Global Perspectives on STEM Education (eBook)

This book focuses on STEM education as it applies to global competencies, innovative curriculum and accompanying pedagogy. Through a thematic approach, the authors explore cross-cutting perspectives, with a focus on social, equitable, environmental, and scientific issues as they relate to STEM literacy. The research outlined in the book adopts an integrated STEM framework that assesses, analyzes and explicitly links all STEM disciplines. The book prepares and inspires both educators and students to participate in STEM on a global level.  The research presented in the book highlights innovative and unique classroom practices in STEM education (e.g., STEM environmental projects, digital video games). The book links research on and in practice, and the intended audience include STEM educators, researchers, curriculum developers, and policymakers interested in innovative STEM education.

Dr. Isha DeCoito is an Associate Professor of STEM Education, cross-appointed to Science at Western University in Canada. Her research spans varied educational contexts including medical programs, school gardens, refugee camps, Indigenous communities, outreach programs, teacher education programs, universities, and school boards. Her research focuses on STEM engagement and STEM career aspirations amongst girls and underrepresented populations, experiential learning, educational technologies (e.g., digital video games, virtual reality), engineering and medical education, professional development, and nature of science conceptions, with a goal of creating equitable and better opportunities for all students.

Dr. Xavier Fazio is a Professor of Science and Environmental Sustainability Education at Brock University in Canada. His research and graduate and undergraduate teaching broadly focuses on science and environmental sustainability education, systems thinking and sustainability, teacher education and development, curricular innovation, instruction, and assessment approaches in STEM education for elementary, secondary, and post-secondary contexts.

Dr. Jane Gichuru is an educator in Curriculum and Instruction, and global education in Canada.  Her research experience includes the education of immigrant and refugee youth in Canada. She has worked with Dr. DeCoito in the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) international research project, knowledge syntheses on the Digital Gap: Access, Innovation & Impact on Aboriginal communities' access to digital technologies; STEM initiatives across Canada, and most recently, on a STEM curriculum review.