Loughborough University Library: Open Journals
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Blurring the Boundaries – STEM Education and Education for Sustainable Development
Get PDFBoth the concept of sustainable development and the nature of education for sustainable development (ESD) are highly contested. ESD can be construed as a part of sustainable development policy as governments attempt to bridge the ‘value-action gap’ between what we know we should be doing (e.g. to combat climate change) and what
we actually do. Alternatively sustainability can be construed as a ‘frame of mind’; within this paradigm ESD is seen as a way of bringing to the surface underlying values and beliefs through the exploration of contradictions and arguments.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education is equally contested. At one end it is seen as a pre-vocational learning or even training to encourage students to pursue science and maths in particular en route to professional work in engineering and technology.
‘Successful’ STEM is then measured in take-up of certain subjects Post-16 or at tertiary level, or in terms of attitudes towards engineering and technology. Conversely, STEM can be seen as an entitlement to learn in a different way, in which the boundaries between the component subjects of STEM become blurred and learners are encouraged to develop transferable skills and knowledge and the
metacognitive skills that enable this transfer to be used creatively.
In this paper the author examines how teachers can plan for a creative interaction between ESD within the ‘frame of mind’ approach, and STEM education as a metacognitive entitlement. It argues that current curriculum reforms in England1 offer unprecedented opportunities for design and technology teachers to extend student engagement and
learning beyond the prescribed Design and Technology (D&T) curriculum thereby enhancing creativity and critical reflection. Using sustainability contexts for STEM activities might provoke critical discourse within schools and their wider communities, thereby creating new opportunities for ESD
Reviews
Get PDFThe following publications have been reviewed by the mentioned authors;Supporting Science, Design and Technology in the Early Years - reviewed by Alan CrossDazzle Plus - reviewed by David FosterDesign and Bake - Wheat and Other Cereals - reviewed by Marion RutlandDesign and Technology and the Historic Environment - reviewed by Michael LawrenceThe Millennium Train - reviewed by Chris SnellGCSE Food Technology for OCR: Pupil Book and Teacher's Resource File - reviewed by Roy BallamRaising Achievement in Design and Technology: Resistant Materials - reviewed by Roman M. GawelThe Possibilities Schools - A Blueprint for Education - reviewed by Andy BreckonKites Resource Pack: Key Stage 3 Design and Technology - reviewed by Mark HudsonICT and the Learning Revolution - reviewed by Les Porte
History and development of construction kits including a special study of Mobilo and Reo Click
Get PDFThis research is aimed at proViding a background to the development of construction kits. It examines the various stages of official recognition of the place and purpose of construction kits in the primary curriculum in England and Wales. A brief review of some of the issues surrounding construction activities in the early years is offered. This compares and contrasts building styles which employ commercially available kits with those that utilise reclaimed materials. From this background, two well established kits are considered in detail from a small scale pilot study in a school. Research evidence in this school was gained in controlled conditions and yielded quantitative data about the ways that children interact with Reo-Click and Mobilo in open-choice building situations
