To engage elementary learners in the complex task of STEM sensemaking, teachers must entice and inspire learners to ask questions, explore, and communicate their findings. This article shares a 5E/3D lesson designed and taught in our elementary science methods courses to model how preservice teachers can integrate literacy and mathematics into a science investigation for STEM sensemaking. We modified a traditional lesson on bird beak adaptations to have a differentiated, interdisciplinary writing component justified by data. We discuss why data-supported literacy is a non-negotiable in science education reforms and how teachers can differentiate tasks to make scientific writing more approachable and elicit student motivation. In addition, we provide insights into how our preservice teachers used data-informed writing to communicate their understanding of how structure affects the function of bird beaks and other such adaptations. We also report on ways our preservice teachers actively engaged in the lesson, shared how they envisioned using interdisciplinary lessons in their future classrooms, and refined their thinking on animal adaptations. To conclude, we reflect on our learning and suggest ways to integrate differentiated, data-informed writing tasks to provide authentic opportunities for all learners to engage in STEM sensemaking.
This study examines how integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, specifically ChatGPT, into teacher education can enhance culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in STEM education. AI's potential to support lesson planning, streamline administrative tasks, and offer personalized learning paths is explored alongside its challenges, such as ethical concerns and contextual adaptation. The study involved pre-service elementary teachers who used AI modules to design CRT-aligned STEM lessons, reflecting on their experiences through surveys and journals. The findings reveal that AI enhances efficiency, generates creative ideas, and fosters inclusivity by providing culturally relevant materials. However, the study emphasizes that AI cannot replace human expertise and cultural awareness, underscoring the importance of critically evaluating AI-generated content. Teacher candidates acknowledged AI's potential to improve lesson planning while highlighting the need for customization to ensure cultural responsiveness. The study concludes that AI can be a valuable tool in teacher education, but its limitations require educators to remain vigilant in maintaining ethical and context-sensitive practices.
Teacher collaboration can be a powerful but challenging practice for K-12 educators. This is particularly true in the context of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education, in which disciplines are integrated through innovative, student-centered teaching strategies. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed to understand the impacts of a 5-year STEAM professional development program on K-12 teachers’ collaboration efforts. Using quantitative and qualitative methods and social network analysis (SNA), the study explored the nature of STEAM collaboration and identified aspects that supported and hindered successful collaboration. Quantitative analyses demonstrated that, after participating in the program, the teachers engaged in practices to support interdisciplinary STEAM collaboration more frequently. SNA revealed changes in the size, composition, and nature of collaboration within the network each year. Over time, teachers’ collaboration networks were increasingly made up of other teachers who participated in the STEAM program, including former program participants. In the early years of the program, collaboration was characterized by informal information exchange and resource sharing. In later years, there were increasing instances of joint work and advice giving or receiving help. Qualitative data provided additional evidence of strong collaboration between teachers, with variations in collaboration year-to-year as teachers navigated changing curricular constraints, new collaborators, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly in the final years of the program, participants spoke about the benefits of collaboration on their professional wellbeing and growth, their ability to integrate subjects more deeply, and the development of a supportive network of colleagues. Across all years, teachers described challenges to STEAM collaboration, consistently noting the need for common planning time and flexible scheduling, particularly when engaging in higher levels of collaboration, such as joint work. Teachers emphasized that sustaining STEAM efforts required finding colleagues or outside collaborators who were committed to STEAM and willing to collaborate. Collaboration across disciplines enabled teachers to leverage diverse expertise and build supportive networks, making STEAM initiatives more accessible and impactful. The findings of this study point to the importance of designing collaborative professional development programs that prioritize relationship-building and long-term support, creating networks that persist even beyond formal program participation.
