to construct a consistent model that may contribute to developing coherent integrated STEM education. In addition, an example of a real application of this theoretical framework is provided in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a STEM didactic unit in the primary education stage, demonstrating its coherence and viability.

If we are to address the complex needs of contemporary education, then reflection on the arts when talking about integrated education is somewhat logical and should be considered as one principal objective of Arts Education. Current educational policies at the international level point toward a more integrated education, however, there is no consensus over a real arts integration, nor significant reflection within the classroom. This situation has worsened over recent years, even when the arts are being incorporated in some models of integrated education in full expansion. In this study, we present a state of the question of the place of the arts in integrated education. To do so, we place arts integration within its historical context, and define and explain four major problems (instrumentalization of the arts, undervaluation of the arts, poor teacher training, neglecting evaluation). We then go on to present the significance of the arts within integration as the basic axis of the existing theoretical discourse in the literature, defining five styles of integration according to their significance (subordinated or service-based, peripheral, collaborative, leading role, artistic). Finally, we compile and discuss the main approaches to have arisen in the context of arts integration. This study may be added to the contributions in defense of arts integration, rescuing and clarifying the currently submerged and confused debate, in order to restore its full potential in accordance with the new social and political demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the urgent challenges of sustainability in our changing world, STEM education must evolve to integrate a stronger focus on socioenvironmental dimensions. This study examines how students in geomatics courses understand the nature of STEM (NoSTEM) in the context of meteorology and fire ecology—fields closely tied to sustainability. Using two validated mixed-method instruments comprising closed- and open-ended items, we assessed students' comprehension across cognitive–epistemic and socio-institutional dimensions, framed within the family resemblance approach (FRA). Data collected from 44 students in meteorology and 57 in fire ecology were analyzed using descriptive statistics and phenomenographic methods. Our findings indicate that, while students demonstrate a stronger grasp of technical concepts, their understanding of socio-institutional implications is comparatively limited. These results highlight the need to align STEM education with sustainability education, emphasizing real-world applications and the integration of socio-institutional elements into the curriculum. Addressing these gaps is essential for preparing students to engage with complex sustainability challenges, such as those posed by climate change, resource management, and disaster mitigation. Future research should investigate long-term interdisciplinary educational strategies to foster a holistic understanding of NoSTEM and its role in promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Students is the property of Journal of International Students and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Society is changing rapidly and the educational system is not following a parallel path, generating an urgent need for educational renewal. In this sense, integrated science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education (i-STEAM) represents an educational approach in full expansion which is postulated to be aligned with the educational needs of society; proof of this is the continuous increase of publications in this line of research. There is a clear predominance of empirical studies on this approach, while its theoretical foundation is less developed, which raises a problem in defining its educational potential. In this study we identify and review the different theoretical models developed for i-STEAM published in high impact journals with the aim of making a critical reflection and assessing the real scope of this approach. The results obtained show that, although there are some papers that show relevant theoretical aspects, there are still few works with theoretical frameworks that could provide a robust and holistic foundation (considering epistemological, psychological and didactical aspects) for i-STEAM education. In light of these results, we emphasize the need to continue working on the theoretical support of this approach, which would allow teachers to implement it effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]