Introduction
This unit will introduce you to Foundations to Year 6 STEM Education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), with an explicit focus on relevant contexts concerning complex socio-scientific issues (e.g., biodiversity, climate change, renewable energy), to connect local actions to global challenges. You will critically explore STEM education for sustainable development, from theoretical and practical perspectives, addressing both the benefits and challenges of integrated STEM education as it is implemented in schools and in the broader community. The unit highlights the theories and strategies for student-centred multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary approaches to STEM education for sustainable development, through diverse learning approaches (e.g., design-based, inquiry-based, play-based). You will consider perspectives of systems thinking and diverse worldviews, including First Nations ways of knowing and how these contribute to holistic understandings of complex issues. You will develop skills to integrate learning outcomes, capabilities, and cross-curricular priorities in the Australian curriculum, in order to plan, assess, and implement interactive learning experiences, lessons, and units. You will also develop strategies to explore complex global issues in age-appropriate, inclusive and culturally responsive ways that enable school students to address issues relevant to their local context in order to positively influence social and environmental change.
Summary
| Unit name | STEM Education for Sustainable Development (STEM4ESD) |
| Unit code | EPR308 |
| Credit points | 12.5 |
| College/School | Arts and Society Faculty of Education |
| Discipline | Education |
| Coordinator | Professor Robyn Cox |
| Available as an elective? | Yes |
| Delivered By | University of Tasmania |
| Level | Advanced |
Sustainable Development Goals
The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.
Availability
Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the theoretical and practical basis for STEM education, including ways STEM education might be integrated with sustainable development in primary school settings.
- Critically evaluate STEM learning experiences and sequences in primary schools and community settings through evidence-informed practice.
- Demonstrate an integrated STEM education for sustainable development learning experience in the form of a digital multi-media presentation.
- Design an integrated STEM education for sustainable development unit using evidence-informed considerations for planning, assessment, and implementation in a primary school setting.
- Communicate education concepts and design approaches to an academic audience.
Fee Information
2027 fee information will be available in August.
Teaching
| Teaching Pattern | Weekly online Class Recordings and Activities Posted on MyLo (recordings; question prompts; assessment task development), 4hrs, weekly Discussion Posts -related to weekly activities and assessment tasks, 2hrs, Weekly Readings (related to assessment tasks & weekly activities), 2hrs, Weekly |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Connect Research to Practice (30%)|Digital Presentation (30%)|STEM4ESD unit plan (40%) |
| Timetable | View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable |
Textbooks
| Required |
Required readings will be listed in the unit outline prior to the start of classes. |
|---|
The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.