Integrating STEM Opportunities for Young Learners
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Integrating STEM Opportunities for Young Learners Nicol R. Howard1 · Dirk Ifenthaler2,3
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature 2018
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education efforts to prepare K-12 students for college and future careers are evolving and remain an important factor in the growth and development of economies across the world (Carter et al. 2014; Ge et al. 2015; Howard 2016; Legewie and DiPrete 2011). In the US alone, the demand for workers is projected to double resulting in 19 million more jobs than workers to fill positions by 2028 (Humes et al. 2011). An increase in the number of jobs available across the world may suggest a greater need for students to select STEM courses and careers. Efforts to increase students’ positive perspectives and pursuits of STEM careers are necessary to meet the growing demand for STEM workers (National Science Foundation, 2011). STEM education meets the present need and facilitates economic progress by preparing students to innovate and succeed in a technological business world (Altiner 2018). Additionally, STEM literacy is the knowledge and understanding of mathematical and scientific processes critical to living a productive and engaged life (National Research Council 2011, 2012). Years of research in the area of STEM focused on upper grade students and university students, yet recent calls for higher importance to be given to STEM in early school years has resulted in an increase of scholarship (Johnson 2012; Sikma and Osborne 2014). Unfortunately, priorities placed on the teaching foundational skills (e.g., basics of math, reading, spelling) and the need to teach required instructional minutes have negatively impacted the level of innovation in classrooms during the early years of schooling. To respond to the call to action districts containing schools for young learners (e.g., elementary schools) are establishing in-school opportunities that infuse STEM concepts throughout entire curricula, yet not without obstacles. STEM opportunities for young learners can potentially tap into the curiosity and inquisitiveness of students in younger grades, hence creating a * Dirk Ifenthaler [email protected] 1
University of Redlands, Redlands, USA
2
University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
3
Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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N. R. Howard, D. Ifenthaler
higher level of STEM competence (Isabelle and Valle 2016). Accordingly, research in this area concentrates on the integration of elements of STEM concepts into different academic subjects given the priorities placed on teaching in the classrooms of young learners. The need for more research related to STEM learning opportunities during the more formative years of learning to better understand how to ensure high-quality instruction within environments persists (Howard 2016). The articles in this special issue stem from an interdisciplinary group of researchers, envisioning to facilitate scholarly research and theory focused on contemporary issues related t
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