Unit rationale, description and aim
Interdisciplinary STEM education enhances students’ scientific and mathematical literacy, computational thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. While teachers are expected to know the content of their subject and how to teach it, this can be challenging when teaching content through an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, schools need informed, intentional and impactful leadership of STEM initiatives, including the leadership of mathematics within STEM education. Mathematics leadership is multi-faceted and requires knowledge of, and implementation of evidence-based contemporary pedagogies. Mathematics leaders are required to address school-based goals including supporting teachers to achieve those goals through professional development.
In this unit, participants will develop the knowledge and skills required to provide effective leadership of mathematics taught within the context of STEM education, This includes the design and implementation of mathematics-active STEM activities tailored to their school contexts.
This unit focuses on research-informed approaches to teaching and learning that support the central role of mathematics in STEM education. These approaches are guided by the principles of equity, inclusion, and social justice.
The aim of this unit is to develop participants’ ability to lead mathematics teaching and learning within the context of STEM education. This includes the development of evidence-based pedagogical approaches to teaching mathematical concepts, procedures and proficiencies.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Understand and analyse how to lead effective mathematics teaching and learning within the context of STEM education. This includes awareness of evidence-based teaching and learning practices that promote mathematics discipline knowledge, procedures and proficiencies. (APST Lead 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 6.3, 6.4) |
| LO2 | Develop the capacity to select mathematics teaching and learning practices that are appropriate for specific school or classroom STEM contexts. (APST Lead 1.2, 2.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.4) |
| LO3 | Critically evaluate the capabilities required for effective leadership of mathematics teaching and learning within STEM contexts, including how to support the professional learning needs of the school community. (APST Lead 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) |
| LO4 | Synthesis and communicate feedback about the effectiveness of school mathematics-active STEM initiatives in schools. (ALST Lead 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.4) |
Content
Topics will include:
MODULE 1 — Leading a shared vision for a school-wide approach to the teaching and learning of M in STEM
- Enacting STEM education in schools – from a focus on individual disciplines to integration.
- Development of a STEM positive school culture as a stimulus for teaching and learning.
- Whole school approaches to mathematics teaching and learning ,including the centrality of access and inclusion
- Role of relational trust and its importance in leading mathematics teaching and learning within the context of STEM.
MODULE 2 – Essential capabilities for mathematics leadership within the context of STEM education?
- Introduction to the STEM capability model.
- Principles and practices of mathematics leadership in schools. Including approaches to addressing equity, inclusion and social justice.
- Challenges and opportunities for mathematics teaching and learning within STEM contexts.
MODULE 3 — Developing a shared understanding of the M in STEM
- Principles of teaching/learning mathematics in STEM contexts including the use of design technologies.
- Pedagogical practices that promote mathematical problem-solving and critical thinking in STEM contexts
- Evidence-based practices for promoting mathematics learning in STEM contexts.
MODULE 4 — Leading planning and teaching the M in STEM
- Analysis of school data sources to determine whole school directions
- Planning and evaluating sequences of learning activities when teaching Mathematics in an integrated STEM classroom. Understanding and using principles and practices of school-based professional development including the role of feedback and coaching
- Identification and evaluation of a range of resources for mathematics teaching and learning within the context of STEM education.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks are used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements.
Two assessment tasks will be used. A series of quizzes to assess the content in the first two modules and the development of a Professional Learning plan to assess modules 3 and 4. These tasks will ascertain the extent to which graduates achieve stated outcomes. In order to pass this unit, students are required to pass each assessment task.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Quizzes Complete a suite of quizzes that demonstrate understanding of the unit content including:
| 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | 1, APST(Lead)1.1, 2, APST(Lead)1.2, 7, APST(Lead)2.1, 8, APST(Lead)2.2, 9, APST(Lead)2.3, 14, APST(Lead)3.2, 15, APST(Lead)3.3, 16, APST(Lead)3.4, 30, APST(Lead)6.1, 31, APST(Lead)6.2, 32, APST(Lead)6.3, 33, APST(Lead)6.4, 37, APST(Lead)7.4 |
Assessment Task 2: Professional Learning Plan Design an evidence-based professional learning (PL) plan that articulates and justifies the leadership reasoning required to effectively plan, facilitate, and evaluate teacher professional learning about mathematics teaching and learning in STEM contexts for one school term (10 weeks). The PL plan must clearly describe how to develop a STEM-positive school culture through leadership focused on quality teaching and learning of mathematics. The plan should be underpinned by the dimensions and elements of the STEM capability model explored in this unit. The plan should include:
| 50% | LO1, LO3, LO4 | 1, APST(Lead)1.1, 2, APST(Lead)1.2, 7, APST(Lead)2.1, 8, APST(Lead)2.2, 9, APST(Lead)2.3, 14, APST(Lead)3.2, 15, APST(Lead)3.3, 16, APST(Lead)3.4, 30, APST(Lead)6.1, 31, APST(Lead)6.2, 32, APST(Lead)6.3, 33, APST(Lead)6.4, 37, APST(Lead)7.4 |
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit will develop school leaders’ knowledge and practices in leading mathematics education through an interdisciplinary approach. Mathematics school leaders will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the central role of mathematics in STEM education. The unit will require critical reading of current research with weekly activities and online engagement.
The unit will adopt a range of online asynchronous approaches to teaching and learning. Participants will engage with lectures and activities where reflective practices will be encouraged. During these sessions, students will obtain knowledge and understanding of innovative approaches to leading the teaching and learning of mathematics within STEM contexts.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total.
Representative texts and references
Bennison, A., & Geiger, V. (2020). Numeracy across the curriculum as a model of integrating mathematics and science. In J. Anderson & Y. Li (Eds.), Integrated approaches to STEM education (pp. 117-136). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52229-2_7
English, L.D., Adams, R. A., & King, D. (2020). Design learning in STEM education. In C. Johnson, M. Mohr-Schroeder, T. Moore & L. English (Eds.), Handbook of research on STEM education (pp.76-83). Routledge.
Falloon, G., Stevenson, M., Beswick, K., Fraser, S., & Geiger, V. (2021). Building STEM in schools: An Australian cross-case analysis. Educational Technology & Society, 24(4), 110–122.
Forbes, A., Chandra, V., Pfeiffer, L., & Sheffield, R. (2021, January 22). STEM Education in the Primary School: A Teacher’s Toolkit. Cambridge University Press.
Geiger, V., Beswick, K., Fraser, S., & Holland‐Twining, B. (2023). A model for principals’ STEM leadership capability. British Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3873
Grootenboer, P. (2018). The practices of school middle leadership: Leading professional learning. Springer.
Hobbs, L., Cripps Clark, J., & Plant, B. (2018). Successful students – STEM program: Teacher learning through a multifaceted vision for STEM education. In R. Jorgensen & K. Larkin (Eds.), STEM education in the junior secondary (pp. 133–168). Springer.
Jorgensen, R., Larkin, K. (2018). STEM education in the junior secondary: The state of play. Springer.
Maass, K., Geiger, V., Ariza, M. R., & Goos, M. (2019). The role of mathematics in interdisciplinary STEM education. ZDM - Mathematics Education, 51(7), 869-884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-019-01100-5
Sexton, M., & Lamb, J. (2023). Evidencing relational trust within mathematics leadership activity. In B. Reid-O'Connor, E. Prieto-Rodriguez, K. Homes, & A. Hughes (Eds.). Weaving mathematics education from all perspectives (Proceedings of the 45th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, pp. 459-466). MERGA.