An Integrated STEM Professional Development Initiative for Connecting Environmental Education Across Middle and Secondary Mathematics

Abstract

This chapter reports features of a professional development (PD) initiative and results from its underpinning qualitative inquiry. The researchers designed this initiative using the integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education framework to help teachers adapt integrated teaching practices and to make connections. Middle and secondary teachers completed 50 hours of training to enhance their content knowledge, to gain understanding of integrated STEM education, to identify and use resources and manipulatives of integrate STEM lessons, and to create lessons for implementation with their students. Data were collected through interviews, audio-visual recordings, and documents from participants. The findings were (1) framing the PD with the integrated STEM education model supports changes to teaching practices; (2) tasks integrating mathematics with EE are compatible integrations that help teachers adapt integrative teaching approaches; and (3) teachers EE dispositions towards integration improved after the PD, especially as a component of social justice.