Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Advanced Research in Teaching and Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Building Tomorrow’s Innovators: An Integrated Teaching Approach for Diverse STEM Programs
Tala Katbeh, Syed Mustafa Abidi, G. Benjamin Cieslinski
ABSTRACT:
As the global demand for a skilled and innovative STEM workforce is increasing, this has underscored the importance of engaging educational approaches that inspire a diverse student population. This work presents a comprehensive pedagogical framework designed to deliver impactful STEM education through experiential, interdisciplinary learning. By combining hands-on project-based learning, collaborative problem-solving, and multifaceted content, this approach addresses the varying learning styles and promotes inclusivity. Central to this framework is the integration of real-world applications with STEM concepts, ensuring that students not only understand theoretical principles but also see their relevance in practical contexts. The framework is implemented across multiple structured learning sessions, where students are divided into teams to encourage brainstorming, collaboration, and active engagement. Each session features a mix of interactive lessons led by STEM professionals, hands-on experiments, and mini projects tailored to topics such as the engineering design process, physics, robotics, and programming. These structured activities are complemented by case studies and practical applications to reinforce key STEM principles. A key component of the approach is its adaptability across a range of STEM outreach programs, including engineering design workshops, the Pinewood Derby program, and robotics challenges – each tailored to foster hands-on skills, critical thinking, and teamwork. Most importantly, this framework is designed to engage students of different ages and from diverse educational systems and backgrounds. The detailed programs’ structures, development, instructional strategies, and outcomes are analyzed in this paper. Collaborative team projects are used to mirror professional engineering environments, cultivating communication and leadership skills, alongside technical competencies. Measurable outcomes of the programs include increased student engagement, confidence in STEM abilities, and interest in STEM careers, with a reported increase in student university applications to STEM disciplines. These offer insights into how integrated teaching approaches can serve as a blueprint for developing the next generation of STEM innovators.
keywords: STEM education, integrated teaching approach, hands-on learning