Addressing Curriculum Knowledge in STEM Projects

This chapter sets out the curriculum knowledge that technology teachers need in order to support the ‘T’ in STEM school projects. If schools move from the STEM subjects being taught in separate isolated subject ‘silos’, to teaching STEM in a loose coordination of the subjects, then to teachers collaborating on school projects that require a progressive integration of the STEM area of the curriculum there is clearly a need for the teachers to develop increasingly wide curriculum knowledge. Not only do STEM teachers need to gain a deeper understanding of their own specific curriculum knowledge but they also must take notice of what, when and how STEM is being taught by their colleagues. In short, they also should ‘Look-Sideways’ and collaborate for the mutual benefit of their learners. Using four school STEM curriculum examples based on UNESCO sustainability goals, this chapter highlights the benefits of adopting a cross-curriculum approach to STEM education, both through the contribution that technology brings to school STEM projects whatever the main ‘subject focus’ of that project and through the contributions that science and mathematics can make to technology-focussed STEM projects. The different aspects of curriculum knowledge required of technology teachers are considered through the ‘personal subject construct’ that teachers have of their role in teaching and in supporting STEM projects. This dispositional knowledge influences what discipline knowledge they consider is important to possess. In conclusion, assessment and how STEM student learning can be mapped are explored.