Table 5 Quantitative results from rounds 2 and 3 of the Delphi study
From: Authentic STEM education through modelling: an international Delphi study
n2 | Cat. | n3 | Statement text | \(\mu\)2 | \(\sigma\)2 | Mo2 | Md2 | \(\mu\)3 | \(\sigma\)3 | Mo3 | Md3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A | STEM is a more efficient and logical way of organising and using educational resources than the separate disciplines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics | 3.111 | 1.333 | 4 | 3 | |||||
2 | A | There is a risk of lower quality teacher expertise when organised as STEM education rather than as traditionally separate subjects | 3.778 | 1.254 | 4 | 4 | |||||
3 | A | STEM education is best organised around the design process as traditionally practised in technology and engineering education | 3.623 | 1.575 | 5 | 4 | |||||
4 | A | 4 | It is important to maintain the integrity of the STEM root disciplines | 4.111 | 1.012 | 5 | 4 | 3.888 | 1.250 | 5 | 4 |
5 | A | 5 | Specialised teacher expertise and knowledge dimensions are required to teach STEM | 4.230 | 0.908 | 5 | 4 | 4.259 | 1.095 | 5 | 5 |
6 | A | 9 | STEM disciplines should be taught collaboratively and include multiple perspectives | 4.038 | 0.999 | 5 | 4 | 4.185 | 0.735 | 4 | 4 |
7 | A | 13 | There is a lack of an overarching vision for implementing integrated STEM curricula at all levels of education | 3.888 | 0.891 | 4 | 4 | 4.153 | 0.924 | 5 | 4 |
8 | B | STEM teaching is most meaningful when mathematics is integrated in technology, engineering, and science | 3.346 | 1.294 | 4 | 4 | |||||
9 | B | 2 | STEM education supports learning across traditional subject borders through authentic problem solving | 4.296 | 0.823 | 4 | 4 | 4.333 | 0.919 | 5 | 5 |
10 | B | There is a risk in STEM integration for a single discipline(s) to dominate | 3.852 | 1.357 | 4 | 4 | |||||
11 | B | Implementing STEM as an educational strategy requires standardised curricula and teaching practices | 3.185 | 1.245 | 2 | 3 | |||||
12 | B | 6 | Integrated STEM learning requires different assessment strategies than in the separate disciplines | 3.925 | 0.957 | 4 | 4 | 4.000 | 1.109 | 5 | 4 |
13 | C | 10 | Discerning between models and reality, and different types of models, is a major obstacle for STEM learning | 3.074 | 0.828 | 4 | 3 | 3.444 | 1.086 | 4 | 4 |
14 | C | 14 | Modelling and model use are important prerequisite skills in science, engineering, and technology, and should therefore serve as the foundation of STEM teaching | 3.814 | 0.921 | 4 | 4 | 3.888 | 0.891 | 3 | 4 |
15 | C | 3 | Modelling activities are indispensable for cross-disciplinary learning and the practice of general skills in STEM education | 3.851 | 0.988 | 4 | 4 | 4.000 | 1.000 | 5 | 4 |
16 | C | 7 | Modelling is central to engineering design and therefore essential to STEM education | 3.925 | 0.997 | 4 | 4 | 3.888 | 1.120 | 5 | 4 |
17 | C | 11 | Modelling is central to scientific practices and therefore essential to STEM education | 3.962 | 0.939 | 4 | 4 | 3.925 | 0.997 | 4 | 4 |
18 | C | 15 | Modelling is an important application of mathematics and therefore essential to STEM education | 3.814 | 0.921 | 4 | 4 | 3.576 | 1.026 | 4 | 4 |
19 | D | 1 | Integrated STEM education requires authentic, real-world problems that support innovative and critical thinking | 4.481 | 0.700 | 5 | 5 | 4.222 | 0.847 | 5 | 4 |
20 | D | 8 | Modelling is indispensable for achieving real-world relevance in STEM education | 4.000 | 0.894 | 4 | 4 | 4.000 | 0.877 | 4 | 4 |
21 | D | 12 | Assessing and evaluating STEM education activities require real-world validation and external expert feedback | 3.296 | 0.912 | 3 | 3 | 3.111 | 1.050 | 3 | 3 |
22 | E | Real-world STEM education scenarios are technology and engineering based | 3.222 | 1.187 | 4 | 3 | |||||
23 | E | Integrated STEM education provides opportunities to include real-life solutions and problem solving that are not otherwise possible | 3.778 | 1.050 | 4 | 4 | |||||
24 | E | 16 | Successful STEM education needs to be authentic | 4.148 | 0.818 | 4 | 4 | 4.192 | 0.693 | 4 | 4 |