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Education Sciences
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Critical Perspectives on the Epistemologies and Practices of STEM Education
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Critical Perspectives on the Epistemologies and Practices of STEM Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 11791

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Constantine Skordoulis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pedagogy and Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-10680 Athens, Greece
Interests: epistemology of science; history of science; science education; didactical methodology of physics; socio-scientific issues; critical education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last twenty years, there has been an increasing interest on STEM education in international curriculums, policy documents and research literature. The main argument in the proposals for STEM education is that it is expected to contribute to world economic development by shaping a skillful workforce and producing the next generation of scientifically literate professionals and citizens.

In the landscape of this dominant theoretical discourse, the epistemological nature of STEM education has been relatively understudied. It is the pioneering work of (Chesky & Wolfmeyer, 2015) that opened the way for the reappraisal of the discussion on the epistemological nature of STEM education fostering the appearance of other critical treatises and proposals of challenging STEM practices related to gender and racial equity, environmental and ecocritical justice and critical scientific and technological literacy.

This Special Issue aims to continue and further develop this perspective.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The epistemology of STEM education highlighting the characteristics of STEM knowledge and the processes through which STEM knowledge is produced and revised;
  • The on-going discussion on the epistemological foundations of integrated STEM, highlighting issues of interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity;
  • How the histories of science, technology and mathematics can assist in flourishing STEAM, acting as a bridge between STEM and the Humanities;
  • The relation between STS and STEM education;
  • The critical examination of the dominant theoretical discourse on STEM education, highlighting endeavors with theoretical frameworks such as critical theories and theories of environmental and social justice;
  • Proposals as of how scholars may engage critically with STEM practices, linking their work with the interests of the community.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Constantine Skordoulis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • STEM education
  • epistemology
  • practice
  • history of science
  • nature of STEM
  • integrated STEM
  • STS
  • critical education
  • critical theory

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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18 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
The Role of Critical Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education to Create Pathways into STEM for Racially Minoritized Communities
by Mariana Alvidrez, Jessica Rivera and Marisol Diaz
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111208 - 2 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1300
Abstract
This longitudinal study examines the long-term impact of critical pedagogy on the academic and social development of students from a marginalized Mexican American borderland community, with a specific focus on their trajectories in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Drawing on in-depth [...] Read more.
This longitudinal study examines the long-term impact of critical pedagogy on the academic and social development of students from a marginalized Mexican American borderland community, with a specific focus on their trajectories in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Drawing on in-depth interviews with three students who participated in a critical pedagogical approach during their formative elementary years, this case study explores how power, agency, and curiosity were cultivated in the classroom and how these elements influenced the students’ pursuit of higher education and careers in STEM ten years later. The findings reveal that an equitable distribution of power and the fostering of student agency through critical-based pedagogies empowered students to engage critically with their learning and to challenge systemic barriers. Furthermore, this study highlights the role of early curiosity in sustaining students’ interest in STEM, despite encountering obstacles in higher education environments dominated by market-driven influences. By situating this research within the broader context of critical pedagogy and its emphasis on social justice, the study underscores the transformative potential of education in shaping the futures of minoritized students in STEM disciplines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Epistemologies and Practices of STEM Education)
18 pages, 2997 KiB  
Article
IDEARR Model for STEM Education—A Framework Proposal
by David Aguilera, José Luis Lupiáñez, Francisco Javier Perales-Palacios and José Miguel Vílchez-González
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060638 - 13 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1340
Abstract
This article proposes a theoretical framework for STEM education. It begins by determining the epistemological (based on the Model of Educational Reconstruction and General Systems Theory) and pedagogical (grounded in Situated Learning Theory and co-teaching) alignments. Once these issues are established, a pedagogical [...] Read more.
This article proposes a theoretical framework for STEM education. It begins by determining the epistemological (based on the Model of Educational Reconstruction and General Systems Theory) and pedagogical (grounded in Situated Learning Theory and co-teaching) alignments. Once these issues are established, a pedagogical model is proposed to facilitate the implementation of the STEM approach in the classroom. This is the IDEARR model, consisting of six phases (Initial, Deconstruction, Explanation, Application, Review, and Reporting) to address an ill-defined problem. This article concludes with a reflection on the educational implications that arise from adopting this theoretical framework for working on STEM education in classrooms, particularly those related to the organization and operation of educational institutions and the initial and ongoing training of teachers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Epistemologies and Practices of STEM Education)
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24 pages, 1015 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Systematic Literature Review of Integrated STEM Education: Uncovering Consensus and Diversity in Principles and Characteristics
by Ane Portillo-Blanco, Hanne Deprez, Mieke De Cock, Jenaro Guisasola and Kristina Zuza
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 1028; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14091028 - 20 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6886
Abstract
Integrated STEM education is increasingly present in classrooms and in educational research, as it is proposed as a possible strategy to improve the problems of students’ lack of interest in scientific–technological disciplines. However, this increased interest in STEM education has been paralleled by [...] Read more.
Integrated STEM education is increasingly present in classrooms and in educational research, as it is proposed as a possible strategy to improve the problems of students’ lack of interest in scientific–technological disciplines. However, this increased interest in STEM education has been paralleled by a loss of cohesion in the interpretations of its theoretical basis and by an ongoing discussion on integrated STEM education’s foundations, making its understanding, translation into real projects, and evaluation difficult to undertake. Published articles defining a STEM theoretical framework have different descriptions, so the aim of this systematic literature review is to analyse these explanations and compare them with each other. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 27 articles of interest about STEM and STEAM education were obtained and analysed with a focus on the principles and characteristics described in the texts. After organising the information and analysing the similarities and differences in the principles and characteristics, we concluded that there is great consensus on the principles of “integration”, “real-world problems”, “inquiry”, “design”, and “teamwork”. Nonetheless, this review identifies areas of discussion regarding both the principles and their characteristics that invite further analysis to refine our understanding of what integrated STEM education should entail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Perspectives on the Epistemologies and Practices of STEM Education)
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