Abstract

Design plays a central role in integrated STEM approaches. However, there is limited knowledge of how teachers from different S-T-E-M disciplinary backgrounds practice STEM design. Therefore, the present study investigates the STEM design practices of 26 in-service teachers who voluntarily participated in a 7-month-long STEM professional development programme, divided into 4 Learning Community (LC) groups. The teachers were called upon to design STEM modules and artefacts in the context of Nanoscience-Nanotechnology. Qualitative analysis of the LC discussions (synchronous), forum posts (asynchronous), and the designed artefacts provided insights both in terms of ideas/themes that teachers mostly discussed, as well as the design activity of the individual teachers. Findings reveal that modelling, technicalities, robotics, and sensors were some common themes discussed among the four cases. Regarding teachers’ background, it was found that STEM design centrality was not restricted to any disciplinary background. However, the activity of most mathematics teachers was peripheral. Finally, teachers tended to contribute to parts of the artefact that were closer to their disciplinary expertise, while a few boundary-crossing design practices were noted.