Around the world, there is a growing interest in integrated STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education. Many of the calls for integrated STEM emphasize the need for students to engage with complex STEM problems that cut across multiple fields. Yet there is a need to clarify the nature of those problems and differentiate STEM problems from those of different kinds. This conceptual work examines the nature of STEM problems in order to inform pre-college educational efforts in STEM. A typology is introduced that situates STEM problems within a broader space of problems within STEM and non-STEM fields, and the characteristics of STEM problems are described. The typology and characteristics are then applied to different approaches to STEM instruction. A key conclusion is that many integrated STEM education efforts tend to focus on STEM problems that are narrowly framed and that do not include attention to social, cultural, political, or ethical dimensions. However, alternative instructional approaches exist that re-introduce those missing dimensions. If STEM education is to prepare students to grapple with complex problems in the real world, then more attention ought to be given to approaches that are inclusive of the non-STEM dimensions that exist in those problems.

中文翻译：

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探究 STEM 问题的本质

在世界各地，人们对综合 STEM（科学、技术、工程、数学）教育越来越感兴趣。许多对集成 STEM 的呼吁强调学生需要解决跨越多个领域的复杂 STEM 问题。然而，有必要澄清这些问题的性质，并将 STEM 问题与不同类型的问题区分开来。这项概念性工作检查了 STEM 问题的性质，以便为 STEM 的大学预科教育工作提供信息。介绍了一种将 STEM 问题置于 STEM 和非 STEM 领域内更广泛的问题空间中的类型学，并描述了 STEM 问题的特征。然后将类型学和特征应用于不同的 STEM 教学方法。一个关键的结论是，许多综合 STEM 教育工作往往侧重于狭隘的 STEM 问题，不包括对社会、文化、政治或道德层面的关注。然而，存在重新引入那些缺失维度的替代教学方法。如果 STEM 教育是让学生准备好应对现实世界中的复杂问题，那么应该更多地关注包含这些问题中存在的非 STEM 维度的方法。