What Is STEM Education and Why Does It Matter?
Looking back on my 2018 post about STEM, it’s clear my thinking hasn’t shifted significantly, but my perspective has refined as the landscape of STEM in education has evolved. One notable change is how STEM has increasingly become treated as a standalone subject in schools rather than an integrated approach to teaching and learning. While there are benefits to having a dedicated focus, I believe this shift risks losing the essence of what makes STEM so powerful: its potential to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics seamlessly into real-world contexts.
It’s also important to highlight that STEM as a program doesn’t necessarily equate to adherence to the Digital Technologies curriculum, even though there might be some overlap. In Australia, science in primary schools is often not taught to its fullest potential, from what I’ve observed. I feel this is a deeper lack of promotion of science as a subject area, and a lack of time to focus on science in a PL space. As many primary teachers are ‘generalists’ not science trained, the default often leans towards research-based tasks, students learning about space or researching biomes, without enough emphasis on the inquiry skills and deeper understanding that underpin scientific thinking.
This is where the five inquiry skills from ACARA’s Version 9 curriculum stand out as a critical framework. These skills—Questioning and Predicting, Planning and Conducting, Processing, Modelling and Analysing, Evaluating, and Communicating—are essential for quality science education. They should form the backbone of any STEM program. Teaching these inquiry skills not only strengthens science learning but also naturally integrates mathematics, engineering, and technology. It’s this kind of skills-based framework that I believe should be at the heart of every STEM unit, ensuring it’s not just about doing activities but fostering critical thinking, experimentation, and problem-solving.
Linking STEM Back to the Digital Technologies Curriculum
This is where STEM and the Digital Technologies curriculum can and should intersect meaningfully. One of the biggest challenges I see is how schools struggle to integrate Digital Technologies into their broader curriculum in a way that feels relevant and impactful. STEM provides the perfect avenue to address this challenge, offering endless opportunities for students to develop real-world digital solutions to scientific and engineering problems.
For example, students could code a Microbit to collect and log data on weather patterns during a science inquiry, using their findings to predict changes or trends. Alternatively, they might create a simulation in Scratch to model and better understand a scientific phenomenon, such as the water cycle or Newton’s Laws of Motion. These kinds of projects aren’t just engaging—they’re deeply tied to curriculum outcomes and help students see how technology can be applied to solve real-world problems.
The ideas here are endless, and they really highlight what an integrated STEM and Digital Technologies program could achieve (and can you imagine all the Digital Literacy Skills involved here too???). By focusing on creating solutions, experimenting with coding, and using technology to investigate and solve problems, students are not only building critical skills but also seeing the relevance of digital technologies in science, mathematics, and beyond.
Ultimately, my view on this remains: ‘STEM isn’t about reinventing the wheel’ but about refining and improving good teaching practice. When STEM is properly integrated into the curriculum, alongside meaningful applications of the Digital Technologies curriculum, it allows students to think critically, creatively, and collaboratively. It’s not just about coding for coding’s sake or hands-on activities without purpose. Instead, it’s about using technology and inquiry as tools to deepen understanding and develop the skills students need for the future.
For more info on the Digital Technologies curriculum check out a recent post: https://mrcoby.com/how-to-teach-digital-technologies-a-guide-for-new-educators/