Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
STEM education operates in the contemporary context of globalization and is influenced by a complex interplay of local and global (or 'glocal') forces. Globalization itself is held up by some as a panacea for inequality but is simultaneously shown to be propagating as many inequalities as it is solving. STEM education is similarly contradictory, being seen as a universal driving force for international development, but also accentuating social and cultural inequalities with issues of gender and the education of indigenous populations being of particular concern.
In several countries, the quality of teaching and engagement with STEM subjects in schools and universities has been investigated and the results have been used for the design of educational policies (Freeman, Marginson, & Tytler, 2014). Huge emphasis has been placed on the development of STEM skills for its significance in economic growth and has thus encouraged the development of research in this area in the last decade, particularly focusing on the development of human capital. Despite this, there remains an international crisis in interest, engagement and performance in STEM education and further consolidated research work is urgently needed in this area (Montgomery and Fernández-Cárdenas, 2018).
Education is a powerful tool which can be used to either to replicate or restructure the existing social order. Freire (1989) proposed that education should develop a critical consciousness in which teachers empower students to surface their personal understandings of their own learning experiences. Dialogic teaching moves away from the privileging of one voice (a monologic space) where the dominant voice is usually the teacher, towards the development of a dialogic space in teaching where students and teachers interact around the curriculum in a plurality of perspectives. In addition, studies in education following a dialogic perspective have highlighted the importance of ethics involved in a space in which two or more voices can express themselves without trying to silence each other (Bakhtin, 1984; Fernández-Cárdenas, 2014). Similarly, transformative learning can be defined as being inclusive, relevant, and democratic (Tikly and Barrett, 2011).
In this presentation, the aim is to explore perspectives on STEM education focusing on dialogue and transformative learning, addressing the following guiding questions:
- What are the affordances of dialogism and transformative education for increasing and improving our knowledge of science and technology, and also meet the social needs of people?
- What sorts of innovations and new approaches are being introduced with regards to teaching of STEM, particularly in dialogic teaching and transformative learning?
References
Bakhtin, M. M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics. (C. Emerson, Trans., C. Emerson, Ed.). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Fernández-Cárdenas, J. M. (2014). El dialogismo: secuencialidad, posicionamiento, pluralidad e historicidad en el análisis de la práctica educativa. Sinéctica, (43), 183-203.
Freeman, B., Marginson, S., & Tytler, R. (2014). The age of STEM: educational policy and practice across the world in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. London: Routledge
Freire, P. (1989, May). Paulo Freire's speech given at Claremont Graduate University. Presented at the Honorary Doctorate for Paulo Freire, Claremont, CA.
Montgomery, C., & Fernández-Cárdenas, J. M. (2018). Teaching STEM education through dialogue and transformative learning: global significance and local interactions in Mexico and the UK. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(1), 2-13.
Tikly, L., & Barrett, A. M. (2011). Social justice, capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(1), 3-14.
Reseña biográfica
Juan Manuel Fernández Cárdenas es Profesor Investigador de tiempo completo y Director de la Maestría en Tecnología Educativa del Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey; miembro del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores desde el 2005, Nivel I. Doctor en Educación y Lingüística por la Open University, Reino Unido. Licenciado en Psicología, titulado con Mención Honorífica dentro del Programa de Alta Exigencia Académica por la Facultad de Psicología de la UNAM. Se ha desempeñado como Profesor e Investigador en diversas instituciones y proyectos, incluyendo a la UNAM, la Universidad Anáhuac, la Open University, FLACSO México, la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León y el Comité Regional Norte de Cooperación con la UNESCO. Sus líneas de investigación incluyen la conformación de comunidades de práctica, la evaluación de la calidad educativa y el análisis del habla en interacción en escenarios educativos mediados por el uso de tecnología digital, en particular en temas de desarrollo moral, cultura de la legalidad, lectoescritura, y educación en ciencias. Cuenta con más de 60 publicaciones arbitradas e indizadas, y ha liderado proyectos financiados por el US Department of State, el British Council, CONACYT y el Tecnológico de Monterrey. Su dirección de correo electrónico es: j.m.fernandez@itesm.mx
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