The Education Philosophy, Theories and Models That Enable STEM Policy Integration

Abstract

As federal and state policies continue to emphasize the need for STEM Education reform, it is important to understand how a collaboration between industry, academia, governments, nonprofits, and K-12 schools, can bolster this effort. However, any worthwhile attempts at this must arguably first be steeped in an understanding of the STEM Education movement as well as the deep lineage of learning theories which underscore what has now come to be understood as evidence-based best practices in bolstering STEM teaching and learning. As such, the ensuing chapter recounts a brief history of the STEM Education movement, discussing the impact of pivotal documents, such as A Nation at Risk, which fanned the flames of education reform. It then presents the various perspectives as to what “STEM Education” means, focusing on the separated perspective versus the integrated perspective. This is followed by a synopsis of major learning theories and paradigms, such as behaviorism, constructivism, social constructivism, and constructionism, which have informed and continue to underscore education research. Finally, the chapter concludes with a thick description of authentic, situated inquiry-based pedagogies like Problem- and Project-Based Learning, as well as their potential to foster connections and partnerships between industry clusters and K-12 schools.