Chapter Highlights

This section outlines how theory-driven and innovative pedagogical approaches can be translated into sustainable STEM classroom practices, positioning mathematics as a unifying discipline across science, technology, and engineering.

• Theoretical Frameworks Bridging Theory and Practice – Draws on Integrative STEM Education, Variation Theory, Inquiry- and Context-Based Learning, and the TPACK model to demonstrate how educational theory informs the design and implementation of effective STEM instruction.
• Innovative and Diverse Pedagogical Approaches – Examines methods such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, mathematical modelling, design-based pedagogy, variation theory-based instruction, and computational thinking, highlighting their roles in supporting conceptual understanding, creativity, and collaboration.
• International and Program-Based Illustrations – Presents illustrative examples from PLTW, NGSS, and PISA, along with case studies from the Foundations in Science and Mathematics (FSM) program at Indiana University, demonstrating how theory-informed pedagogical models are implemented in authentic STEM learning contexts.