The STEM curriculum integration through big ideas and learning progression Frameworks: attitudes and insights from teacher and student

Background Everyone understands that STEM education is a treasure for curriculum development in primary and secondary schools. However, teachers face significant challenges in how to design STEM curriculum for implementation. These challenges may hinder the full realization of STEM education’s potential and can increase the complexity of instructional preparation.Purpose This study discusses a curriculum integration approach that combines the Big Idea and Learning Progression methodologies. It also assesses teachers’ and students’ perceptions and feelings about the curriculum in the school classroom.Sample The study was conducted in an elective course for first-grade junior high school students in Xi’an, China. After ethical approval and obtaining voluntary informed consent from participants and guardians, four classes (79 students, 43 males and 36 females) participated. The experimental group comprised two classes (n = 38), and the control group consisted of the remaining two classes (n = 41). There were no differences between the two groups in terms of student performance in science subjects (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc.).Design and methods A mixed study was conducted within a first-year elective course at a junior high school in China. The experimental group followed a STEM curriculum developed around Big-Ideas learning progressions and emphasizing interdisciplinary integration. Conversely, the control group received a traditional science and technology curriculum, where the content was taught in isolation without interdisciplinary connections.Result The results indicated a significant difference in STEM learning attitudes between the experimental group students, who experienced STEM integration, and their traditional classroom peers, particularly evident in the post-test results with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.040) and a moderate effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.525). Interviews indicated that students found the integrated STEM curriculum more challenging and rewarding. Teachers indicated that the implementation of integrated STEM education requires a rich subject knowledge base and a clear integration plan.Conclusion Research shows that the Big Ideas progression pathway provides teachers with clear guidance and is effective for students’ acquisition of interdisciplinary knowledge.