STEM Curricula, Practices, Policies, and Implications in the Middle Grades: A Review
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| Title: | STEM Curricula, Practices, Policies, and Implications in the Middle Grades: A Review |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Tredina D. Sheppard (ORCID |
| Source: | Electronic Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education. 2025 29(1):1-15. |
| Availability: | International Consortium for Research in Science & Mathematics Education. TCU Box 297900, Fort Worth, TX 76129. Tel: 817-257-6115; e-mail: ICRSME.Consultation@gmail.com; Web site: http://ejrsme.icrsme.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses |
| Education Level: | Junior High Schools Middle Schools Secondary Education Elementary Education Grade 5 Intermediate Grades Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 High Schools |
| Descriptors: | STEM Education, Middle Schools, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, Educational Research, Instruction, Curriculum, Interdisciplinary Approach |
| ISSN: | 2692-241X |
| Abstract: | STEM education has become an economic factor in the United States, developing countries and in other established economies such as Europe and Australia. There is, however, a lack of consensus on how STEM curricula are enacted across K-12 learning environments in general and with particular interest in the middle grades - the phase of schooling that includes grades five to nine. We conducted a comprehensive review of empirical studies, related to STEM curriculum in formal middle school classrooms. Specifically, our review was guided by the question: How is STEM conceptualized and implemented in middle grades instruction? With a focus on curriculum containing two or more of the four disciplinary combinations, 93 empirical studies were selected for review. Each article was read and snippets from the studies related to the research question were documented. These snippets became codes, and during focused and repeated readings and discussions, patterns emerged from which themes were generated. Some of the emerging themes were the STEM curricular landscape and the positioning of science in the STEM curriculum. Our findings revealed inconsistencies around the practices of STEM as a discipline within the middle grades and the nature of integration across the disciplines. While science was treated as a core discipline, in most cases there was no clear identification of competencies across the disciplinary combinations. Leveraging reasonable connections in ways to initiate and improve the development of STEM literacy was limited. Our review signals the need for evidence-based practices and an established consensus around STEM curricula in middle schools. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1471432 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | STEM education has become an economic factor in the United States, developing countries and in other established economies such as Europe and Australia. There is, however, a lack of consensus on how STEM curricula are enacted across K-12 learning environments in general and with particular interest in the middle grades - the phase of schooling that includes grades five to nine. We conducted a comprehensive review of empirical studies, related to STEM curriculum in formal middle school classrooms. Specifically, our review was guided by the question: How is STEM conceptualized and implemented in middle grades instruction? With a focus on curriculum containing two or more of the four disciplinary combinations, 93 empirical studies were selected for review. Each article was read and snippets from the studies related to the research question were documented. These snippets became codes, and during focused and repeated readings and discussions, patterns emerged from which themes were generated. Some of the emerging themes were the STEM curricular landscape and the positioning of science in the STEM curriculum. Our findings revealed inconsistencies around the practices of STEM as a discipline within the middle grades and the nature of integration across the disciplines. While science was treated as a core discipline, in most cases there was no clear identification of competencies across the disciplinary combinations. Leveraging reasonable connections in ways to initiate and improve the development of STEM literacy was limited. Our review signals the need for evidence-based practices and an established consensus around STEM curricula in middle schools. |
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| ISSN: | 2692-241X |
