Integrative Thinking and Knowledge Generation in STEA+M Education Trans-Disciplinary Understandings of Inquiry-based Practices

This book examines how integrative practices are conceived, described, and taught within the context of STEA⁺M Education. This book investigates the integration of STEAM education into school curricula. The authors argue that teachers must not only understand the knowledge and skills of a specialist discipline but also understand how to integrate and synthesise knowledge in a cross-disciplinary fashion between several disciplines simultaneously. For teachers to effectively integrate multiple educational domains, they must engage students in integrative STEA⁺M thinking practices such as inquiry-based learning, student agency, and neo-twenty-first century skills. This must occur not only within, but also across, disciplines in an integrated manner, whether this involves multi-, inter-, or trans-disciplinary approaches. This skill is defined as integrative inquiry literacy. 

Part A: Foundations of Integrative Thinking in STEA+M Education.- Chapter 1 Neuroeducation in STEM: Bridging Cognitive Science and Pedagogy for Effective Learning.- Chapter 2 Disciplinary Thinking in STEM: Balancing Epistemologies for Integrated Education.- Chapter 3 The Plexus Model of STEA+M Education: Fostering Agency, Innovation, and Societal Engagement.- Chapter 4 Interdisciplinary Thinking in STEA+M: Cognitive Integration, Makerspaces, and Knowledge Creation.- Part B: Expanding the Boundaries of STEA+M Education.- Chapter 5 21st Century Skills and STEM Education: A Review of Literature.- Chapter 6 STEA+M Thinking Systems as Neo-21st Century Skills.- Chapter 7 STEA+M Education and Hidden Curriculum Contexts.- Part C: Implementing Integrative STEA+M Pedagogies and Professional Development.- Chapter 8 Integrating Design Thinking in STEA+M Education: The PaDL Framework for Planning and Learning.- Chapter 9 Interdisciplinary STEM Curriculum Integration: Exploring Teacher-Developed Curriculum Goals .- Chapter 10 Interdisciplinary Integration for Future-Making Education in STEAM.