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Education Sciences
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STEM Synergy: Advancing Integrated Approaches in Education
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STEM Synergy: Advancing Integrated Approaches in Education

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1808

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui-Hui Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Interests: STEM integration through agriculture, food, and natural resources; interdisciplinary collaboration; integrated STEM teaching and learning
Dr. Kristina M. Tank

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Interests: integrated STEM teaching and learning; supports for in-service and preservice elementary teachers in STEM; engineering design-based STEM integration; STEM and literacy; STEM and computational thinking

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the past two decades, STEM integration has attracted considerable attention in educational research, and it is interpreted in various ways. Not only there is no one way to define STEM integration, but there are also different theoretical and conceptual models for implementing integrated STEM approaches. Although STEM integration portrays divergent models to be dependent on how researchers and practitioners interpret it, one common theme across these models is the idea that the integration of the disciplines of STEM is beneficial to motivate STEM learning, increase STEM knowledge gain, encourage the development of 21st -century skills, and signify interdisciplinary collaboration. This Special Issue will advance our knowledge of the best ways to implement an integrated approach in STEM education for enabling synergy that combines the power of STEM disciplines with a strong and effective impact. We are also interested in exploring integrated approaches that utilize disciplines outside of STEM, such as art and agriculture, to broaden our understanding of how researchers and practitioners structure integration and synergies within STEM. The theme of this Special Issue includes theoretically/conceptually framed model development, STEM teaching and student learning, teacher education, evaluation and assessment, curriculum and instructional design, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Hui-Hui Wang
Dr. Kristina M. Tank
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information 

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles and review articles are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website. The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 January 2025.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • STEM integration
  • interdisciplinary collaboration
  • integrated teaching and learning
  • STEM teacher education
  • integrated STEM assessment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 3347 KiB  
Article
From Context to Connection: Client Letters in STEM Integration Curricula
by Christine H. McDonnell, Imani N. Adams, Morgan M. Hynes, S. Selcen Guzey, Mary K. Pilotte, Greg J. Strimel, Kristina M. Tank and Tamara J. Moore
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060696 - 4 Jun 2025
Viewed by 6
Abstract
Real-world contexts play a crucial role in engaging students and promoting disciplinary synergy in integrated STEM education. One underexplored pedagogical tool for supporting such integration is the “client letter”—a narrative device used to frame engineering design challenges around authentic, real-world problems. This study [...] Read more.
Real-world contexts play a crucial role in engaging students and promoting disciplinary synergy in integrated STEM education. One underexplored pedagogical tool for supporting such integration is the “client letter”—a narrative device used to frame engineering design challenges around authentic, real-world problems. This study investigates the role of client letters in synergizing knowledge within immersive engineering design-based STEM integration curricula. We conducted a qualitative document analysis of 107 client letters embedded in 18 freely available K-12 STEM integration curricular units. Using a theoretical framework that aligns immersive education principles with the STEM Integration Framework, we analyzed how these letters support curricular progression, knowledge building, and student engagement. Findings show that client letters structure and scaffold learning through messaging themes that align with the engineering design process (e.g., problem framing, scoping, and design detailing) and support immersive learning through narrative features such as motivation triggers, dramatic structure, and involvement of the self. Based on these findings, we present the Conceptual Framework for Client Letter Development, which categorizes the instructional and narrative functions of client letters. This framework offers practical guidance for educators and curriculum developers seeking to design immersive, integrative STEM learning experiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Synergy: Advancing Integrated Approaches in Education)
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28 pages, 1831 KiB  
Article
Conjecture Mapping an Integrated steM Camp to Support Middle School Students’ STEM Identity and STEM Interest
by Queshonda J. Kudaisi and Michael J. Leonas-Cabrera
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020159 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 942
Abstract
This study reports on an integrated steM camp that aimed to improve middle school students’ STEM identity, interest in STEM careers, and interest in environmental issues. Conjecture mapping was used as a tool to design the camp and to investigate if, how, and [...] Read more.
This study reports on an integrated steM camp that aimed to improve middle school students’ STEM identity, interest in STEM careers, and interest in environmental issues. Conjecture mapping was used as a tool to design the camp and to investigate if, how, and why the program features influenced the mediating processes and if, how, and why the mediating processes influenced the program outcomes. This study is grounded in design-based research and uses data from observations, interviews, surveys, facilitator reflections, and a group interview to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that most of the program features facilitated the intended mediating processes, which in turn influenced the intended outcomes. We also found that participants’ interest in STEM careers, interest in environmental issues, and interest in STEM identity increased. The findings of this study and the revised conjecture map advance the field’s understanding of how to improve middle school students’ STEM-related outcomes through an integrated steM camp. The findings also speak to some of the challenges of this designed environment and provide recommendations to address those challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Synergy: Advancing Integrated Approaches in Education)
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Other

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11 pages, 191 KiB  
Brief Report
Elementary Student Perspectives on STEAM Education
by Kristin L. Cook, Richard Cox, Dan Edelen and Sarah B. Bush
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060689 - 2 Jun 2025
Viewed by 172
Abstract
In this research brief, we synthesize research on integrated STEAM teaching and learning from our multi-state team, comprised of scholars from elementary mathematics and science education. This work focuses on student perceptions of STEAM experiences to inform practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders in best [...] Read more.
In this research brief, we synthesize research on integrated STEAM teaching and learning from our multi-state team, comprised of scholars from elementary mathematics and science education. This work focuses on student perceptions of STEAM experiences to inform practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders in best practices. This synthesis brings forth the following contributions to STEAM education learned from elementary students’ perspectives of their STEAM learning experiences to offer new ideas about best practices in STEAM: (1) students have various access points to STEAM and connect with the personal expression and meaning-making related to the “arts” embedded in the experience; (2) empathy can be an important driver of deep engagement with their learning experiences towards a transformative outcome; and (3) STEAM learning experiences can be a space for implementing student-centered instructional practices guided by reform efforts in science and mathematics education. Next steps will be discussed to complement the burgeoning STEAM education literature base with a continued focus on all students’ perspectives about their learning experiences. We recommend longitudinal studies on the impact of STEAM; these are now possible as STEAM initiatives become more systematically rooted in schools and communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEM Synergy: Advancing Integrated Approaches in Education)
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