Integrated STEM education within North America has become a popular pedagogy; however, teachers identify challenges that arise when planning for and implementing integrated STEM education. These challenges may threaten STEM teachers' capacity to balance disciplinary and integrated learning, a core feature of effective STEM education. The purpose…

Complementing the aims of problem-based inquiry, a pedagogical approach called design thinking (DT) has students grapple with issues that require a creative redefinition and reimagining of solutions akin to professional skills of designers, who consider conflicting priorities and complex negotiations to arrive at a solution to an ill-defined…

Numerous national initiatives call for interdisciplinary mathematics and science education, but few empirical studies have examined practical considerations for integrated instruction in high school settings. The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold. First, the study sought to describe how and to what extent teachers integrate mathematics…

Use of mathematics-related literature can engage students' interest and increase their understanding of mathematical concepts. A quasi-experimental study of two second-grade classrooms assessed whether daily inclusion of geometry-related literature in the classroom improved attitudes toward geometry and achievement in geometry. Consistent with the…

The recent trend to unite mathematically related disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) under the broader umbrella of STEM education has advantages. In this new educational context of integration, however, STEM teachers need to be able to distinguish between sufficient proof and reasoning across different disciplines,…

In this qualitative research study, we sought to understand teachers' conceptions of integrated mathematics. The participants were teachers in the first year of implementation of a state-mandated, high school integrated mathematics curriculum. The primary data sources for this study included focus group and individual interviews. Through our…

The integration of content areas is not a new concept (Moyer, 2000). Integration is promoted by many teacher educators because of its benefits for learners of all ages and backgrounds (Burns, 2005; Douville, Pugalee, & Wallace, 2003; Pica, 2002). Literacy in general, but reading in particular, is important across the content areas. Mathematics…

The squeeze on instructional time and other factors increasingly leads educators to consider mathematics and science integration in an effort to be more efficient and effective. Unfortunately, the need for common understandings for what it means to integrate these disciplines, as well as the need for improving disciplinary knowledge, appears to…

One emphasis of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) core mathematics curriculum for all high school students is mathematical connections. Presents working definitions for "curriculum,""interdisciplinary," and "integrated," and a model of curriculum design based on the work of Harold Alberty. This…

Integrated curricula has gained a great deal of acceptance among educators. Presents a review of the literature on integrated curricula. Concludes with a call to action for members of the School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA). (Contains 59 references.) (Author/ASK)

Elementary school goals for instruction focus on developing literate readers and writers. Provides examples of integrated interdisciplinary and thematic instruction. Recommends the use of thematic instruction with an interdisciplinary focus to meet National Science Education Standards and National English Language Arts Standards. (Author/SJR)

Provides an abridgment of a section of a chapter on "Environmental Education Research Related to Issue Awareness" for the 1984 National Commission for Environmental Education Research Report. Major emphasis is on the section dealing with instructional strategies for developing awareness of environmental issues. (JN)

Provides an overview of blended science instruction. Discusses central rationales, the historical development of blended instructional plans, and a review of the current proponents and forms of such instruction. Compares and contrasts primary varieties. Explores some of the challenges facing those who plan on an integrated teaching focus. (SJR)

Examines middle school integrated mathematics and science education from the perspectives of theory and practice. A conceptual framework in the form of a mathematics/science continuum is included to lend clarity and precision to the phrase "integrated mathematics and science." Discusses barriers to integrating mathematics and science. (Author/SJR)

Describes a project to implement an integrated curriculum in mathematics, science, and reading by promoting the professional growth of K-4 inservice teachers through a six-hour graduate course. Discusses implications for teacher educators, program administrators, teachers in K-4, and the children served by the educational system. Contains 19…