Dive Brief:
- The STEM rotation model of instruction brings four teachers from diverse subject backgrounds in front of students to afford them different skills in relation to real-world learning projects.
- In one school, Huntingdon Area Middle School, the district had one technology teacher, one library media specialist, one math teacher, and one science teacher collaborate to create a STEM course for students; each educator rotated every three days.
- Such rotation is said to increase time management skills, and encourages students to solve problems through the application of different context and approaches.
Dive Insight:
STEM teaching via rotation can also benefit students by bringing more diverse teaching styles to classrooms. Some STEM programs, like Los Angeles' STEM3 Academy, which focuses on STEM instruction for students with learning disabilities, may also benefit from the approach. Yet finding STEM teachers remains a challenge, and districts looking to implement a STEM rotation model may run into staffing issues.
Studies have shown the public largely supports STEM learning. In Washington, a survey revealed 94% of respondents indicated they believe all children should have access to stellar K-12 STEM classes; while only 45% of respondents believe schools are providing adequate science, technology, engineering and math learning opportunities.
Skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration all contribute to project-based learning (PBL), a learning trend that is, slowly, gaining momentum in K-12 classrooms. Project-based schools report standardized test scores 20% higher than conventional classrooms, but just 1% of U.S. schools use PBL instruction.