STEM Educators, How Diverse Disciplines Teach

Abstract

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is well known throughout the academe. Several studies have been done focusing on various aspects of the students, who they are, how they function, and the need to diversify the student and professional population. The authors realized that this is not the case with regard to STEM educators. Research either focused on the educator, broadly or by discipline is not evident, nor has it been done with the intent of learning more about how these educators think, teach, and interact in the classroom.

A generalized survey requiring a large number of open-ended answers was developed with the intent of probing the STEM educator population. Demographics were collected including the amount of formalized training, terminal degree, whether education began in two, or 4-year College, and subjects taught. The survey also collects data regarding an individual’s teaching philosophy and the educator’s opinion regarding how their and other STEM subjects should be taught. The authors believed it was important to also learn about the educators’ experience teaching, their methodology, and if they taught lecture only, lecture or lab only. Information regarding STEM educators teaching philosophy is reported here while other sections are covered in previous and forthcoming work.

The survey yielded responses from STEM educators teaching in grades P-20. Most of the respondents were male and in later years of their career. These educators were most often teaching technology or engineering in undergraduate programs receiving their terminal degree relatively evenly over a period of nearly 35 years. Each educator had a different level of formal training and many emphasized student-centered learning. Most educators believe that STEM subjects could be taught in the same manner, with some dissent from those that teach mathematics.