IDEARR Model for STEM Education—A Framework Proposal

Abstract

This article proposes a theoretical framework for STEM education. It begins by determining the epistemological (based on the Model of Educational Reconstruction and General Systems Theory) and pedagogical (grounded in Situated Learning Theory and co-teaching) alignments. Once these issues are established, a pedagogical model is proposed to facilitate the implementation of the STEM approach in the classroom. This is the IDEARR model, consisting of six phases (Initial, Deconstruction, Explanation, Application, Review, and Reporting) to address an ill-defined problem. This article concludes with a reflection on the educational implications that arise from adopting this theoretical framework for working on STEM education in classrooms, particularly those related to the organization and operation of educational institutions and the initial and ongoing training of teachers.

Keywords

• STEM education
• STEM literacy
• STEM identity
• STEM thinking
• educational model