Action Research On Development Of School-based STEM Curriculum In Primary School

The initial of STEM education began in the United States.Recently it has caught more attention of science education communities around the world.Through introducing the real experience in the development of school-based STEM curriculum as an action research,the author believes that it is feasible and meaningful to implement STEM education in primary school.The author also attempted to explore some possible and practical strategies of integration the concepts of STEM to science education in primary school to provide a useful reference in this new area for science educators:First,in practice,scientific inquiry-based STEM education is more suitable for primary school students in terms of their cognitive development's characteristics;Second,when we design instructions for science and engineering practice,supporting students to understand core concepts is the key.To helping students to understand core concepts the teacher should consider three issues:appropriate choice of content,clearly understanding students' pre-conceptions,and based on their pre-conceptions to design instruction and support conceptual change.Third,to face the challenges of conceptual change,models are powerful tools;Fourth,there are diverse strategies for teachers to integrate multiple subjects,including science,technology,engineering,mathematics,in STEM education.