Leveraging Agriculture, Food, and Nature Resources to Facilitate STEM Collaboration

• In Event: Promoting Equity Through Effective Informal STEM Learning Environments

Abstract

Integrated STEM instruction attempts to mirror solving a real-world problem in a complex designed system and help students make sense out of the fragmented and departmentalized knowledge that is typically taught in disciplinary silos (NRC, 2014). Agriculture, food, nature resources (AFNR) are not always at the top of the list when it comes to talking about STEM education. However, STEM collaboration is imperative to solve the grand challenges facing AFNR, such as food security, water quality, affordable and clean energy, and climate variability and change (National Research Council-NRC, 2009).

In this paper, I will provide an overview of how an integrated STEM through AFNR course, which is offered in a Midwest University, is collaborated with local non-formal youth education organizations. I will share examples of integrated STEM through AFNR lessons that are developed by graduate students based on the uniqueness of local non-formal youth education organizations. Additionally, I will share a research result to demonstrate three stages of development—preconceived stage, broaden horizons stage, and perceive reality stage to provide valuable information that has implication on non-formal STEM educators’ integrated STEM through AFNR professional development.

Integrated STEM through AFNR Course
The course is co-taught by two instructors. The course is a three-credit that consisted of 3-hour weekly sessions for 15 weeks. The course aims to equip graduate students with the knowledge and skills to become informal/non-formal educators, who advocate integrated STEM through AFNR instruction. Throughout 15 weeks, students frame individual’s view of STEM integration through AFNR, explore learner-centered teaching practices, such as inquiry-based and project-based learning by using integrated STEM approach, and develop and implement their STEM integrated through AFNR lessons in informal/non-formal educational settings. For example, when collaborate with a nationally acclaimed history museum that located in 800 acres of wooded property, graduate students utilize the sheep farm in the museum to create integrated STEM through AFNR lessons that teach youth about the preparty of wool, mathematics that are used to make wool products (e.g. hat, sweater, and socks), and loom machine and knitting.

Beliefs and Practices of Teaching STEM through AFNR
The research data was collected in a two-year period with nine graduate students who took the course. Students’ assignments, including six reflections, lesson plans, an assessment plan, a post-teaching self-evaluation paper, and a statement to articulate the rationale of STEM integrated lesson plans served as artifacts of data sources. In addition, a post-course semi-structured interview was conducted as well. The result showed that graduate students went through a planning process that evolved from having general ideas to framing their ideas to be an integrated lesson that blended different disciplinary content to being a specific idea for STEM integration (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Three Stage of Educators’ Beliefs of Integrated STEM through AFNR Lessons and Instruction

Author

• Hui-Hui Wang, Purdue University