Barrierer og styrker for implementering af handlekompetencerettet integreret STEM-undervisning i den danske folkeskole

- fra et lærerperspektiv

Specialeforsvar ved Camilla Guldborg Nielsen og Christian Skelmose Jensen. Kandidatuddannelsen i STEM-undervisning.

Resume/abstract på dansk

Internationalt og nationalt har Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) undervisning haft stor interesse, bl.a. med baggrund i et ønske om, at flere børn og unge skal blive dygtigere in-den for STEM-fagene og behov, for at flere vælger en STEM-uddannelse og -job. Interessen har også medført en række diskussioner om hvad STEM skal indeholde, hvor mange af bogstaverne skal inddrages før man kalder det STEM og hvordan, inddrager man de discipliner som er mindre kendte i konteksten af den danske skole. Dette speciale behandler endnu et spørgsmål, nemlig, hvordan kan STEM-undervisning se ud i en dansk undervisningskontekst? I den forbindelse bruger vi det ældre danske begreb ”Handlekompetence”, for at give STEM-undervisning en højere grad af integration med dannelsesbegrebet som er centralt i den danske folkeskole. Da koblingen mellem handlekompetence og iSTEM-undervisning, endnu ikke er undersøgt, fandt vi det nødvendigt at operationalisere undervisningsprincipper for handlekompetencerettet iSTEM-undervisning. Disse principper er udarbejdet til dels som en støtte til den analytiske ramme, men også som en begyndelse for en fremtidig praktisk implementering af handlekompetencerettet iSTEM-undervisning. Dertil havde specialet til formål at undersøge hvordan lærernes forståelser og oplevelser af STEM-undervisning, kunne fremstå som barrierer eller styrker ift. implementering af handlekompetencerettet iSTEM-undervisning, på baggrund af vores indledende opstillede undervisningsprincipper.
For at undersøge dette blev der lavet en kvalitativ undersøgelse, i form af casestudie, bestående af to lærere, på to forskellige skoler i Aalborg kommune. Gennem interview og observation havde vi mulighed for at undersøge lærernes forståelser og oplevelser af STEM-undervisning, som kunne fremstå som barrierer eller styrker ift. implementering af handlekompetencerettet iSTEM-undervisning, på baggrund af vores indledende opstillede undervisningsprincipper. Ved at benytte tematisk analyse fremkom der en del indikationer på barrierer, som synliggøres gennem lærernes forståelser og oplevelser af STEM-undervisning i praksis, som kunne påvirke implementeringen af handlekompetencerettet undervisning. På baggrund af den tematiske analyse fandt vi fire tematikker:

  • Lærerholdninger til STEM som filtre/forstærker for den undervisning, som implementeres
  • Samarbejde med andre lærere
  • Lærerrollen i undervisningen som vejleder og facilitator
  • Naturfaglig kobling i STEM-undervisning

Abstract in English

Internationally and nationally, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has garnered significant interest, driven by a desire to enhance the proficiency of children and youth in STEM subjects and to increase the number of individuals pursuing STEM careers and education. This interest has sparked numerous discussions on what constitutes STEM, how many disci-plines need to be included before it can be called STEM, and how to incorporate lesser-known disciplines within the context of the Danish school system. This thesis addresses another question: What does STEM education look like in a Danish educational context? In this regard, we employ the older Danish concept of action competence to provide a higher degree of integration between STEM education and “dannelse” (Bildung), which is central to the Danish public school system. As the connection between action competence and iSTEM (integrated STEM) education has not yet been explored, it was necessary for us to operationalize teaching principles for action competence-oriented iSTEM education. These principles were developed partly as support for the analytical framework and as a starting point for future practical implementation of action competence-oriented iSTEM education. Additionally, the thesis aimed to investigate how teachers' understandings and experiences of STEM education could act as barriers or strengths in the implementation of action competence-oriented iSTEM education, based on our initially established teaching principles.
To explore this, we conducted a qualitative case study involving two teachers from two different schools in Aalborg. Through interviews and observations, we had the opportunity to examine the teachers' understandings and experiences of STEM education, which could present as barriers or strengths in the implementation of action competence-oriented iSTEM education, based on our initially established teaching principles. Using thematic analysis, we identified several indications of barriers manifested through the teachers' understandings and experiences of STEM education in practice, which could influence the implementation of action competence-oriented iSTEM education.
The results of the thesis comprise four themes that the teachers discussed concerning their understanding and experience of STEM education in their practice:

  • Teacher attitudes as filters/amplifiers for the implemented teaching
  • Collaboration with other teachers
  • The teacher's role as a guide and facilitator
  • The integration of science in STEM education

Based on the thematic analysis, we found these four themes and explored how they relate to the implementation of action competence-oriented iSTEM education.