Mathematics in a STEM Context

Author(s): J. Michael Shaughnessy

Source: Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School , Vol. 18, No. 6, FOCUS ISSUE:
Mathematics in a STEM Context (February 2013), p. 324
Published by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5951/mathteacmiddscho.18.6.0324

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by way of introduction

Mathematics in a
STEM
As a political advocacy position,
STEM is of critical importance to
the health of the mathematics and
science education communities. In
this arena, STEM makes perfect
sense. It is when the term “STEM”
filters down to states, districts,
SJHAYTOV/ISTOCKPHOTO
Context
definitions of STEM, let me offer my In this issue of MTMS, the au-
own definition of STEM education. thors present six potential examples
of STEM education activities. Each
STEM education refers to solving article involves a problem that includes
problems that draw on concepts important mathematics while drawing
and procedures from mathematics on concepts and processes from several
and science while incorporating disciplines. The activities described in

i
schools, and pre-K–12 teaching that
the waters can become muddled.
(Shaughnessy 2012)
In one of my final President’s Mes-
sages to the NCTM membership, I
wrote about the strengths and poten-
tial weaknesses of the STEM move-
ment in our country. The piece men-
tioned the potential power of STEM
education to attract future generations
of students to science, mathematics,
and engineering, but also warned
about programs that are only a STEM
veneer, approaches that do not truly
integrate the disciplines, and which
may be devoid of significant math-
ematical work for our students.
Working definitions for and beliefs
about STEM abound and are quite
varied. STEM could just mean “strong
experiences in math, science, and
technology” as separate disciplines. Or
STEM might refer to the integration
of the four disciplines in a carefully
designed curriculum. Given that there
are already numerous meanings and
the teamwork and design meth-
odology of engineering and using
appropriate technology.
From an NCTM perspective, STEM
education must involve significant
mathematics for students. Other-
wise, the M in STEM is silent. If
we are going to promote STEM
education, as mathematics teach-
ers we must make the mathematics
transparent and explicit. We cannot
just assume that everyone will “see”
the mathematics that is involved in a
particular problem. The M in STEM
will remain silent for our colleagues
unless we clearly shine the light on
the mathematics. I see three necessary
ingredients for any STEM activity:
1. There must be a problem to solve.
2. There must be significant math-
ematics involved in the problem.
3. The problem should require the
teamwork that draws on knowl-
edge and approaches from several
disciplines.
articles include building a robot, play-
ing a battleship-like game, designing
a staircase, analyzing crystalline-struc-
ture data, constructing weight-bearing
tables out of paper, and designing a
skate park. The mathematics in the
articles spans measurement, data analy-
sis, Cartesian coordinates, proportional
reasoning, linear functions, and trans-
formational geometry—topics that are
central to the middle-grades curricu-
lum and STEM-related fields.
I applaud the efforts of the authors
of this special MTMS Focus Issue,
and I thank the MTMS Editorial
Panel for their development of this
issue on STEM education activities.
REFERENCE
Shaughnessy, J. Michael. 2012. “STEM:
An Advocacy Position, Not a Content
Area.” NCTM Summing Up (February
2). http://www.nctm.org/about
/content.aspx?id=32136.
By J. Michael Shaughnessy
Former NCTM President

324 MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ● Vol. 18, No. 6, February 2013
Copyright © 2013 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserved.
This material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM.

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