Designing with Mathematics in Fifth-Grade STEM Education

With the increased global focus on STEM education, concerns have been raised over the declining role of mathematics, with many claiming that it is watered down or even ignored when two or more disciplines are integrated. Mathematics must be reframed as a powerful component of STEM education, one that is fundamental to numerous professions and is at the forefront in solving so many of today’s problems. The study reported in this chapter illustrates how mathematics can be foregrounded in a fifth-grade STEM activity that involved designing a mini-golf course. Accordingly, the conceptual framework for the study focuses on designing with mathematical ideas in undertaking STEM-based problems. Design learning has received little research especially in the primary grades, where its application to mathematical problem solving has been neglected. Design is regarded as central to both technology and engineering practices, but rarely is acknowledged within mathematics learning. This chapter illustrates how design can be applied in strengthening the application of mathematics in STEM education.