VIRGINIA SCIENCE EDUCATION LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION POSITION PAPER 2009-1
VIRGINIA SCIENCE EDUCATION LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATION
POSITION PAPER 2009-1
Science and the use of the term STEM
The Virginia Science Education Leadership Association (VSELA) has long advocated for high-quality preK-12 science programs that are:
To provide clarity and a common lexicon among its members and other interested educators, VSELA draws a distinction among the three terms, science, integrated STEM instruction, and technology.
Science
VSELA adopts the following definition of science. Science is the study and explanation of phenomena via systematic observation; measurement; experimentation and investigation; data collection, interpretation, analysis, and evaluation; development of conclusions; and formulation of theory. It includes:
Integrated STEM Instruction
VSELA defines integrated STEM instruction as a teaching methodology where science and mathematics concepts are introduced and taught primarily through the design process. Integrated STEM instruction is often used as synonymous with the acronym STEM. However, VSELA takes the position that these terms are not interchangeable. VSELA believes that integrated STEM instruction is a useful pedagogical approach for making connections across core disciplines. Integrated STEM instruction may apply and reinforce many science and mathematics concepts but it is not well matched to all mathematics and science learning.
Technology
VSELA recommends that great care and precision be taken in the use of the term, technology.
VSELA believes science instruction should substantially reflect the scientific endeavor, being focused on the process of answering questions about how Nature and the physical world function.
POSITION PAPER 2009-1
Science and the use of the term STEM
The Virginia Science Education Leadership Association (VSELA) has long advocated for high-quality preK-12 science programs that are:
- designed to provide students with a strong foundation in science content and process (investigative/inquiry) skills;
- based on clearly-defined and sequential academic content;
- driven by rigorous, systematic reasoning and logic skills;
- organized around all levels of investigation with emphasis on structured, guided, and open inquiry;
- carried out via a range of pedagogical approaches that substantially mirror the scientific endeavor;
- enhanced through meaningful connections among the natural, physical, and applied science discipline areas, and mathematics;
- enriched by effective use of electronic, mechanical, and conceptual tools;
- supportive of and augmenting students’ creativity, curiosity and questioning, persistence, and intellectual honesty; and
- reflective of science’s relation to the individual, society, and nature.
To provide clarity and a common lexicon among its members and other interested educators, VSELA draws a distinction among the three terms, science, integrated STEM instruction, and technology.
Science
VSELA adopts the following definition of science. Science is the study and explanation of phenomena via systematic observation; measurement; experimentation and investigation; data collection, interpretation, analysis, and evaluation; development of conclusions; and formulation of theory. It includes:
- the skills and processes of inquiry,
- the body of knowledge derived from verifiable experimentation and systematic investigation and scrutiny in the face of new evidence, and
- the habits of mind underpinning rational inquiry (e.g., respect for data, demand for verification, questioning, intellectual honesty).
Integrated STEM Instruction
VSELA defines integrated STEM instruction as a teaching methodology where science and mathematics concepts are introduced and taught primarily through the design process. Integrated STEM instruction is often used as synonymous with the acronym STEM. However, VSELA takes the position that these terms are not interchangeable. VSELA believes that integrated STEM instruction is a useful pedagogical approach for making connections across core disciplines. Integrated STEM instruction may apply and reinforce many science and mathematics concepts but it is not well matched to all mathematics and science learning.
Technology
VSELA recommends that great care and precision be taken in the use of the term, technology.
- Technology in its broadest sense refers to tools. Tools can include a purposefully-chipped basalt pebble, a pencil, or a space suit.
- Technology also refers to computer, computer applications, and electronic communication devices.
- Technology education preK-12 utilizes science and mathematics concepts in the design process. This is often linked to pre-engineering.
VSELA believes science instruction should substantially reflect the scientific endeavor, being focused on the process of answering questions about how Nature and the physical world function.
