Where is the “M” in an Integrated STEM Task? The Point of View of Middle School Students

Abstract

The objective of this qualitative research was to understand the point of view of middle school students on the possibility of establishing mathematical connections and acquiring mathematical knowledge while solving a STEM task. A STEM task was proposed for students from four 9th-grade classes (14-15 years old), emphasizing the S, T, and M components, allowing for the establishment of various mathematical connections. The theme was atherosclerosis, intending to develop a mathematical model that described the reduction in the amount of blood with the increase in the thickness of the fatty plaque, observed through a simulation. The class in which the task was developed, involved the following moments: i) task presentation, situation simulation and resolution, preparation of a report; ii) identification of connections made; iii) reflection on the task. In this article, we analyzed the data from the second and third phases using an inductive method. The results show that both intra-mathematical and extra mathematical connections were established, as well as those considered “unrelated to mathematics.” Regarding learning outcomes, students emphasized knowledge related to the disease, placing mathematical aspects “in the background”. Given this study, it is understood that research on how mathematics should be included in STEM tasks is relevant, so that students realize the importance of mathematics and that it does not remain “in the background” in relation to the knowledge acquired.

Mathematics; Mathematical connections; STEM; Simulation; Knowledge