ERIC Number: EJ1271481
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0950-0693
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Explorations of an Integrated STEM Middle School Classroom: Understanding Spatial and Temporal Possibilities for Collective Teaching
Gardner, Margery A.; Tillotson, John W.
International Journal of Science Education, v42 n11 p1895-1914 2020
Middle school STEM learners require developmentally responsive and engaging curriculum in order to propel them successfully to secondary and post-secondary levels. This article focuses on one teacher team at a suburban public middle school that considered the collective use of space and time as major component of a thriving integrated STEM model. Leveraging Lefebvre's theory of spatiality, we explored how school stakeholders perceived representations of STEM learning. Three major themes emerged based on the analysis of our data sets: (1) schedule variations and spatial considerations as sites of curricular opportunity, (2) the portability of the integrated STEM model, and (3) deficit framing of the model. This study found that daily modifications to instructional times were needed to achieve learning goals in tandem with dynamic visioning of spaces. The flexibilities of the model created durability that allowed it to function despite traditional school spaces that included classrooms fit for 25-40 students maximum. The structural and spatial modifications of the model created representations that resulted in a deficit framing by outside community members. Outcomes from this study support the notion that the deliberate structuring of space and time should be a primary consideration of innovative STEM practice.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Team Teaching, Suburban Schools, Spatial Ability, Middle School Students, Teaching Methods, Models, Middle School Teachers, Scheduling, Class Size
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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