Planning STEM

Considerations when planning STEM programs in secondary schools:

• Apply the processes of working technologically, working mathematically and working scientifically skills and strategies that improve literacy and numeracy.
• Embed opportunities for the development of 21st Century skills and general capabilities such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, self-evaluation, ICT, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability.
• Ensure and monitor the presence of academic rigour and ongoing assessment..
• STEM programs are planned, developed and implemented by an Integrated STEM team with succession planning considered to ensure sustainability.
• STEM programs are an alternative method of delivery of part of the curriculum, not compromising, or adding to, existing curriculum.

An integrated STEM framework

STEM education caters for all students. Teachers move through the framework by:

• knowing their students, their needs and interests, STEM education caters for all students
• evaluating current teaching and learning sequences, developing an integrated sequence for the STEM project
• choosing the connecting concepts, ideas or theme and mapping to an appropriate STEM context
• designing the common student task and various assessment checkpoints for students to demonstrate learning
• targeting syllabus outcomes, highlighting skills students will require to be successful with the project work
• planning assessment of the common student task with explicit quality criteria and success checklists
• planning teaching and learning strategies, sequences for explicit teaching of certain skills required for the project
• evaluating and modifying.

Further reading: Wang, Hui-Hui; Moore, Tamara J.; Roehrig, Gillian H.; and Park, Mi Sun (2011) "STEM Integration: Teacher Perceptions and Practice, Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER): Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 2.