Research On Biology Teaching Practice In Junior High School Based On Integrated STEM Education Concept

STEM education refers to the four disciplines of science,technology,engineering,and mathematics.Integrated STEM Education highlights the characteristics of conformity and interdiscipline,and use integrating multidisciplinary knowledge in a problem-solving or engineering-focused approach of teaching.Biology is not only integrated with basic disciplines such as mathematics,chemistry and geography,but also integrates with fields such as engineering and energy science.Therefore it is a comprehensive and widely applied discipline.The development of students' biological science literacy is considered as the basic concept of the biology curriculum in Biology Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2011 Edition),including understanding of interrelationships between science,technology and society,understanding of nature of science and forming of scientific attitudes and values.The Curriculum Standards coincide with STEM education that emphasizes science,technology,engineering and mathematics.The integrated STEM education practical research is conducted in the biology teaching of junior high school which helps to cultivate the students' biological science literacy systematically and multidimensionally,and promotes the reform of biology curriculum.Based on the integrated STEM education concept and the Biology Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2011 Edition),the author constructed a biology teaching process under the integrated STEM education concept in junior high school.The teaching process consists of five links:(1)Create engineering or scientific situations and define themes.(2)Clarify the core concepts of biology.(3)Revise and solve problems or complete projects constantly by group collaboration.(4)Report results.(5)Strengthen exercises.The integrated STEM education practical research was conducted through case studies,interviews,questionnaires and test performance analysis by taking grade 7 students in two classes as the objects with the same initial biological knowledge level and the same teachers in each curriculum in No.36 Middle School,Hohhot City.The results are as follows:(1)The results of teacher interviews showed that teachers had a positive attitude towards STEM education and were willing to integrate STEM activities into biology teaching practice.(2)Results of questionnaire showed that students' data of consciousness,perception,value and commitment increased,and there were the highly significant differences among three dimensions of consciousness,value and commitment.(3)The students' test performance analysis showed that the scores of biology improved in average score,passing rate and excellent rate after the STEM teaching practice.To sum up,a new mode of teacher-student interaction was constructed through our integrated STEM education practical research,which improved students' interests in biology learning and their attention degrees on biology,enhanced students' abilities of scientific inquiry and technical operation,and trained students' abilities of critical thinking and decision-making.Reference materials were also provided for front-line biology teachers in other junior high schools to carry out STEM education.