THE INTEGRATION OF ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN STEM EDUCATION AS A RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education curriculum and instructional design continuously undergo reforms that aim to prepare learners for the challenges of the 21st century (Hoeg & Bencze, 2017; Pietarinen et al., 2017). In particular, STEM education has adopted strategies that integrate modern technologies in teaching and learning to enhance knowledge construction and application among learners and societies. In some countries, STEM education reforms are fuelled by socio-economic and political imperatives that seek to promote social justice (Mnguni, 2018). More recently, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to adopt online teaching methods to reduce the coronavirus's spread. Consequently, researchers are exploring strategies for the incorporation of online teaching and learning methods. The effectiveness of these strategies and their impact on the students' conceptualization of STEM knowledge, its application, and relevance are continuously being investigated.

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BROADENING EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS TO STEM EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING DURING COVID-19: TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES

Journal of Baltic Science Education ◽

10.33225/jbse/20.19.1055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (6A) ◽

pp. 1055-1067

Author(s):

Thasmai Dhurumraj ◽

Sam Ramaila ◽

Ferhana Raban ◽

Ahmed Ashruf

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Survey Design ◽

Pedagogical Practices ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Pedagogical Content ◽

Educational Pathways ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Descriptive Survey

COVID-19 posed formidable challenges to the teaching and learning of subjects with abstract concepts such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The study explored how STEM teachers transformed their pedagogical practices as an integral part of the transition to online teaching and learning in response to COVID-19 and further examined the effectiveness of online teaching and learning. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive survey design and involved purposively selected STEM teachers from schools operating under the auspices of the Association of Muslim Schools. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework underpinned the study. Quantitative data was collected through the administration of a Likert scale instrument. Data was analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that COVID-19 essentially compelled teachers to make a transition to online teaching and learning resulting in a concomitant profound impact on their pedagogical practices. Teachers provided various perspectives on the key modalities adopted to navigate online teaching and learning on virtual platforms in an attempt to ensure sustainable, equitable and inclusive teaching and learning. Implications for broadening educational pathways to STEM education through online teaching and learning on virtual platforms and sustainable teacher professional development on technology integration in teaching and learning are discussed. Keywords: COVID-19, online teaching, pandemic, pedagogy, STEM, teaching practices

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Problematizing teaching and learning mathematics as “given” in STEM education

International Journal of STEM Education ◽

10.1186/s40594-019-0197-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Yeping Li ◽

Alan H. Schoenfeld

Keyword(s):

Mathematics Education ◽

Stem Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Science Technology ◽

Teaching And Learning Mathematics ◽

Learning Mathematics ◽

Alternative Approach ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Scientific Engineering

AbstractMathematics is fundamental for many professions, especially science, technology, and engineering. Yet, mathematics is often perceived as difficult and many students leave disciplines in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a result, closing doors to scientific, engineering, and technological careers. In this editorial, we argue that how mathematics is traditionally viewed as “given” or “fixed” for students’ expected acquisition alienates many students and needs to be problematized. We propose an alternative approach to changes in mathematics education and show how the alternative also applies to STEM education.

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Collaboration in Online Communications

Encyclopedia of Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-555-9.ch038 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 264-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Albert L. Ingram ◽

Lesley G. Hathorn

Keyword(s):

Teaching Methods ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Online Course ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Face To Face ◽

Online Communications ◽

Clear Idea ◽

Distance Courses

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Collaboration in Online Communications

Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, Second Edition ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-198-8.ch045 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 314-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Albert L. Ingram ◽

Lesley G. Hathorn

Keyword(s):

Teaching Methods ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Accurate Solution ◽

Online Course ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

Face To Face ◽

Online Communications ◽

Clear Idea ◽

Distance Courses

Collaboration and cooperation have become firmly established as teaching methods in face-to-face classes (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998). They are also rapidly becoming widespread in online teaching and learning in both hybrid (mixed traditional and online) course and distance courses. The methods are likely to be most effective if they are firmly grounded in how people actually work together. Some groups collaborate more successfully than others. Frequently, instructors may place students into groups in the expectation that they will collaborate without a clear idea of what collaboration is or how to recognize and encourage it. We must define what we mean by the terms, both so that we can use the techniques successfully and so that we can research them accurately. In addition, we must distinguish between groups in which people act independently from those who act collaboratively. As Surowiecki (2004) has pointed out, when all the results are aggregated, a large number of people acting independently may give a more accurate solution to a problem than an expert. Interdependent groups may often produce results inferior to the results obtained by their best-performing members or may be affected by a “groupthink” mentality.

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Deterritorialising to Reterritorialising the Curriculum Discourse in African Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

International Journal of Higher Education ◽

10.5430/ijhe.v9n4p27 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 27

Author(s):

George Kehdinga Formunyam

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Stem Education ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Technological Advancement ◽

Education Curriculum ◽

Higher Education Curriculum ◽

Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽

Science Technology ◽

African Higher Education ◽

And Mathematics

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it comes with implications for the higher education curriculum and organisations within Africa. Technology that was ubiquitous in previous decades, is now becoming obsolete. Artificial intelligence and digitization, which are features of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, are now the order of the day. Organisations are moving with such technological advancement by adopting newly created technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Without doubt, the currently used curriculum in Africa is obsolete; and does not capture the changes being ushered in by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Therefore, the higher education curriculum must be responsive to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as this will prepare students in Africa for the challenge ahead. This study theorises on, and has concluded, that deterritorialization and reterritorialization are useful in making the African higher education responsive to the curriculum. The study recommends the introduction of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education into the African higher-education curriculum in Africa. STEM will produce students who are technically savvy, helping students in Africa to acquire the needed skills to perform seamlessly in organisations operating within the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

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Connecting Mathematics and Science in Primary School STEM Education: Modeling the Population Growth of Species

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9192496 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (19) ◽

pp. 2496

Author(s):

Genaro de Gamboa ◽

Edelmira Badillo ◽

Digna Couso ◽

Conxita Márquez

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Scientific Activity ◽

Scientific Practices ◽

Learning Sequence ◽

Mathematical Connections ◽

Science Technology ◽

Real Population ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Mathematics And Science

In this research, we explored the potential of using a research-based teaching and learning sequence to promote pupils’ engagement in practices that are coherent with those of real world mathematical and scientific activity. This STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematis) sequence was designed and implemented by pre-service teachers and science and mathematics education researchers with the aim of modeling the growth of a real population of rabbits. Results show explicit evidence of pupils’ engagement in relevant mathematical and scientific practices, as well as detailed descriptions of mathematical connections that emerged from those practices. We discuss how these practices and connections allowed the progressive construction of models, and the implications that this proposal may have for STEM task design and for the analysis of extra-mathematical connections.

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In Search of a Long-Awaited Consensus on Disciplinary Integration in STEM Education

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9060597 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 597

Author(s):

David Aguilera ◽

José Luis Lupiáñez ◽

José Miguel Vílchez-González ◽

Francisco Javier Perales-Palacios

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Teaching Methods ◽

Theoretical Foundation ◽

Teaching Method ◽

Future Research ◽

Science Technology ◽

Stem Literacy ◽

Disciplinary Integration ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Practice Of Science

The emergence of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in research and the practice of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education is today an unquestionable fact at international level. Despite the importance attached to STEM education, there is a lack of synthesized approaches to teaching the interdisciplinarity of STEM. This lack of synthesis can hinder a strong theoretical foundation for STEM education and possible new contributions. The purpose of this position paper is to contribute a theoretical framework for STEM education that enables the unification of criteria regarding disciplinary integration and associated teaching methods. The authors discuss disciplinary integration in STEM activities, the implication of STEM literacy, educational stage, and teaching method, and provide suggestions for future research.

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Predictive Analytics on Academic Performance in Higher Education Institution during COVID-19 using Regression Model

International Journal of Biology and Biomedical Engineering ◽

10.46300/91011.2021.15.21 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 184-189

Author(s):

Muhammad Farezuan Zulkri ◽

Shazlyn Milleana Shaharudin ◽

Noor Azrin Abdul Rajak ◽

Muhammad Safwan Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Regression Model ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Predictive Analytics ◽

Education Institution ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Online Teaching And Learning ◽

And Mathematics

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019 had affected the way of living for people around the world including students in educational institutions. These students had to prepare for the continuity of their study mentally and physically by adapting to the online teaching and learning approach, which can significantly impact their academic performance. Hence, this study examines the students' academic performance on the online teaching and learning approach, thus predicting their academic performance for the upcoming semester. This study enables various actions to be taken in improving and maintaining the student's performance in their study activities. The study was conducted on undergraduate students from the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. This paper presents the prediction of the student's academic performance with a linear regression model. Evidently, the result shows that the student's academic performance continually improves while adapting to the online teaching and learning approach. It also shows that there were few respondents affected while adapting to this new norm approach. Hence, the future development of the regression model can be improved by having a more comprehensive range of Malaysian universities' data.

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Impact of Synchronous and Asynchronous Settings of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education on Students’ Learning Experience During COVID-19

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733554 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Sabine Fabriz ◽

Julia Mendzheritskaya ◽

Sebastian Stehle

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Technology Acceptance ◽

Teaching Methods ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Survey Study ◽

Online Teaching And Learning

The sudden impact of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged universities to provide students with online teaching and learning settings that were both immediately applicable and supportive of quality learning. This resulted in a broad variety of synchronous and asynchronous online settings of teaching and learning. While some courses balanced both kinds, others offered either predominantly synchronous or asynchronous teaching and learning. In a survey study with students (N=3,056) and teachers (N=396) from a large German university, we explored whether a predominance of synchronous or asynchronous teaching and learning settings in higher education was associated with certain student experiences and outcomes. Additionally, we examined how well these two types of teaching and learning settings support students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness proposed by self-determination theory (SDT). Data were collected after the first online semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results imply that from the students’ perspective, the teaching methods involved in the two settings of teaching and learning differ with regard to their potential to support social interaction and to support basic psychological needs as proposed by SDT. Students who studied mostly in synchronous settings reported more peer-centered activities such as feedback in comparison to students in mostly asynchronous settings. In contrast, teachers perceived fewer differences between teaching methods in synchronous and asynchronous settings, especially regarding feedback activities. Further, students in mostly synchronous settings reported greater support of their basic psychological needs for competence support and relatedness as well as a greater overall satisfaction with the online term compared to students in mostly asynchronous settings. Across all students, greater fulfillment of psychological needs and higher technology acceptance coincided with outcomes that are more favorable. Implications for the post-pandemic classroom are drawn.

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Designing STEM Education's Lesson Plan for Guide Students to Achieve Scientific Literacy

10.31227/osf.io/2n9zj ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Adib Rifqi Setiawan ◽

Dessy Agustina ◽

Dini Fitriani

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Teaching Methods ◽

Scientific Literacy ◽

Scientific Practice ◽

Lesson Plan ◽

Modern Science ◽

The Past ◽

Science Technology ◽

And Mathematics ◽

D Model

Scientific literacy indicates that science has value outside scientific practice. This idea and reality is hardly modern, although we lose sight of this history. Scientific literacy has been promoted as important goal since at least the 6th century BC. That was when Thales of Miletus led discussions at the Ionian School, to explain objects and natural phenomena by inquiries and theories, as precursors of modern science. Unfortunately, PISA study at 1999-2015 and several works on that period, has showes that common science teachings don't optimally guide students to achieve scientific literacy. As matter of fact, the answer to what is the best teaching methods to achieve scientific literacy has not been obtained yet. By proposing this work, we are consider that STEM education as an alternative to guide students on achieve scientific literacy. STEM that an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics defined as the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a new cross-disciplinary subject in schools. We don't deny that the concept of integrating subjects in Indonesian schools, generally is not new and has not been very successful in the past. In addition, some people consider STEM as an opportunity while others view it as having problems. However, the answer to how STEM education implementation could help guide students on achieve scientific literacy has not been studied yet comprehensively. Therefore, STEM education’s lesson plans is very important to be designed. This work designed STEM education’s lesson plan for guide students to achieve scientific literacy, used R&D approach four-D model that reduced into three stage: define, design, and develop. The final test of any teaching methods lies, of course, in implementation. This work is non-implementation throughtout.

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