Chapter Highlights

This chapter emphasizes the central role of mathematics within STEM education by positioning radical constructivism as a unifying theoretical framework applicable across STEM disciplines. It examines how mathematics education researchers employ radical constructivism to investigate learning processes, with a particular focus on fraction knowledge. Through an illustrative case study on children’s understanding of fractions and pedagogical recommendations for supporting older students, the chapter bridges theory, research, and instructional practice.

• STEM and Mathematics – Examining the foundational role of mathematics as a core integrative component of STEM education.
• Radical Constructivism as a Lens for STEM Education – Introducing radical constructivism, contrasting it with the emergent perspective, and discussing its adaptation to classroom contexts.
• Children’s Fraction Knowledge – Exploring how children develop an understanding of fractions, supported by an in-depth case study grounded in radical constructivist principles.
• Older Students’ Fraction Knowledge – Offering instructional goals and pedagogical strategies to support the development of more advanced and flexible fraction understanding among older students.