Reflecting on the Contribution of Mathematics to STEM Education

It is commonly claimed that mathematics is the discipline that underpins all of STEM. However, mathematics often seems to occupy a “servant” role in integrated STEM educationIntegrated STEM education, acting as a tool to support learning in the other STEM disciplinesSTEM disciplines. In this chapter, I first consider three other established approaches to interdisciplinary mathematics educationInterdisciplinary mathematics education—curriculum integrationCurriculum integration, mathematical literacyMathematical literacy, and mathematical modellingMathematical modelling—to identify theoretical and practical resources for integrated STEM educationIntegrated STEM education that pushes mathematics to the fore. I then organise my commentary on the contributions to this volume around five key research themes: interdisciplinary curriculum modelsInterdisciplinary curriculum models and approaches; student experiences and outcomes; teacher preparationTeacher preparation and professional developmentProfessional development; classroom implementationClassroom implementation and task design; and policy, structuresPolicy structures, and leadership. This analysis suggests three perspectives on the role of mathematics in integrated STEM educationIntegrated STEM education that need to work together to enrich students’ learning: mathematics as the goal, mathematics as a toolMathematics as a tool, and mathematics as an integrative bridge between the STEM disciplinesSTEM disciplines.