Interdisciplinary STEM program on authentic aerosol science research and students’ systems thinking approach in problem-solving

An increasingly important aim in education is to develop students capable of addressing complex, interdependent problems. This study integrates theories of situated learning, authentic science research, socioscientific issues, and interdisciplinary STEM education to construct a program for high school students. Drawn from Vygotsky and Dewey’s philosophy of social constructivism, we developed a framework to incorporate situated learning, authentic science research, and socioscientific issues in fostering sustainable development competencies of systems thinking and problem-solving to provide opportunities for students to transition from newcomers to adaptive experts. Using qualitative methods, we explored the development of a systems thinking approach in problem-solving related to climate change and air pollution in fifty-seven international school students in Taiwan. We found patterns of (1) systems thinking application in innovative solutions, (2) understanding the practices of authentic science research, and (3) interconnections between science and society. The findings suggest the framework has relevance to high-value learning of systems thinking and for discussions of problem-solving in community contexts and future research directions.
KEYWORDS: Aerosol STEM Program; aerosol; problem-solving;
systems thinking