Promoting interdisciplinary connections in STEM education: A study with preservice chemistry teachers

Carla S. L. Morais; Cidália M. V. André; Gildo Girotto Júnior; Carla S. L. Morais; Cidália M. V. André; Gildo Girotto Júnior

doi:10.3934/steme.2025040

STEM Education

2025, Volume 5, Issue 5: 908-932. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025040

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Promoting interdisciplinary connections in STEM education: A study with preservice chemistry teachers

1.
CIQUP, IMS, Science Education Unit, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; cmorais@fc.up.pt, cidalia.andre@fc.up.pt
2.
Chemistry Institute, State University of Campinas, R. Josué de Castro, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Campinas–SP, 13083-970, Brazil; ggirotto@unicamp.br

Academic Editor: Feng-Kuang Chiang

Received: 02 February 2025 Revised: 19 June 2025 Accepted: 16 July 2025 Published: 01 August 2025

Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is essential for preparing students to address real-world challenges through interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving. However, preservice teachers (PSTs) often face challenges in integrating STEM disciplines, particularly engineering, technology, and mathematics. This study explores how Arduino-based problem-solving activities enhance interdisciplinary STEM integration in PST training, focusing on the epistemological, psychological, and didactic dimensions of STEM education. Conducted within a chemistry teacher training course, the study involved eight PSTs in theoretical and practical activities, including designing experiments on ocean acidification. The findings reveal that Arduino-based activities effectively foster interdisciplinary connections by integrating chemistry with technology and engineering while bridging theoretical knowledge and practical applications. Persistent challenges, such as limited mathematics integration and familiarity with engineering concepts, highlight the need for targeted interventions in teacher training. This study underscores the potential of problem-solving and technology-enhanced approaches to equip teachers with the skills to design and implement interdisciplinary STEM lessons, preparing them for the demands of 21st-century education.
- integrated STEM,
- problem-solving,
- Arduino-based,
- chemistry education,
- preservice chemistry teachers
Citation: Carla S. L. Morais, Cidália M. V. André, Gildo Girotto Júnior. Promoting interdisciplinary connections in STEM education: A study with preservice chemistry teachers[J]. STEM Education, 2025, 5(5): 908-932. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025040

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Abstract

Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is essential for preparing students to address real-world challenges through interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving. However, preservice teachers (PSTs) often face challenges in integrating STEM disciplines, particularly engineering, technology, and mathematics. This study explores how Arduino-based problem-solving activities enhance interdisciplinary STEM integration in PST training, focusing on the epistemological, psychological, and didactic dimensions of STEM education. Conducted within a chemistry teacher training course, the study involved eight PSTs in theoretical and practical activities, including designing experiments on ocean acidification. The findings reveal that Arduino-based activities effectively foster interdisciplinary connections by integrating chemistry with technology and engineering while bridging theoretical knowledge and practical applications. Persistent challenges, such as limited mathematics integration and familiarity with engineering concepts, highlight the need for targeted interventions in teacher training. This study underscores the potential of problem-solving and technology-enhanced approaches to equip teachers with the skills to design and implement interdisciplinary STEM lessons, preparing them for the demands of 21st-century education.

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Author's biography Dr. Carla Morais has a degree in Chemistry, a Master's in Multimedia Education, and a PhD and a Habilitation in Science Education and Communication from the Faculty of Science of the University of Porto. She is an Assistant Professor of Habilitation and a member of the Science Education Unit at the same faculty. She is a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Chemistry Research Center of the University of Porto (CIQUP), where she coordinates the research group "RT5: Education, Science Communication, and Society". Her areas of interest include professional development and pedagogic practices for physics and chemistry teachers; communication models and processes for scientific knowledge and the involvement and participation of citizens in science; and technological and digital ecologies in science education and communication; Cidália André is a PhD student in Science Education and Communication at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. She is an invited assistant in the Science Education Unit at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto. Her research interests include integrated STEM education, science education, and teacher training. She is a research fellow at the Chemistry Research Centre of the University of Porto (CIQUP), with a PhD scholarship from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT); Dr. Gildo Girotto Junior is an Adjunct Professor at the Chemistry Institute of the State University of Campinas. He has a PhD in Science Teaching from the University of São Paulo and a post-doctorate in Science Teaching from the University of Porto. He develops research in the area of teacher training, with an emphasis on the analysis and development of professional and technological knowledge for teaching, interdisciplinary practices, and proposals for scientific dissemination, involving investigations on the nature of science and scientific denialism. Within these lines, one of the current focuses of interest involves the study of digital teaching skills, STEM and STEAM educational practices, and the use of AI systems

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