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LS50: Integrated Science

Course overview

LS50 is a two-semester, double course that introduces the natural sciences as an integrated whole. Its goal is to teach students how to solve scientific problems by drawing methods and concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The course uses examples from biology as an integrating theme, principles from physics and mathematics to reduce complex problems to simpler forms, and computer simulation to allow students to develop their intuition about the behavior of the dynamical systems that control the physical and biological universe. Each semester will include a project lab, in which students will work in small teams to do original research on unsolved biological problems.

Natural science is a single intellectual enquiry into the universe of objects that surround us. Its components are linked by a common method: inducing hypotheses from a mixture of data and intuition, deducing predictions, and testing them by experiment and observation. The sciences depend on mathematics, from the simple act of counting to sophisticated methods required for computational chemistry and theoretical physics. The Integrated Science curriculum will introduce motivated freshmen to the concepts and methods needed to attack the life sciences in the 21 st century. For both semesters, students will take the equivalent of two courses, meeting for formal instruction every day, performing hands-on, original research, and using modern computer methods to simulate scenarios and analyze data.

Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution revealed that living things have a purpose: their structure, function, and behavior are integrated to leave as many progeny as possible. For much of the 20 th century, this difference, and the astonishing diversity of form and function, tended to separate biology from the other natural sciences: biology's complexity made it unappealing to many mathematicians, physicists, and chemists, and the "assume a spherical cow" flavor of theorists’ simplifying assumptions made biologists skeptical about how useful theory was for understanding biology. Two advances have pushed biologists towards theorists and computer scientists: the need to test our understanding of biological processes by making explicit, mathematical models and the need to convert large datasets into information and, ultimately, knowledge.

We teach students that the answer to “How will you solve this problem?” is “By any means necessary!” Our goal is to teach them how to find interesting problems, the means to solve them, and above all, the knowledge and courage to invent the new methods that make previously insoluble problems soluble. Coupling concepts and methods to problems that excite students and making them use these tools in their own research will embed the concepts in their working memory.

We teach through iterated cycles of experiment and analysis, making use of experimental computation to simulate a system of interacting entities and explore the effect of parameter variation on the system’s properties. Our goal is to complement the formal derivation of theorems, show the productive interplay between theory, simulation, and experiment, and show that computer systems and programs, like biological objects, have purposes. Mastering a restricted syntax to write algorithms will help students think about how biological systems use the restricted syntax of chemistry and genetics to accomplish tasks. Concepts like modularity, exploration with selection, error detection and correction, and recycling previous inventions are important in the function and evolution of both organisms and code. Five faculty will teach the course, working in pairs of one life scientist and one physical scientist.

Students will use their knowledge to conduct original scientific research. The project labs will be based on the research of and run by faculty, a College Fellow, and/or JHDSF Fellows, independent scientists who spend five years at Harvard after their PhDs and run small research groups. We assume don’t assume that students have any prior experience in scientific research.

Class format

We will lecture in class M, Tu, W, Th, F from 10:30-11:45 am. We will use a mixture of two formats, depending on the instructor:

Partially flipped classroom: most of the lecture will be live but we will have one or two breakouts that will be based on brief pre-recorded material, which will include problems to think about. Students will watch the pre-recorded material before the live lecture and during short breaks they will be assembled into small groups to work on problems and discuss them with the instructors.

Synchronous lecture: In class lecture.

All lectures will be recorded.

Mid-terms: Three 75-minute midterms each semester. Each midterm covers the preceding month’s worth of lecture material. We provide formula sheets and students may create a single, 8.5 x 11 inch cheat sheet with material that they think will be useful.

Final: Three-hour final. All problems on the final will be modified versions of problems that appeared on either a problem-set or mid-term.

Mostly Spring term: Wednesday activities, W, 10:30-11:45 am. These will be of various types, including lectures on faculty and teaching fellow research and discussions about careers.

Weekly discussion sections with teaching fellows, at times to be determined based on student availability.

Weekly problem sets, to be submitted as indicated on each assignment. Problem set sessions, a gathering of students with teaching fellows and course assistants to provide advice on tackling problems will be held each week.

Research-based laboratory: students work on original research projects in small groups. Students are expected to spend 3-5 hrs/week working on their projects. Labs will meet on Tuesdays from 12:00-2:45 pm or 3:00-5:45 pm (students choose which day they’ll attend). Fall term: Subject TBD with Instructor TBD. Spring term: Subject TBD with Instructor TBD.

The year-long course will be divided into thirds, each team-taught by a pair of faculty; one from the physical and one from the life sciences.

Laboratory Heads

Teaching Fellows

Syllabus Below is a sample list of the topics covered, week-by-week for the fall and spring semesters. Since the course will meet every day for two semesters, it will have roughly 100 lectures. As a result, the description below is brief and lists weekly topics rather than those of individual lectures. A full schedule is on the course website.

Syllabus Example

We assume no prior experience in writing computer programs, but a major goal of the course is to teach scientific computation, using the language Matlab or Python. Unless they have previous experience with Matlab or Python, students will participate in a boot camp run by course staff.

Problem sets will have questions that depend on your ability to use Python, but we will increase their difficulty gradually so as not penalize those encountering a computer language for the first time.

Assessment will be based on five criteria:

In-class tests & Final exam

We will administer three in-class tests, each 75 min long and each covering the material presented in the preceding month. The question format and content will be similar to the weekly problem sets. Students can bring a single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper, with any information they wish to remember to each exam and we will provide a sheet with key formulae and equations.

Final Exam - A three-hour final. All problems on the final will be modified versions of problems that appeared on either a problem-set or mid-term.

Problem sets

Weekly problem sets will review the topics covered in lectures and discussion sections. We strongly encourage students to collaborate to solve the problems, which may include a comparison of scratch work, methods used, and numerical results. All submitted work should be written independently and reflect the students’ own understanding. Students should not submit work that they would be unable to explain or reproduce on their own.

This policy reflects our intent in assigning the problem sets: to help you master the material under low-stress circumstances so you will not be blindsided by higher-stakes tests. While you should be wary of over-reliance, classmates are an excellent resource for help since they keep similar hours, live nearby, and remember their own learning process well enough to explain concepts appropriately. On the flip side, mentoring colleagues whenever possible is not merely kind and forward-thinking, but also helps crystallize your understanding and practice the mentorship and presentation skills needed for work in the scientific community.

Laboratory research

Students will be graded on the research projects they undertake, focusing on their ability to design and interpret experiments and their commitment to and engagement with their research more than on the quality of the results they produce (subject as these are to the whims of the Gods). Approximately half of the grade from laboratory research will reflect weekly participation in lab, with the remainder attributed to a final lab report.

Participation

Students will be graded on their participation in class, which we expect to be highly interactive, weekly conferences, and the discussions associated with laboratory research.

These criteria will be accorded the following weights:

• Open access
• Published: 13 January 2021

Understanding coherence and integration in integrated STEM curriculum

• Gillian H. Roehrig   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6943-7820 1 ,
• Emily A. Dare 2 ,
• Elizabeth Ring-Whalen 3 &
• Jeanna R. Wieselmann 4  

International Journal of STEM Education volume  8 , Article number:  2 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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61 Citations

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Metrics details

Few tools or rubrics exist to assess the quality of integrated STEM curricula, and existing tools focus on checklists of characteristics of integrated STEM. While such instruments provide important information about the presence and quality of certain curricular components, they do not assess the level and nature of integration of the curriculum as a whole. Thus, this study explores the development of a process focused to understand the nature of integration within a STEM curriculum unit.

A conceptual flow graphic (CFG) was constructed for 50 integrated STEM curriculum units. Patterns in the nature of the interdisciplinary connections were used to categorize and understand the nature of integration and curricular coherence within each unit. The units formed four broad types of integrated STEM curricula: (i) coherent science unit with loosely connected engineering design challenge (EDC), (ii) engineering design-focused unit with limited connections to science content, (iii) engineering design unit with science content as context, and (iv) integrated and coherent STEM units. All physical science units were in the integrated and coherent category with strong conceptual integration between the main science concepts and the EDC. Curricula based in the Earth and life sciences generally lacked conceptual integration between the science content and the EDC and relied on the engineering design process to provide a coherent storyline for the unit.

Conclusions

Our study shows that engineering practices can serve as a contextual integrator within a STEM unit. The utilization of an EDC also provides the potential for conceptual integration because engineering is grounded in the application of science and mathematics. Integrated STEM curricula that purposefully include science and mathematics concepts necessary to develop solutions to the EDC engage students in authentic engineering experiences and provide conceptual integration between the disciplines. However, the alignment of grade-level science standards with the EDC can be problematic, particularly in life science and Earth science. The CFG process provides a tool for determining the nature of integration between science and mathematics content and an EDC. These connections can be conceptual and/or contextual, as both forms of integration are appropriate depending on the instructional goals.

National policy documents in the USA calling for improvements to K-12 STEM Education have been prevalent in the past decade. Within the USA, Rising Above the Gathering Storm (National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, 2007 ) advocated for a federal effort to prepare more students for STEM careers. Such calls were in response to the argument that the continued prosperity and progress in the global marketplace depended on the education community’s ability to prepare the future generation of STEM professionals (National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, 2007 ; Toulmin & Groome, 2007 ). These calls culminated in the Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012 ) and the Next Generation Science Standard s (NGSS Lead States, 2013 ) that put forth new national standards in which engineering, technology, and mathematical thinking were purposefully and explicitly integrated into K-12 science education, which has resulted in the rise of integrated STEM education.

In the USA, new curricula have long been considered central to science education reforms (Powell & Anderson, 2002 ). However, within the USA, there is no national curriculum to move forward reform initiatives such as the NGSS . Instead, education is decentralized, with decisions about curriculum and instruction left to states and local school districts. Educational reform efforts have posited that curriculum frameworks can be used as “guides that state and local officials might use in developing curricula for local use” (National Science Board, Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 1983 , p. 41). In the past, federally funded curriculum development efforts related to the National Science Education Standards ( NSES ; National Research Council, 1996 ) were problematic, as alignment to NSES was interpreted broadly and curriculum writing approaches varied widely (DeBoer, 2014 ). These concerns extend to the NGSS (NGSS Lead States, 2013 ), which includes performance expectations that describe what students should understand and how they should apply a particular practice within content-driven contexts (NGSS Lead States, 2013 ). As with the NSES (National Research Council, 1996 ), no explicit curriculum guidelines or frameworks are provided through policy documents as to how to meet the expectations of the NGSS . Consequently, a broad set of definitions of STEM exist within the field (Bybee, 2013 ), which has led to a multitude of new STEM and engineering curricula of varied quality and degrees of alignment to research-based characteristics of integrated STEM education (Bybee, 2013 ; Moore, Stohlmann, Wang, Tank, & Roehrig, 2014 ; National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council, 2009 ). Thus, there is an urgent need to create tools that can assess the alignment of these myriad STEM curriculum units with the goals and tenets of integrated STEM approaches to teaching and learning. Few tools or rubrics exist to assess the quality of written integrated STEM curricula, and existing tools such as the STEM Integration Curriculum Assessment (STEM-ICA; Guzey, Moore, & Harwell, 2016 ; Walker, Guzey, Moore, & Sorge, 2018 ) focus on the presence of the individual disciplines and checklists of characteristics of integrated STEM education. While instruments such as the STEM-ICA provide important information about the presence and quality of certain curricular components, they do not assess the level and nature of integration of the curriculum as a whole. This paper explores the development of a curriculum assessment process focused on the nature of integration within a STEM curriculum unit.

Literature review

Real-world problems and curriculum integration.

The problems we face in the world are complex and require the integration of multiple disciplines, concepts, and skills to solve them. It is the multidisciplinary nature of real-world problems, as opposed to the disciplinary structure within formal schooling, that grounds arguments for curricular integration (Beane, 1995 ; Czerniak, Weber, Sandmann, & Ahern, 1999 ; Jacobs, 1989 ). Meaningful learning can occur when learners make connections between prior knowledge and new experiences and skills within real-world contexts (Brooks & Brooks, 1993 ). Indeed, Hirst ( 1974 ) argued that the artificial separation of subject areas restricts learning by alienating learners from real-world experiences. Specific to integrated STEM, researchers agree that integrated STEM instruction should use real-world contexts to engage students in authentic and meaningful learning (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ; Sanders, 2009 ) because teaching in silos “does not reflect the natural interconnectedness of the four STEM components in the real world of research and technology development” (National Research Council, 2009 , p. 150). However, curricular integration is complex and requires more than simply putting different subject areas together in a lesson or unit in relation to a theme or real-world problem.

Approaches to curriculum integration

Drake ( 1991 , 1998 ) described curriculum integration through multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches while making it clear that “one position is not superior to another; rather, different approaches are more appropriate than others according to the context in which they are used” (Drake, 1998 , p. 19). Multidisciplinary approaches often use a theme or real-world issue to make the connections among subject areas. In a multidisciplinary approach, each discipline would be identifiable within the curriculum (Lederman & Niess, 1997 ). This approach could take place in a single classroom or through curricular alignment across multiple subject area classes (Drake, 1998 ; Fogarty, 1991 ). In interdisciplinary approaches, the subjects are interconnected beyond a theme or issue, cut across subject areas, and focus on interdisciplinary content and skills. As such, each discipline would be difficult to distinguish from one another (Lederman & Niess, 1997 ). Transdisciplinary approaches use real-world issues to connect social, political, economic, international, and environmental concerns; the focus is on real-world problems, not different subject areas. Parallel to the curricular integration literature, integrated STEM has been categorized from disciplinary to transdisciplinary approaches (e.g., Bybee, 2013 ; Honey, Pearson, & Schweingruber, 2014 ; Moore & Smith, 2014 ; Vasquez, Sneider, & Comer, 2013 ). Vasquez et al. ( 2013 ) define a continuum of increasing integration from disciplinary to transdisciplinary (see Table 1 ).

Curriculum integration within the STEM disciplines

Historically, research has attended to the integration of science and mathematics (e.g., Berlin & White, 1995 ; Davison, Miller, & Metheny, 1995 ; Huntley, 1998 ) with little attention to technology and engineering (Bybee, 2010 ; Hoachlander & Yanofsky, 2011 ). However, the recent addition of engineering concepts and practices to state and national science standards (National Research Council, 2012 ; NGSS Lead States, 2013 ) has expanded consideration of integration beyond the disciplines of science and mathematics. The addition of engineering standards into the NGSS and state standards has led to a renewed focus on integration because engaging students in engineering design requires an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates knowledge from science, mathematics, and technology (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008 ; Douglas, Iversen, & Kalyandurg, 2004 ).

It is important to note that it is not the number of disciplines being integrated that reflects the degree of integration in a STEM curriculum. Rather, it is the connections of the relevant disciplines to the real-world problem and the connections between the disciplines that are important (e.g., Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ; Sanders, 2009 ). For example, Moore, Stohlmann, et al. ( 2014 ) broadly defined integrated STEM education as “an effort to combine some or all of the four disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into one class, unit, or lesson that is based on connections between the subjects and real-world problems” (p. 38). Similarly, Kelley and Knowles ( 2016 ) defined integrated STEM education as “the approach to teaching the STEM content of two or more STEM domains, bound by STEM practices within an authentic context for the purpose of connecting these subjects to enhance student learning” (p. 3). However, both Kelley and Knowles ( 2016 ) and Moore, Stohlmann, et al. ( 2014 ) emphasize engineering as one of the disciplines; engineering requires the use of science and mathematics to address real-world problems (Sheppard, Macantangay, Colby, & Sullivan, 2009 ) and thus, engineering design can “provide the ideal STEM content integrator” (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 , p. 5). Given the prominence of engineering within STEM policy documents (e.g., National Research Council, 2011 , 2012 ; NGSS Lead States, 2013 ), an engineering context or problem is considered as central to integrated STEM curriculum (Bryan, Moore, Johnston, & Roehrig, 2015 ; Hmelo, Douglas, & Kolodner, 2000 ; Mehalik, Doppelt, & Schunn, 2008 ; Moore, Glancy, Tank, Kersten, & Smith, 2014 ; Sadler, Coyle, & Schwartz, 2000 ).

Engineering is characterized by engineering design processes (Dym, 1999 ), and engaging students in the engineering design process (EDP) is a central component of both undergraduate (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology [ABET], 2019 ) and K-12 STEM education (Moore, Tank, Glancy, & Kersten, 2015 ). Engineering is defined in K-12 settings as an “iterative process that begins with the identification of a problem and ends with a solution that takes into account the identified constraints and meets specifications for desired performance” (National Academy of Engineering, 2010 , p. 6-7). Within the Framework (National Research Council, 2012 ) and the NGSS (NGSS Lead States, 2013 ), engineering is broadly described through the eight science and engineering practices, as well as three disciplinary core ideas (DCIs): (i) defining and delimiting an engineering problem, (ii) developing possible solutions, and (iii) optimizing design solutions. Cunningham and Carlsen ( 2014 ) argue that these DCIs are mislabeled as core concepts, as the wording better reflects engineering practices. With this in mind, it is clear that the priority of the NGSS is on engaging students in engineering practices, not necessarily learning engineering concepts.

Despite engineering requiring the application of science and mathematics concepts, researchers argue that helping students understand the connections between the disciplines is not easy (English, 2016 ; Honey et al., 2014 ; Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ). The inter-relationships among the disciplines are complex and require teaching STEM content in deliberate and purposeful ways so that students understand how STEM knowledge is conceptually linked. Curriculum units or real-world problems may have implicit connections between the disciplines themselves and between the disciplines and the real-world problem. However, it is not enough to assume that students will make these connections; these relationships between the disciplines must be made explicit for students (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; National Research Council, 2009 ).

Conceptual frameworks for the evaluation of integrated STEM curricula

Curriculum development requires a move from broad conceptualizations of STEM education to specific frameworks that guide curricular decisions. Our work draws on two complementary frameworks from the integrated STEM literature. The first framework for integrated STEM (Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ) argues that a quality integrated STEM curriculum includes six tenets: (a) a motivating and engaging context, (b) an engineering design challenge, (c) the opportunity to learn from failure through redesign, (d) math and/or science content, (e) student-centered pedagogies, and (f) an emphasis on teamwork and communication. Given the centrality of an engineering design challenge (EDC) within integrated STEM curricula, the second framework is the Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education (Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ), which was designed to be used as a tool for evaluating the degree to which academic standards, curricula, and teaching practices address key components of a quality K-12 engineering education. This framework consists of nine indicators: (a) process of design, (b) apply SEM knowledge, (c) engineering thinking, (d) conceptions of engineers and engineering, (e) engineering tools and processes, (f) issues, solutions, and impacts, (g) ethics, (h) teamwork, and (i) communication related to engineering.

Guzey et al. ( 2016 ) used these frameworks to develop the STEM Integration Curriculum Assessment (STEM-ICA), which consists of nine items, each scored on a 0-4 scale: (a) motivating and engaging context, (b) engineering design, (c) integration of science content, (d) integration of mathematics content, (e) instructional strategies, (f) teamwork, (g) communication, (h) assessment, and (i) organization. These nine items are structured as a checklist of sorts to indicate the extent to which key indicators are present within a curriculum unit. In terms of integration, two of the nine items assess the extent to which the curriculum integrated science or mathematics content needed to solve a central EDC to support students’ in-depth understanding (item c: to what extent does the curriculum unit integrate science content that is needed to solve the engineering challenge and support in-depth understanding? and item d: to what extent does the curriculum unit integrate mathematics content that is needed to solve the engineering challenge and support in-depth understanding?). In their analysis of 20 integrated STEM curriculum units, Guzey et al. ( 2016 ) reported that the integration of science and mathematics content was weak based on scores for the science and mathematics integration items; however, no qualitative details are provided about the nature of integration suggesting that further investigation into the nature of integration in STEM units is needed.

Assessment of curricular coherence in STEM curricula

Missing from the STEM-ICA is explicit consideration of the curricular coherence of an integrated STEM unit—how concepts are sequenced and linked to one another, both within and across lessons. Beane ( 1995 ) defines a coherent curriculum as “one that holds together, that makes sense as a whole, and its parts, whatever they are, are unified and connected by that sense of the whole” (p. 3). Coherence occurs across different time scales; for example, connections are made from 1 year to the next, from one topic or unit to the next, from one lesson to the next within a unit, and from one statement to the next within a lesson. This coherence of ideas is particularly important because research suggests that unrelated ideas are less meaningful than those that are richly interrelated, and as such, learning is impacted by the coherence of ideas (Chi, Glaser, & Rees, 1982 ; Resnick, 1987 ). The video study of science teaching in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) revealed two issues with coherence in science lessons in the USA (Roth et al., 2006 ). First, lessons rarely supported students in developing explanations and conceptual understanding from science activities. Second, content was often presented as “isolated bits of information without being linked to a larger concept” (Roth et al., 2006 , p. 61). This lack of coherence in science curricula has been identified as a critical issue for student learning (Mintzes, Wandersee, & Novak, 2000 ; Monk & Osborne, 2000 ; Roth et al., 2006 ), and integrated STEM curricula may help to address this concern.

Given that integrated STEM curricular units aim to engage students in problem-based learning through engineering design tasks (Harwell et al., 2015 ; Hmelo et al., 2000 ; Mehalik et al., 2008 ; Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; Sadler et al., 2000 ) which, in turn, facilitates students’ learning of STEM concepts and their application to solve real-world problems (Guzey, Harwell, Moreno, Peralta, & Moore, 2017 ; Han, Capraro, & Capraro, 2015 ; Siregar, Rosli, Maat, & Capraro, 2020 ), curricular coherence is an important consideration in determining the quality of integrated STEM curriculum (Guzey et al., 2016 ). Not only do connections between the STEM disciplines and to the real-world context need to be clear and explicit (English, 2016 ; Honey et al., 2014 ; Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ), these connections also need to develop concepts through a coherent curricular storyline within a unit (Beane, 1995 ; Roth et al., 2006 ).

It is also noteworthy that throughout the integrated STEM literature, science is often treated as a singular discipline without consideration of distinct sub-disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and biology (e.g., Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ). Several researchers argue that integrating engineering into physical science is relatively easy, as physics concepts are readily applicable to many mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering contexts (Dare, Ellis, & Roehrig, 2014 ; Guzey et al., 2016 ). In contrast, “life science concepts are abstract and design activities in life science classes often require the use of technologies that are not commonly found in K–12 classrooms” (Guzey et al., 2016 , p. 3); thus, engineering lessons within the life and Earth sciences are less common (Cira et al., 2015 ; Dare et al., 2014 ). However, almost no research compares curriculum development and implementation across the science disciplines. Guzey et al. ( 2016 ) compared K-12 Earth science, life sciences, and physical science STEM units and found that physical science units had significantly higher scores for the inclusion of a motivating and engaging context. In addition, they reported that the majority of the curricula with the highest scores for science integration were in the physical sciences. Other studies suggest that STEM integration is problematic in K-12 life science classrooms and that most K-12 life science STEM curricula use life science as a context rather than content to be applied in developing design decisions (Guzey, Ring-Whalen, Harwell, & Peralta, 2019 ; Roehrig & Dewey, 2021 ). Thus, this study presents an assessment process to evaluate the nature of disciplinary integration and the degree of coherence within integrated STEM curricula within the K-12 Earth, life, and physical sciences.

Research questions

How can the nature of integration and curricular coherence in integrated STEM curricula be represented and categorized?

How does the nature of integration and curricular coherence differ based on content-focus of integrated STEM curricula (Earth, life, and physical sciences)?

Methodology

EngrTEAMS ( Engineering to Transform the Education of Analysis, Measurement, and Science ) was an $8 million Mathematics and Science Partnership grant specifically designed to address the professional development (PD) needs of in-service STEM teachers (grades 3-9) to promote the development of integrated STEM learning environments and curricular units. During the first three summers, EngrTEAMS provided 3 weeks of extensive teacher PD focused on learning about engineering and using engineering design tasks to support K-12 students’ learning in science and mathematics, specifically data analysis and measurement. Each of the authors worked for at least 2 years on the project in the role of PD provider and/or graduate student coach. Teacher participants were recruited from five partner districts within the metropolitan area in which the PD was offered, including two urban, two first-ring suburban, and one suburban district. Table 2 provides an overview of teacher participants across the first 3 years of the project. All of the teachers were responsible for teaching science, as either a certified secondary science teacher, elementary science or STEM specialist, or elementary teacher. An approved IRB covered the entire EngrTEAMS PD, and all participants consented for data collection related to larger studies, including analysis of their curriculum materials, which is the focus of this study.

During the summer PD, teams of teachers developed new integrated STEM units for use in their science classrooms with the support of a graduate student coach. Graduate student coaches had prior K-12 teaching experience and expertise in integrated STEM education. The teachers’ curriculum writing was guided by the state’s science standards, which included engineering design, and was supported by two frameworks for STEM integration that centralized the role of the EDP to solve a real-world problem (Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ). They were also guided to use a client letter (either fictitious or authentic) to introduce and contextualize a central engineering problem or design challenge and solicit students’ help in solving it while adhering to certain criteria and constraints. While teachers were expected to develop an integrated STEM curriculum that included an EDC and aligned with the STEM frameworks presented during the PD, they were given freedom to decide on other details such as the length of the unit and how to include the new unit into their existing scope and sequence for science.

Teachers piloted their team’s curriculum in a university summer camp and used this experience to revise their curriculum before implementing the unit in their respective classrooms during the academic year. Each teacher team also scored their curriculum using the STEM-ICA (Guzey et al., 2016 ) to provide additional evidence for curricular revisions, including items related to coherence and integration. With support of the graduate student coach, final revisions to the integrated STEM unit were made before the end of the academic year (for more details, see McFadden & Roehrig, 2020 ; Ring, Dare, Crotty, & Roehrig, 2017 ). This PD and iterative curriculum design process was repeated for 3 years, leading to a total of 50 unique integrated STEM curriculum units. The focus of this study is on the nature of these final STEM curriculum units, not the iterative changes made to curricula by the teacher teams.

Research design

This study employed a multiple case study design (Yin, 2014 ) contextualized within the EngTEAMS PD. A case study method was selected to provide an in-depth description and exploration of the phenomenon of integrated STEM curricula (Yin, 2014 ). The use of multiple cases allows for an understanding of the differences and the similarities between the cases (Stake, 1995 ). While each team of teachers experienced the same PD and introduction to integrated STEM frameworks, it was necessary for them to consider the unique context of their science topic, grade level, and student population. Thus, the individual cases were the 50 integrated STEM curriculum units developed by teams of EngrTEAMS teachers and their coaches across the first 3 years of the program.

Data collection and visualization of the STEM curricula

Visual representations of each of the final written versions of the 50 written curricula were created by generating a conceptual flow graphic (CFG) for each individual curriculum. CFGs are one of a suite of tools that are part of the analyzing instructional materials (AIM) process (Bintz, 2009 ). AIM provides a process and a set of tools for evaluating and selecting science curricula. Specifically, at the unit level, we focused on the CFG, which represents a process that evaluates a curriculum at the macro level for the alignment of individual lessons to the main learning goals and coherence (or storyline) between lessons. This analytic tool aligns with the conceptual frameworks for integrated STEM that call for explicit integration of science, engineering, and mathematics concepts and practices and application of these concepts and practices to a central EDC (Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ).

The CFG includes the main concept(s) addressed within each lesson, arranged chronologically, and connected by arrows that represent the strength of the connections among the concepts and the main learning goal; a unit that shows strong connections between lessons and between each lesson and the central learning goal looks similar to a bicycle wheel with spokes. The steps to create a CFG are described below using one of the STEM curriculum units, Museum Security , as an illustrative example. Museum Security was designed for a sixth-grade physical science class to develop students’ knowledge of light reflection and refraction.

To create a CFG, the central goal or performance expectation for the unit is first identified. The language of the NGSS is purposefully used here; performance expectations are not a set of daily standards or learning goals, rather they are statements of what students should be able to do by the end of an instructional unit. For the integrated STEM curricula in EngrTEAMS , the performance expectation for each curriculum unit was associated with developing solutions for a real-world problem or EDC. For example, in the Museum Security curriculum, the performance expectation is to design a laser security system to protect the artifacts in a traveling museum exhibit. The following excerpt from the client letter provides more details about the EDC that is the focus of the unit:

You will need to draw on your scientific knowledge to create a laser security system using light from a single laser. Each host city might choose a different layout for the artifacts, and the security system will be for the entrance room to the museum that contains the key artifacts from the collection. You will need to decide with your team how many artifacts to display in the entrance room and where to place the artifacts in relation to your security system. Your design must ensure that a thief will need to cross the laser light at least three times from where they enter the room to where they reach the artifacts. The laser security system must be complicated enough to deter thieves from attempting to steal the artifacts. Therefore, the laser light must refract at least one time and reflect at least one time.

Second, the main concepts to be learned in each lesson are determined. While there may be possible sub-concepts within a lesson, the goal is to identify the central concepts. For the purpose of an integrated STEM lesson, these concepts were labeled as science, engineering, or mathematics. Following the analysis of engineering within the NGSS by Cunningham and Carlsen ( 2014 ), engineering was represented in the analysis using the central engineering practices within a lesson. Reynante, Selbach-Allen, and Pimentel ( 2020 ) note that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between science and mathematics in K-12 science classrooms where applied mathematics rather than pure mathematics is most often present. This was the case in the integrated STEM curricula analyzed in this study, as mathematics was often present in a lesson as a tool in the service of science or engineering (e.g., graphing, calculating averages) rather than as a main concept to be learned. As the CFG process described by Bintz ( 2009 ) only includes main concepts, this could lead to visualizations that were not representative of the ways in which mathematics is present in integrated STEM curricula. Thus, the presence of mathematics as a tool is marked in the CFG with the annotation MaT next to the relevant lesson (not present in the analysis of the Museum Security curriculum). Technology was treated in the STEM PD, and consequently within the teacher-developed curricula, as the product of engineering. Teachers also explicitly considered technology integration from a pedagogical view within their curricula (e.g., SmartBoard, videos, etc.). From either perspective, technology was not represented as concepts within the curricula.

Third, connections between each lesson’s content and the central learning goal (client letter) are identified. References to the client within some of the curriculum units represent an important connection to the EDC and a possible vehicle for curricular coherence. Thus, references to the client were included in the analysis in two ways. The first was through explicit connections using curriculum materials such as a client letter, memo, or email. The second was through pedagogical connections provided in the teacher guidelines that accompanied each curriculum unit. For example, the teacher guide might direct teachers to remind the students about the EDC and the needs of the client at the start of a lesson. Table 3 illustrates the results of steps two and three for the Museum Security unit.

Once the central performance expectation, main concept(s) from each lesson, and connection to the client have been identified, the visual representation of the unit is created. At the center of the CFG is the performance expectation for the unit, surrounded by the main concept(s) for each lesson, arranged chronologically. Lessons with identical main concepts are combined at this stage (in the case of Museum Security , Lessons 5 and 6 address the same main learning concepts in science and mathematics). The depth of conceptual connection between each lesson and the main unit goal, as well as the depth of conceptual connections from one lesson to the next, are determined. Strong conceptual connections (those that demonstrated direct or explicit building on conceptual knowledge) are designated with a full arrow; weak conceptual connections (those with limited or implied connections) are designated with a dotted arrow, and the absence of an arrow indicates that there is no conceptual link. For example, Lesson 3 includes two main concepts: (i) light travels in straight lines and (ii) light interacts differently (absorption and transmission) with different surfaces. Understanding that light travels in straight lines is necessary to be able to develop an understanding about the law of reflection, which is the main concept within Lesson 4; thus, this is indicated as a strong conceptual link with a solid arrow. However, an understanding of light absorption and transmission with different surfaces is not directly necessary to develop an understanding of the law of reflection; thus, this is marked as a weak conceptual link with a dotted arrow. Similarly, developing a prototype for the museum security system requires an understanding that light travels in straight lines and the law of reflection; as a result, links from these lesson concepts to the central performance expectation are shown as strong links with solid arrows. However, since students are provided with mirrors and lenses for their designs, it is not necessary to understand how different surfaces absorb and transmit light; this concept is not conceptually linked to the central performance expectation, and no arrow is included.

Contextual connections between science or mathematics content within a lesson and the main unit goal are shown with a dashed arrow (not present in the analysis of the Museum Security curriculum). Contextual connections to the client are shown through boxes around the main concepts for each lesson. Direct contextual connections through curriculum materials, such as client letters, memos, and emails, are designated with a bold black box around the lesson concepts. Pedagogical connections through teacher guidelines that direct the teacher to remind students about the EDC and the client’s needs are designated with a dashed black box around the lesson concepts. The CFG for the Museum Security curriculum is shown in Fig. 1 .

Conceptual flow graphic for the Museum Security curriculum

As can be seen in Fig. 1 , links between lessons and links between the lessons and the main unit goal in the Museum Security curriculum are generally present; however, this is not always the case. For example, while Lesson 2 includes content related to wave properties from the state science standards for middle school physical science, the content is not necessary for students to design solutions for a museum laser security system or to engage in the science content learning in subsequent lessons. Students do not need knowledge about the characteristics of waves to design a laser security system, and thus, Lesson 2 represents a break in the conceptual flow of the unit.

Data analysis

A CFG was constructed for each of the 50 EngrTEAMS curriculum units, following the process described in the previous section. The initial CFG process was developed and refined by three of the authors using three different STEM curricula. The remaining CFGs were created by teams of STEM education graduate students following training on creating CFGs. Each STEM curriculum unit was assigned to two individual students who independently created CFGs, then discussed any differences in their CFGs together with the first author to create a final CFG.

The CFGs were analyzed using a combination of the visual data analysis approach outlined by Cohen, Manion, and Morrison ( 2011 ) and inductive coding techniques outlined by Corbin and Strauss ( 2015 ). Cohen et al. ( 2011 ) suggested that inductive coding can be used in analyzing images. In this study, we utilized open and axial coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2015 ) to categorize the CFGs into core categories. Iterative visual analysis was used to inductively sort the CFGs into groups by first looking for patterns with respect to the placement of science, engineering, and mathematics concepts in the lesson sequence. This was followed by considering the conceptual and contextual connections between lessons and from the individual lessons to the central performance expectation. For example, patterns in the placement of engineering lessons allowed two groups to emerge: (i) engineering-focused lessons at the beginning and end of the unit only and (ii) engineering-focused lessons throughout the unit. Further inductive coding of the larger group of curricula with engineering-focused lessons throughout the unit revealed differences in the nature of the interdisciplinary connections between science- and engineering-focused lessons. This led to the categorization of engineering-focused units related to the preponderance or lack of conceptual links between science- and engineering-focused lessons. Another iteration of visual coding considered the presence of contextual links to further categorize the curricula.

The CFGs for the 50 curricula analyzed showed a range of levels and quality of integration as indicated by conceptual coherence. Eight curricular units (one physical science, four life science, and three Earth science) resulted in CFGs with completely disconnected lessons and are not included in the results. The remaining 42 STEM units formed four broad types of STEM curricula, including (i) coherent science unit with a loosely connected EDC, (ii) engineering design-focused unit with limited connections to science content, (iii) engineering design unit with science content as context, and (iv) integrated and coherent STEM unit (see Table 4 ). Each of these curricular types is illustrated and discussed in the following sections using an example STEM unit.

Coherent science unit with a loosely connected EDC

This curricular type included STEM units with an EDC serving to bookend an existing science unit. Typically, the first lesson introduced a real-world problem with an associated EDC. However, the EDC was not addressed again until the final lesson of the unit. While the EDC was topically connected to the science content of the unit, the EDC did not guide decisions about what content to teach, resulting in the majority of science lessons having no conceptual connection to the EDC.

This curricular type is illustrated by the example unit GMO Corn , a 7th grade STEM unit intended for implementation in a life science classroom. At the outset of the unit, students are introduced to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the client, an Agricultural Extension Office, has been asked to design a barrier to effectively reduce cross-contamination of non-GMO corn fields with GMO corn fields. The lessons that follow (Lessons 2-5), draw from a life science genetics/heredity curriculum and introduce grade-level standards related to the structure and function of DNA, how phenotypes are expressed and passed down to offspring, etc. In Lesson 6, the focus of the unit returns to GMOs with a lesson on gene splicing and how GMOs are created. In Lessons 7 and 8, the students develop and build a scale model of a solution to prevent cross-pollination of non-GMO corn with GMO corn. Designs for the EDC are evaluated on the extent to which the solutions meet the design specifications. Students write a final letter, including evidence-based reasoning justifying their design decisions, to pitch their design to the client.

The CFG for the GMO Corn curriculum (Fig. 2 ) shows that while the genetics concepts are conceptually connected to each other (Lessons 2-5); they are, at best, weakly connected to the problem of building a barrier to prevent cross-pollination between non-GMO and GMO corn. The students do not need to apply knowledge of genetics to design a solution to the client’s problem; for instance, the design challenge could be met by simply proposing a wall or net as a mechanism to prevent pollen from crossing from one field to another. Typical of all CFGs in this category, while there is an EDC introduced at the beginning of the unit, the engineering design is essentially a culminating project added to the end of an existing science unit, and the science content in the unit is not needed to propose possible design solutions.

Conceptual flow graphic for the GMO Corn curriculum

Engineering design-focused unit with limited connections to science content

This curricular type included STEM units that used the EDP as the structure or storyline for the unit. Typically, Lesson 1 included an introduction to the EDC followed by problem scoping and understanding the design criteria and constraints. Lessons then moved through the planning, iterative testing, and final decision and communication phases of the EDP. Science-focused lessons were interspersed throughout the units, but rarely did they provide conceptual or contextual links to inform design decisions. This curricular type is illustrated by the example unit; New Stadium , an upper elementary STEM curriculum focused on concepts related to renewable and non-renewable resources. In this unit, students are contracted by a sports team to help design an environmentally friendly stadium (Lesson 1). Specifically, students are asked to use evidence-based reasoning to make design decisions regarding the location, building materials, and energy source for the stadium. Following a lesson on renewable and non-renewable resources, Lesson 3 calls for students to investigate and test the properties of three common building materials—concrete, wood, and steel. In Lesson 6, students research different alternative sources for generating electricity, and in Lesson 7, students compare the power output of the solar panel, windmill, and waterwheel prototypes to determine which renewable energy source(s) would supply the stadium with adequate power. In Lesson 7, students create graphs, calculate averages, and analyze data to guide their energy source decisions. In Lesson 8, students use maps and weather data to determine the availability of different renewable energy sources, allowing them to choose a specific energy source for the stadium and to select a site for the stadium based on the availability of that energy source. Finally, in Lesson 9, students complete a proposal to the client sharing their design and the rationale for their design choices.

The CFG for the New Stadium curriculum (Fig. 3 ) shows that the unit breaks down into two mini-units, first to select building materials, and second to select an energy source. In each mini-unit, the central storyline uses the EDP as the conceptual flow of practices students engage in, with science lessons disrupting that flow. For example, in Lesson 3, students test the properties of steel, wood, and concrete. Before making a decision about building materials, Lesson 4 is inserted wherein students learn about how to process natural resources (e.g., how iron is extracted from iron ore). While the processing of natural resources has an environmental impact, the decision between the three selected materials (wood, steel, and concrete) is a technical decision based solely on the properties of materials. With the exception of Lesson 8, the science lessons do not provide necessary content to propose design solutions. Typical of all CFGs in this category, the majority of the lessons are focused on engineering content, and the coherence of the storyline is developed through students engaging in a series of engineering lessons aligned with the EDP.

Conceptual flow graphic for the New Stadium curriculum

Engineering design unit with science as context

This curricular type also included STEM units that used the EDP as the structure or storyline for the unit. However, science-focused lessons were only used to provide contextual background to the ED. This curricular type is illustrated by the example unit Greenhouse , an upper elementary STEM unit intended to address life science standards related to plants and plant growth. In Lesson 1, students are introduced to the EDC through a client letter. The client is a vendor at a local Farmers’ Market who wants to sell tomatoes earlier in the season. Lessons 2-5 follow the EDP, starting with the testing and selection of materials to build a greenhouse in Lesson 2. In Lesson 3, students create a plan for a greenhouse that meets the client’s size and budget criteria, and in Lesson 4, the students build and test a prototype of their proposed design by graphing the temperature of their prototype over a 10-min time-period in dark and light conditions. Lesson 5 is a science lesson where students learn about the plant structures and functions and collect data about tomato seedling growth on an ongoing basis. In Lesson 6, the students redesign their greenhouse prototype based on data and graphs generated in Lessons 4 and 5. Finally, in Lesson 7, students write a letter to the client, including their greenhouse designs and the evidence-based reasoning in support of their designs.

The CFG for the Greenhouse curriculum (Fig. 4 ) illustrates a unit where the coherence of the storyline is based on the EDP. However, unlike the units in the previous category (engineering design-focused unit with limited connections to science content); the science in these curricula is not even weakly conceptually linked to the EDC. In the Greenhouse unit, the science content related to plant structures is simply contextual; it is not necessary to be able to describe the function of different plant structures (e.g., stem, leaves, flowers) to design a greenhouse. In fact, the science relevant to building a greenhouse is related to heat transfer, which is not included in the unit. Instead, students are asked to make decisions about materials based solely on empirical data from testing the materials in Lesson 2 rather than applying conceptual knowledge about heat transfer to the problem. This disconnect between the science content within the lessons and the central EDC was characteristic of all CFGs in this category. However, science-focused lessons leveraged the context of the real-world problem as a rationale for learning science concepts. While it was not necessary to learn about the function of plant structures to propose solutions to the EDC, it was contextually relevant to grow seeds in the greenhouse prototypes, opening up the opportunity to teach about botany-related concepts.

Conceptual flow graphic for the Greenhouse curriculum

Integrated and coherent STEM curriculum

This curricular type also included STEM units that used the EDP as the structure or storyline for the unit. However, all or almost all science-focused lessons of units in this category were conceptually linked to the EDC, providing important scientific knowledge and data needed to make decisions. This curricular type is illustrated by the example unit Improving the Mechanical Claw , an upper elementary curriculum unit focused on concepts related to electromagnets and magnetism. Lesson 1 introduces students to the EDC through a client letter from Arcade Games, who is contracting students to design a new electromagnet component to add to a crane arm (thus replacing the “claw”) for their version of a mechanical claw game. According to Arcade Games, claw games have recently been exposed as being rigged and unfair, so the company wants students to design and create a model of a new arm attachment for the game, using an electromagnet as opposed to a traditional mechanical claw. In Lessons 2-4, students explore the different variables that impact the strength of an electromagnet by collecting data on the number of washers that can be picked up under different conditions. In Lessons 3 and 4, students calculate the average of data across multiple trials and create graphs showing the impact of each variable on the average number of washers picked up. In Lesson 5, students apply their knowledge about electromagnets to develop and test an initial prototype for their electromagnetic arm. In Lesson 6, students explore the magnetic properties of different materials. In Lesson 7, students redesign their electromagnetic arm to pick up a plastic toy with a metal tag; and in Lesson 8, students prepare a video presentation to explain their design to the client.

The CFG for the Improving the Mechanical Claw curriculum (Fig. 5 ) shows integration of the STEM disciplines across the unit, with science, mathematics, and engineering represented throughout the unit. The CFG also reveals a cohesive storyline throughout the unit (with the exception of Lesson 6). Each lesson develops important concepts necessary to design an electromagnet to add to the crane arm as requested by the client. For example, students were expected to use data on important variables for electromagnets (e.g., number of coils, gage of wire, number of batteries) from Lessons 3 and 4 to provide evidence for their design decisions. Each lesson included a new memo from the client to maintain the storyline and connect learning to the EDC. Thus, even in a lesson that was primarily focused on science and/or mathematics content, the context of the EDC was still maintained.

Conceptual flow graphic for the Improving the Mechanical Claw curriculum

While CFGs in this category showed high levels of integration and conceptual coherence, the CFGs sometimes revealed issues in the STEM curriculum units. For example, in Improving the Mechanical Claw curriculum, Lesson 6 had weaker connections to the previous lesson and to the overarching unit goal. Lesson 6 was an investigation of the magnetic properties of different materials to address the contextual issue that plastic toys in the game need a metallic tag to work with an electromagnetic “claw.” While magnetic properties are a relevant science standard, this content is not necessary for the design of the electromagnet.

Nature of coherence and integration within STEM units

Analysis of the CFGs revealed two different types of integration between science (and occasionally mathematics) and engineering: conceptual and contextual. In this discussion, we also address how mathematics was integrated into these units.

Conceptual integration

Conceptual integration occurred frequently within the integrated curricular type, as the science and mathematics concepts learned throughout the curriculum were relevant and necessary to developing solutions to the EDC. The strong conceptual connections between science and mathematics concepts and the EDC, shown by arrows connecting science and mathematics-focused lessons to the central EDC, illustrates adherence to the indicator of application of SEM knowledge to the real-world problem or EDC from the Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education (Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ) and the Quality Integrated STEM Framework (Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ). However, conceptual connections between science (and mathematics) content and the EDC in the other curricular types were either absent or weakly present. In the science as context category, science content in the lessons was rarely conceptually connected to the EDC. In the coherent science unit and engineering design-focused curricular types, some science and mathematics content was necessary for making design decisions, but most science and mathematics concepts in the lessons were not necessary within the context of the EDC. This is problematic, as while all of the curricula engaged students in engineering practices to propose and iteratively test design solutions to an EDC, without conceptual connections between the science content and the EDC, students are potentially left to tinker rather than apply science knowledge to design decisions. Regardless of the level of conceptual integration, the integration of science and engineering is predominantly multidisciplinary in nature, with distinct science and engineering lessons; even when science lessons provide necessary content knowledge and data for use in the engineering lessons, they stand alone as lessons intended to teach science concepts. Indeed, many of the science lessons were taken from existing science units with minor modifications for use in the new integrated STEM curricula. A strength of this multidisciplinary approach, with lessons that have explicit learning outcomes for science content, is the promotion of conceptual learning of science. However, care needs to be taken that the science lessons are also explicitly linked to the EDC to maintain integration and a coherent curricular storyline.

Contextual integration

Contextual integration occurred in two different ways across the STEM curricula analyzed in this study: (i) the use of a client to contextualize the learning of science and mathematics content and (ii) the use of science content to better understand the EDC and provide more detailed contextualization of the problem.

Use of a client to contextualize learning

In all cases, an EDC was used as a motivating and engaging context (Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ) in the first lesson of the unit with the stated goal of providing a context for learning science and mathematics content within the STEM unit. A client letter, which introduced the problem and provided specifics about the relevant criteria and constraints, was used to introduce the EDC. In the integrated curricular type, this contextualization of the learning through the client occurred throughout the unit, with the client providing the motivation or need to learn the science and mathematics content. These curricula used memos from the client or guided the teacher to remind the students about the client and why the science or mathematics they learned in a given lesson was relevant to the EDC. The engineering design-focused units each included lessons, in addition to the opening lesson, that used the client to contextualize learning. In lessons where contextual integration through the client was identified between the science or mathematics content and the EDC, conceptual integration was also included. In contrast, science lessons not conceptually integrated with the EDC were never contextually integrated with a client memo and only rarely contextualized through suggestions in the teacher guidelines to the teacher to remind the students about the EDC and the needs of the client. In other words, contextual integration through the use of a client was difficult in the absence of conceptual integration, when the science and mathematics concepts were not necessary to develop design solutions. This reflects a disconnect between the EDC and the learning of science and mathematics concepts that cannot be remedied through the use of a client to provide a storyline for the curriculum as students work through the EDP.

In the case of the coherent science unit curricular type, the EDC simply formed bookends around an existing science curriculum. The EDC was rarely mentioned in the science lessons after the first lesson of the unit and was only reintroduced as the culminating activity of the unit, which did not leverage the science concepts learned in previous lessons. While an EDC and the client were introduced in Lesson 1, this did not ultimately provide contextualization for learning science and mathematics content in a consistent and coherent manner throughout the unit.

Use of science content to contextualize the EDC

Science content was sometimes used to contextualize the EDC and motivate learning even if the content was not directly necessary for developing design solutions. For example, in the Science as Context curricular type, science lessons were often included to provide motivational and contextual details to the EDC. In the Greenhouse curriculum, students learned about the growing season in their location and agricultural practices for tomato production (see Fig. 4 ). This information is not relevant to making design decisions about the construction of a greenhouse prototype, but it does add contextual richness to the problem, as well as opportunities to learn science concepts. Similarly, in the Save the Moose curriculum, students learned about the impact of climate change on moose and their environment as part of the lesson sequence introducing the EDC. While this learning was not conceptually linked to the EDC, which called for the design of a process and product for application of tick preventative to the moose, it provided important contextual integration between grade-level science standards and the real-world problem. Similarly, in the coherent science and engineering design-focused curricular types, science content was explicitly taught and sometimes used to provide contextual information about the EDC. For example, in GMO Corn , students read about GMOs and engaged in a discussion about the pros and cons of growing GMO food to provide deeper contextual relevance to the real-world problem (see Fig. 2 ).

Integration of mathematics

Unlike science concepts that were present with explicit learning outcomes, mathematics concepts represented less than 10% of the main concepts to be learned in each lesson across all four CFG categories. However, mathematics was found in all of the analyzed curricula as a tool for data analysis, and students were frequently asked to keep track of budgets for their design solutions, construct graphs of science and/or engineering data, calculate averages of multiple trials, create scaled models, and perform calculations such as area, volume, and density. Mathematics integration was most commonly in the form of mathematics as a tool to analyze data in the service of science or engineering. Mathematics educators debate what should be considered mathematics, as the types of mathematics commonly used in the real-world, such as statistics, data science, and applied mathematics, are more appropriately labeled mathematical sciences (Quinn, 2012 ) rather than pure mathematics (Moore & Cobb, 2000 ). However, the goal of this study is not to debate what counts as mathematics in K-12 classrooms, but to explore the ways in which mathematics is currently incorporated into integrated STEM curricula. Similar to Reynante et al. ( 2020 ), who indicates there is often a “blurring [of] the boundary of where mathematics ends and science begins” (p. 4) in K-12 classrooms, this blurring of the disciplines was evident in the nature of the integration of mathematics in these integrated STEM curricula. In other words, the integration of mathematics was primarily interdisciplinary in nature, as the boundaries between mathematics and science (or engineering) started to break down because mathematics was included as applied mathematics rather than pure mathematics. As such, the CFGs can be deceptive about the degree of integration of mathematics if mathematics is only included when being taught as a main concept. As noted by Kelley and Knowles ( 2016 ), STEM practices are a strong thread within a curricular unit supporting integration, and this was certainly the case with mathematics.

Unfortunately, this implicit integration of mathematics as a tool, which has been prevalent for decades in science and now STEM classrooms (e.g., Berlin & White, 1995 ; Davison et al., 1995 ; Huntley, 1998 ; Walker, 2017 ; Zhang, Orrill, & Campbell, 2015 ), leads to only small impacts on students’ mathematical knowledge (e.g., Becker & Park, 2011 ; Honey et al., 2014 ). While it is difficult to imagine engaging in science or engineering without using mathematical practices, these mathematical connections are often implicit and not always transparent to students. Successful mathematics integration requires that mathematics concepts are foregrounded with explicit learning outcomes (Silk, Higashi, Shoop, & Schunn, 2010 ). Hurley ( 2001 ) reported the greatest effect sizes for mathematics learning when students learned science and mathematics in sequence using a multidisciplinary approach as opposed to an interdisciplinary approach. In other words, a multidisciplinary approach to integration should not be viewed as lesser than interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to integrated STEM as suggested by some researchers (e.g., Vasquez et al., 2013 ). Conceptual learning of mathematics (and science) is improved through a multidisciplinary approach that allows each discipline to be purposefully foregrounded within a unit with explicit student learning outcomes, rather than being backgrounded as a tool (Baldinger et al., 2021 ; Hurley, 2001 ). Like other researchers (e.g., Li & Schoenfeld, 2019 ), we argue for the need for further research about the nature of the M in STEM.

Curricular coherence

Curricular coherence was present to some degree in all CFG curricula types. In the integrated, engineering design-focused, and science as context units, the EDP provided the storyline, with students defining the problem, designing and implementing solutions through an iterative testing and improvement cycle, and deciding on a final solution that met the needs of the client. In integrated and engineering design-focused units, the context of the client and the EDC provided a story arc to contextualize science lessons as providing the knowledge needed to develop designs for the client. In units with strong contextual coherence, the students were in continual communication with the client. For example, students received memos from the client asking for information, provided preliminary designs for the client to review, and had opportunities to ask questions of the client to clarify their needs. Teachers were also directed to remind the students about the client and the criteria and constraints of the EDC at the start of lessons.

Disciplinary conceptual coherence was present between the science lessons for units within the coherent science curricular type. However, as described previously, there was no conceptual integration between science and engineering in this category. Within the engineering design-focused units, the problems with conceptual integration created a break in the coherence of the curricular storyline. The addition of science lessons for the purpose of addressing grade-level standards that were not necessary to either contextualize the EDC or to create solutions for the client were disruptive to the coherence of the storyline provided by the EDC and the client.

A summary of the findings related to that nature of integration (conceptual and contextual) and curricular coherence is provided in Table 5 . While curricular coherence is present to some degree in all CFG categories, curricular coherence through the entire unit can only happen when both conceptual and contextual integration are strong, as in the case of the integrated curricular type.

Differences in coherence and integration among the science disciplines

Curricular coherence and strong integration were present for all of the physical science STEM curricula, but only three Earth science and no life science STEM curricula. Conceptual integration through the use of an EDC appears to be more challenging in life and Earth sciences at the K-12 level; previous work has noted that physical sciences are typically well suited for integration with engineering (Dare et al., 2014 ). While fields such as genetic and biomedical engineering are applied spaces where biological concepts are applied to solving real-world problems, the level of the biology content is often at a higher level than appropriate in K-12 classrooms. Indeed, the number of NGSS performance expectations designated as explicitly integrating traditional science content with engineering through either the engineering practice or disciplinary core ideas in the Earth and life sciences are lower than in the physical sciences. Table 6 provides details about these performance expectations for upper elementary and middle school.

Performance expectations in the physical sciences explicitly call for the application of science concepts such as heat transfer, electricity, Newton’s laws, and magnetism, to developing engineering design solutions. Our CFG analysis showed that integrated STEM curricula addressing physical science concepts had strong conceptual integration. Conversely, performance expectations in the Earth and life sciences more often call for the evaluation of design solutions rather than engaging students in the full EDP. In the cases where the EDP is invoked, the examples require the application of physical science concepts rather than Earth or life science concepts. This is also evident in the CFG analysis, for example, the Greenhouse curriculum uses physical science concepts of heat transfer to create successful design solutions, not life science concepts. Earth and life science topics can provide relevant and interesting contexts for engaging students in the EDP; however, the nature of integration between science concepts and the EDC is often weak. As noted by previous researchers (e.g., Bryan, Moore, Johnson, & Roehrig, 2016 ), the Earth and life sciences may provide opportunities to integrate other aspects of engineering than the EDP, such as ethics, and to provide context to engineering lessons (e.g., Crotty et al., 2017 ).

Researchers agree that a real-world problem is a critical component of integrated STEM teaching (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ; Sanders, 2009 ). In this study, the real-world problem was presented as an EDC. The use of an EDC can provide contextual integration by using the client as a motivating storyline for students to engage in learning science and mathematics content. When explicit connections to the client are included throughout the curriculum, the client provides a consistent storyline and contextual coherence. In addition, the use of an EDC engages students in the EDP, and the arc of the storyline is developed as students engage in the EDP. Reynante et al. ( 2020 ) argue that “disciplinary practices may provide a useful framework for integrating the various STEM subjects” (p. 3). Our study shows that engineering practices can serve as a contextual integrator within a STEM unit. Integration through engineering practices also enhances the notion of STEM as engaging students in addressing real-world problems through the authentic practices of STEM professionals (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Reynante et al., 2020 ). As such, context is provided through an authentic problem or EDC, as well as by engaging in authentic STEM practices that are important to developing conceptual understanding of STEM (Kelley & Knowles, 2016 ; Lee, Quinn, & Valdes, 2013 ) and addressing standards related to engineering design (e.g., NGSS Lead States, 2013 ).

The utilization of an EDC also provides the potential for conceptual integration because of the inherent interdisciplinary nature of engineering. Engineering is a discipline in which knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, 2001 ).

Application of science and mathematics knowledge is both central to the discipline of engineering and a critical component of integrated STEM (e.g., Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ). Integrated STEM curricula that purposefully include science and mathematics concepts necessary to develop solutions to the EDC engage students in authentic engineering experiences and provide conceptual integration between science, mathematics, and engineering (e.g., Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ; Moore, Stohlmann, et al., 2014 ). However, the alignment of grade-level science and mathematics standards with the necessary science and mathematics content for the EDC can be problematic. Teachers and curriculum developers need to take care that planning for integrated STEM starts with science and mathematics standards and include lessons that explicitly teach and develop a conceptual understanding of these concepts. Policymakers and STEM education researchers do not argue that every unit should use an integrated STEM approach to learning. In fact, engineering educators call for the inclusion of components of quality engineering throughout K-12 education when the inclusion of engineering can enhance content learning (Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ). The findings from this study provide some preliminary guidance on science topics that lend themselves to conceptual or contextual integration. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of integrated STEM approaches in specific science content areas.

Previous research has argued that it is important for students to understand the connections between the STEM disciplines while cautioning that the relationships among the disciplines are complex (English, 2016 ; Honey et al., 2014 ; Moore, Glancy, et al., 2014 ). Integrated STEM curricula must provide explicit details about how the disciplines are integrated and support in the application of disciplinary knowledge in integrated contexts (Reynante et al., 2020 ). When a science or mathematics concept from a lesson is relevant to the EDC, it is important that these connections are made explicit to the students, either through a client memo or other connection made by the teacher between the content to be learned and the EDC.

Finally, the CFG analysis shows a tension between curricular coherence and incorporating all relevant grade-level science standards when using an integrated STEM approach. Even in the case of curricula in the integrated category, not all of the science lessons were conceptually linked to the EDC. For example, in the Museum Security curriculum (see Fig. 1 ), the content of Lesson 2 (understanding the wave nature of light) is not necessary to develop possible design solutions. Indeed, only two science topics (heat transfer and electromagnetism) generated integrated STEM curricula that included all relevant standards for the topic and connected these concepts to the EDC. The results of this study indicate the difficulties faced by teachers developing integrated STEM curricula in balancing coherence of the required science content standards and coherence to the EDC. However, the goal of this study was to understand the range of integration within STEM curricula, not to determine which model is better for student learning. Further research is needed to understand the impact of different forms of integration on student outcomes.

Implications

The development of new integrated STEM curricula for K-12 classroom use is necessary to address global STEM initiatives and policies. Curricular analysis is a key first step in either developing or selecting integrated STEM curricula, and the CFG process provides an effective visual representation at the curricular level that can be used by teachers, researchers, and teacher educators. Specifically, CFGs provide a process to explore integration and curricular coherence in integrated STEM curricula. Existing STEM curriculum evaluation rubrics, such as the STEM-ICA (Guzey et al., 2016 ); do not provide any detail about the nature of integration and curricular coherence beyond a single score on two items. However, the visual nature of the CFGs allows for a quick analysis of overall integration and coherence of the curriculum and can serve as a diagnostic tool to make curricular modifications to improve a STEM curriculum. For example, the CFG of the Improving the Mechanical Claw curriculum (see Fig. 5 ) shows that Lesson 6 is problematic in terms of conceptual coherence. If the concepts from Lesson 6 were moved to a new Lesson 2, a more basic concept about magnetism would be introduced earlier in the unit and provide a conceptual link to understanding the design of the electromagnet in terms of the materials used in the core of the electromagnet.

It is critical to note that the CFG provides information about only two important aspects of integrated STEM curricula: integration and curricular coherence. Frameworks for integrated STEM education also call for the inclusion of other critical components, such as the use of student-centered pedagogies and opportunities for students to engage in twenty-first century skills, particularly teamwork and collaboration. A thorough analysis of the quality of an integrated STEM curriculum would need to use an instrument such as the STEM-ICA (Guzey et al., 2016 ; Walker et al., 2018 ) in conjunction with the CFG, as neither process alone provides a full analysis. The work presented here may assist others in determining the viability of new curricula by addressing key concerns related to conceptual and contextual coherence within integrated STEM curricula to lead to greater student learning and success.

Availability of data and materials

The thirteen published integrated STEM curricula are available upon request.

Abbreviations

Conceptual flow graphic

Engineering design challenge

Engineering design process

Next Generation Science Standards

National Research Council

Professional development

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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Roehrig, G.H., Dare, E.A., Ring-Whalen, E. et al. Understanding coherence and integration in integrated STEM curriculum. IJ STEM Ed 8 , 2 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00259-8

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• Integrated STEM
• Curriculum assessment
• Nature of integration

• Our Mission

Integrated Studies Research Review: Evidence-Based Practices and Programs

Evidence points to seven key approaches to integrating curricula that have been shown to be effective.

In this section, we describe seven approaches to integrating subjects, along with recommended practices and programs that have been shown to benefit learning:

Science and Literacy

Science and the environment, science, technology, engineering, and math, financial literacy, arts integration across all subjects, internships and service learning, second-language learning and global competency.

It's not enough just to know about science; scientists also have to be able to describe their observations, explain what they know, and debate with others, using sound evidence and reasoning. When science and literacy lessons are integrated, students demonstrate greater skill in all of these areas ( Cervetti, Pearson, Barber, Hiebert, and Bravo, 2007 ).

• Reinforcing literacy-based skills in science by describing, explaining, inquiring, analyzing, debating, and engaging in dialogue about science concepts through reading, writing, and journaling activities
• Hands-on science experiments

Programs and Outcomes

• Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading (Seeds/Roots) is an integrated science and literacy program that involves elementary students in researching and writing about scientific topics. In the Seeds/Roots unit on shoreline science, second and third graders learn about the properties of sand and other earth materials, as well as erosion, organisms' environments, and human impact on the environment. An independent study found that students participating in Seeds/Roots showed significant improvement in science vocabulary, content knowledge, and writing ( Goldschmidt and Jung, 2010 ). Teachers also reported that the Seeds/Roots program was usable, effective, and engaging (Goldschmidt and Jung, 2010).
• Science IDEAS (In-Depth Expanded Applications of Science) integrates hands-on science experiments, journaling, and reading and writing about science in daily time blocks of one and a half to two hours (45 minutes for K-2). Students who participated in Science IDEAS showed increased science and reading comprehension on national tests ( Romance and Vitale, 2012a , 2012b ). Students who participated in Science IDEAS during early-elementary grades showed significantly higher achievement on national tests in science and reading comprehension, and continued to show higher achievement in science and reading comprehension in upper-elementary school and middle school, as compared to students who received traditional instruction (Romance and Vitale, 2012a, 2012b).
• Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) is a model for relevant reading instruction that can be used in social studies and science. It is an instructional program for grades 3-8 that merges reading instruction with hands-on science activities. The program teaches students a wide range of skills, from reading about science topics to developing science inquiry skills like observation, data collecting, and drawing conclusions. A recent study of 1,159 sixth-grade students using both a correlational and a quasi-experimental approach found that students participating in a CORI program (who had had traditional reading lessons) showed higher motivation, engagement, and achievement compared to students in a traditional reading/language arts program alone ( Guthrie, Klauda, and Ho, 2013 ).

Edutopia Case Study

• Ralston Elementary in Golden, Colorado, practices departmentalization (students having a different teacher for each content area) and integration (the combination of two or more subject areas) to foster a more authentic and purposeful learning environment. In the upper elementary grades, one teacher combines math and science while another teaches language arts and social studies, giving their students a deeper understanding of the content and its applied interconnectivity.

Classrooms can integrate learning across different subjects within a school, as well as beyond school walls. Environment-based education programs emphasize investigations of natural and social systems in the local environment. Students in environment-based education (EBE) programs such as expeditionary learning participate in community and fieldwork activities. They develop awareness of local and global issues while experiencing scientific phenomena through real-world examples. Pollution, recycling, climate change, health, technology, and energy are just a few examples of scientific topics that can promote civic awareness while fostering a deeper understanding of science and its applications.

• Identifying and investigating community issues that link classroom material with real-life experiences
• Situating science in society to help students learn to use their knowledge of scientific concepts and processes to make decisions, participate in civic and cultural affairs, and contribute to economic productivity
• Expeditionary learning is an EBE program that has had a positive impact on student learning across schools in multiple states ( Borman, Hewes, Overman, and Brown, 2003 ). Expeditionary learning programs incorporate local communities and environments to enhance student learning through interdisciplinary, collaborative, project-based learning activities. An analysis of six studies found that expeditionary learning programs have a significantly positive effect on student achievement (Borman et al., 2003).
• Students who participated in garden-based learning programs showed higher test scores in science and increased food knowledge ( Blair, 2009 ; Klemmer, Waliczek, and Zajicek, 2005 ; Ratcliffe, Merrigan, Rogers, and Goldberg, 2009 ; Smith and Motsenbocker, 2005 ). Garden-based learning has been linked with higher levels of science achievement (Blair, 2009; Klemmer et al., 2005; Smith and Motsenbocker, 2005) and an increased willingness to try a variety of vegetables (Ratcliffe et al., 2009).

Edutopia Case Studies

• King Middle School , in Portland, Maine, has students engage in expeditionary learning activities throughout the school year. In their " Soil Superheroes " activity, students met with local community members, scientists, and a comic book artist to learn how to produce a pamphlet on the role of bacteria in the health of soil. They approached the project as a real-world issue that required the integration of science, art, multimedia, math, and language arts to develop the pamphlet.
• The Edible Schoolyard Project at Martin Luther King Junior Middle School , in Berkeley, California, helps students learn various subjects through weekly activities at the school garden.
• The Wetland Watchers program at Hurst Middle School in Destrehan, Louisiana, is part of a schoolwide emphasis on service learning, combining activities designed to serve the community (from environmental-protection measures to volunteering at nursing homes) with specific learning objectives based on grade-level standards.
• School of Environmental Studies in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Apple Valley embraces project learning with an environmental theme. Learning is about becoming an expert and solving real problems. Students are expected to do in-depth, interdisciplinary research using innovative technology that results in practical applications.
• Hood River Middle School , in Hood River, Oregon, makes learning relevant and engaging by turning the school’s local geography, culture, history, and economy into classroom lessons. Using place-based learning, students get to see the results of their work in their community and gain a better understanding of themselves, as well as their place in the world.
• Walter Bracken STEAM Academy Elementary School , in Las Vegas, Nevada, transformed 32,000 square feet of dry grass into a student-centered, garden-learning wonderland. In addition to tending to the garden, students also learn how to create a business from their vegetable gardens. Within a 12-week period of running the farmers’ market, they learn how to write a business plan, create profit-and-loss sheets, and run advertising campaigns.

Specialty schools devoted to the integration of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have existed in the United States since the 1930s ( Means, Confrey, House, and Bhanot, 2008 ). They generally focus on middle school and high school curricula that provide hands-on, project-based activities, as well as internship and mentorship opportunities and career and technical training (Means et al., 2008). STEM schools aim to promote a future STEM workforce and maintain the U.S. position as a leader in innovation. According to the National Research Council (2011) , U.S. advances in science and technology account for "more than half of the tremendous growth to per capita income in the 20th century."

• Connecting science, technology, engineering, and math subjects to real-world projects and careers
• Hands-on, project-based activities
• Independent research projects
• Internship and mentorship opportunities
• Middle school and high school students participating in an integrated science, technology, and math curriculum showed improved attendance and improved math and science achievement on assessment tests ( Satchwell and Loepp, 2002 ; Wicklein and Schell, 1995 ).
• Studies have shown that integrating science, technology, and math can enhance learning and instructional quality over traditional methods by using hands-on inquiry-science activities and projects and by providing sustained professional learning supports (Satchwell and Loepp, 2002; Wicklein and Schell, 1995).
• Science investigations that involve active thinking and drawing conclusions from data are more likely to increase conceptual understanding as compared to more passive learning methods ( Minner, Levy, and Century, 2010 ).
• Activity-based science allows students to develop stronger process skills and achieve gains in creativity, intelligence, language, and math ( Bredderman, 1983 ).
• MC 2 STEM High School , in Cleveland, Ohio, demonstrates how a successful high school integrates internships, service learning, college credit, and project-based learning. Community partnerships provide tutoring and mentoring, increasing the social support for student learning. Their capstone projects are developed using a field-tested process model for designing project-based learning curricula that integrate multiple subjects and industry standards.
• High Tech High , in San Diego, California, demonstrates how integrated studies, project-based learning, and technology integration promote engagement and learning. Hands-on projects at this textbook-free STEM school incorporate multiple subjects and span several weeks. For example, in a team-taught biology/multimedia art course, students created informational videos about blood-related health issues, and then displayed their videos on laptops as art pieces at a local gallery to raise health awareness and to benefit the local blood bank.
• Charles R. Drew Charter School , in Atlanta, Georgia, uses design thinking to teach engineering concepts to elementary students. Watch the school’s engineering lab and Tinker Yard in action, where students do design-and-build projects to learn lifelong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

For research findings on ways to integrate technology in science contexts, don't miss Edutopia's research review of technology integration practices for inquiry science .

Adults appear to learn best when financial education is personalized and can be applied to real-life situations, for example, when individuals need to accomplish a personal goal such as purchasing a home or saving for retirement ( Hirad and Zorn, 2001 ; McCormick, 2009 ). Since K-12 students tend to lack such financial goals, getting them familiar and interested in finance is key. Teaching financial literacy in schools from the earliest grades can help establish a foundation to build upon (McCormick, 2009).

• Curriculum linked to analysis and critical thinking
• Stock market game in middle school or high school
• People learn financial concepts best when they're motivated and taught through activities such as a stock market game or other simulation ( Mandell and Klein, 2007 ).
• Students who play a stock market game in class outperform average levels on financial-literacy survey measures ( Mandell, 2008 ).
• Understanding of financial concepts is maximized when financial education is personalized and applied to real-life learning situations (Hirad and Zorn, 2001; McCormick, 2009).
• Ariel Community Academy , in Chicago, Illinois, shows how financial literacy can be integrated across subjects by teaching decision-making skills in real-world financial contexts and by having upper-elementary and middle school students invest in the stock market and create an investment portfolio that reflects their values as a final project.
• Walter Bracken STEAM Academy Elementary School, in Las Vegas, Nevada, created the “Piggy-Bank Friday” program to help students learn how to manage money. Students set up a real bank account, make weekly deposits with bankers at their school, track their balances, and receive monthly financial literacy lessons. Through the program, students have saved over $30,000 in one year.

Music, drama, dance, and visual arts can be integrated with any subject. Research has shown that arts integration engages students in learning, reduces misbehavior, strengthens community, and can improve test scores, particularly among at-risk youth, ( Catterall, Dumais, and Hampden-Thompson, 2012 ; Upitis, 2011 ; Smithrim and Upitis, 2005 ; Walker, McFadden, Tabone, and Finkelstein, 2011 ). Numerous arts integration programs provide professional-development training and support, including several with evidence of success such as those below.

• Integrating arts such as music, dance, art, or theater into social studies, math, science, and English classes
• Specialized tutoring focused on transferring art skills to other academic subjects
• Arts integration may improve learning by leveraging mental activities shown to help long-term memory, such as rehearsal of meaning, pictorial representation, and information generation ( Rinne, Gregory, Yarmolinskaya, and Hardiman, 2011 ).
• Students participating in arts-integrated lessons show increased language and math scores on standardized tests and improved engagement, motivation, and sense of community (Smithrim and Upitis, 2005).
• Students participating in arts-integrated curricula reported enjoyment and interest in their schoolwork ( Barry, 2010 ; Hendrickson and Oklahoma A+ Schools, 2010 ; A+ Research and Results page ).
• Arts integration is effective for students at risk of school failure ( Oreck, 2004 ).
• A four-year study paired teaching artists with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade teachers in six schools to example the impact it would have on student academic performance. These arts-integrated schools had higher test scores and a narrowing of the achievement gap, when compared to similar schools ( Burnaford and Scripp, 2012 ).
• A study of nearly 900 4th and 5th grade students in 32 schools found that students who participated in arts-integrated classrooms were more creative, engaged, and effective at problem solving than students who didn’t participate in arts-integrated classrooms ( Chand O’Neal, 2014 ).
• A literature review examined 18 empirical studied published between 2000-2015 and found that arts participation helped young children develop social skills (such as helping, sharing, caring, and empathizing with others) and emotional self-regulation ( Menzer, 2015 ).
• Learning Through the Arts (LTTA) pairs specially trained artists with teachers to create innovative, arts-based lessons that are exciting and relevant to students. LTTA is one of the largest school programs, having reached over 377,000 students. A rigorous three-year study on LTTA found several positive outcomes for students, including increased engagement and motivation to learn, increased sense of community, increased math computation and estimation performance for sixth graders, and increased happiness with coming to school among sixth-grade girls (Smithrim and Upitis, 2005). An example lesson plan uses dance to explore how animals live, hunt, and survive in their environment.
• A+ Schools Program is a large whole-school reform model bringing arts integration to schools. A+ programs integrate arts (e.g., dance, drama, music, visual art, and creative writing) in daily instructional practices, focusing on alignment with state standards, while providing teacher-created lessons and professional learning support. A five-year longitudinal evaluation of Oklahoma schools found improved student achievement, as well as better attendance, in the A+ schools as compared to traditional schools (Hendrickson and Oklahoma A+ Schools, 2010; Barry, 2010). Research on A+ schools in North Carolina and elsewhere also shows consistent gains in statewide reading and math test scores (Nelson, 2001; Barry, 2010; A+ Research and Results page).
• Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) supports arts instruction in grades K-3, providing opportunities for students to create, perform, and respond to the arts. WestEd conducted a three-year longitudinal, quasi-experimental study of three OMA schools and two comparison schools. After three years of participation in OMA, third-grade students scored significantly higher on reading, language arts, and mathematics standardized tests as compared to their counterparts in comparison schools (WestEd).
• Project START ID (Statewide Arts Talent Identification and Development) integrated dance, music, theater, and art in Ohio elementary schools. In the program, artists worked with teachers to develop arts-infused lessons that allowed students to use their artistic strengths and skills to learn and express their knowledge in the classroom. A three-year study on Project START ID found that the teaching methods successfully reached students who were at risk for school failure and that students were able to develop and use their effective learning behaviors in the academic classroom ( Oreck, 2004 ).
• Wiley H. Bates Middle School , in Annapolis, Maryland, is a fully arts-integrated middle school that has shown strong improvements in student achievement. Every teacher is trained in arts integration, and they track student performance in lessons taught through arts integration. Check out the Lesson Plans and Resources for Arts Integration provided by the educators at Bates.
• Charles R. Drew Charter School, in Atlanta, Georgia, is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) school, and project-based learning is their instructional delivery method. By integrating PBL and STEAM, they empower students to take ownership of their education. In this case study, learn how students integrate multiple subjects to answer the question, "How can we better prepare for Atlanta's changing weather?"
• Walter Bracken STEAM Academy Elementary School , in Las Vegas, Nevada, engages students by letting them choose outside-the-box enrichment classes, like toy making, drones, and candy chemistry. These classes, called Explos (short for explorations), allow teachers to get creative with developing Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) lessons.

The dropout-prevention literature emphasizes the importance of making school relevant to students' lives and ensuring that school is engaging and challenging. In a 2006 survey of students who dropped out of high school, 81 percent said that if schools provided opportunities for real-world learning, including internships and service learning, their chances of graduating from high school would have been greater ( Bridgeland, Dilulio, and Morison, 2006 ). The study also found that clarifying the links between finishing school and getting a job may convince more students to stay in school (Bridgeland et al., 2006).

• Providing a context for learning and promoting college and career training by placing students in internships in local organizations and businesses
• Allowing students to explore careers and connect with adults who can serve as role models and mentors through internships and work-based learning programs
• Integrating community service with academic study through service learning; students typically identify community needs (such as recycling, health awareness, or pollution) and develop services to address those needs
• Aligning service activity with academic goals and providing an opportunity for student reflection and celebration
• Creating opportunities for authentic learning through service learning, challenging students to study real problems in real time for real people, with real goals and consequences ( Furco, 2010 )
• Graduates of career-themed high schools that emphasized the connection between school and getting a good job earned on average about 11 percent more per year eight years after graduating as compared to graduates of traditional high schools ( Stern, Dayton, and Raby, 2010 ).
• Students participating in workplace mentoring and internships have improved grades, comparable or better attendance, and higher graduation rates than students in comparison groups, as well as increased motivation, self-confidence, and career-planning skills ( Hughes, Bailey, and Karp, 2002 ).
• Nearly 70 studies on service learning indicate that service-learning programs have a positive impact on students' academic, civic, personal, social, ethical, and vocational development ( Furco and Root, 2010 ).
• Students participating in service learning show increased academic performance, attendance, motivation, and self-esteem and reduced disciplinary problems and likeliness to drop out ( Billig, 2010 ; Furco, 2010; Furco and Root, 2010).
• Students participating in civic-learning opportunities such as learning about current events or participating in service-learning projects showed increased commitment to volunteering and willingness to learn about state and local issues ( Kahne and Sporte, 2008 ).
• Service learning engages students in local community issues, provides students with autonomy and opportunities for self-expression, encourages teamwork, teaches time management, and rewards students for goal attainment (Billig, 2010).
• Service learning increases student motivation by focusing on problem-solving skills, active learning, and student choices in instructional settings (Billig, 2010).
• Kids Voting USA is a program that includes classroom activities such as constructing an election bulletin board where students share election news, mapping out government services provided to households (such as public parks, libraries, transportation, and police), and discussing potential voting barriers such as polling hours, location, and voter registration. Students who participated in Kids Voting USA increased their political knowledge and reported that they felt better equipped to make political decisions that reflected their attitudes ( Meirick and Wackman, 2004 ).
• Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School , in Los Angeles, California, has medical internships at local organizations. Some students volunteer at the University of Southern California's University Hospital, some intern at local dentists' offices, while others collaborate side by side with researchers at USC's Keck School of Medicine, working on research projects like developing new cancer drugs and prosthetic retinas.
• Fowler Unified School District , in California's Central Valley, raised trout to protect local habitats, grew fruits and vegetables in an outdoor garden, collected sunscreen and lip balm to protect field workers from overexposure to the sun, and built construction projects to benefit the district and town. In each case, teachers connected service learning to academics, giving students an opportunity to apply math, science, English language arts, and social studies to their service-learning projects.
• Montpelier High School , in Montpelier, Vermont, focuses on student interest by creating internship opportunities that are designed to connect academic learning to the real world. Students work with local organizations, businesses, and individuals to craft an internship that allows them to explore their interests, learn skills, and work collaboratively with the organization.
• High Tech High School , in North Bergen, New Jersey, offers students several vocational majors including architecture, engineering, culinary arts, graphic design, film/video, science research, theater, and dance. For any project within a vocational major, teachers and students include relevant content from other subject areas to enhance real-world connections.
• Language immersion for 50 percent of school time throughout the duration of the program
• Global competency curriculum focusing on preparing students for a globalized future and emphasizing creativity, life skills, and higher-order thinking skills such as reasoning and problem solving
• Research suggests that learning languages at earlier ages and over longer periods of time support second-language acquisition ( Tochon, 2009 ).
• According to a meta-analysis of 63 studies, bilingualism produces a range of benefits, including increased ability to control attention and keep information in memory, better awareness of language structure and vocabulary in language, and improved skills in creative thinking and problem solving ( Adesope, Lavin, Thompson, and Ungerleider, 2010 ).
• Bilingual students also attain higher levels of achievement on standardized tests in reading, writing, social studies, and math and report higher levels of self-confidence (Tochon, 2009).
• Students in language-immersion schools demonstrate high levels of academic achievement and do as well as or better than English-only learners on standardized tests. These benefits extend to English-language learners as well as native English speakers ( Gómez, Freeman, and Freeman, 2005 ; Palmer, 2009 ; Thomas and Collier, 2002 ).
• Asia Society's International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) currently includes 34 schools that integrate global perspectives and give students the opportunity to study one or more languages. Across the ISSN network, which predominantly serves students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, approximately 92 percent of students graduate from high school on time, and among those, more than 90 percent go on to college ( Wiley, 2012 ).
• John Stanford International School , in Seattle, Washington, shows how an internationally themed immersion curriculum is producing high levels of student learning and achievement. John Stanford International School's curriculum involves learning not just a second language but also about as many cultures as possible. The school's emphasis on global competency was inspired by the book Educating for Global Competence , which describes curricular components of Asia Society's ISSN.

Continue to the next section of the Integrated Studies Research Review, Avoiding Pitfalls .

Integrated Studies Research Table of Contents:

• Definition and Outcomes
• -->Evidence-Based Practices and Programs -->
• Table of Evidence-Based Practices and Programs
• Avoiding Pitfalls
• Annotated Bibliography

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• Published: 12 November 2019

Interdisciplinarity revisited: evidence for research impact and dynamism

• Keisuke Okamura   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0988-6392 1 , 2  

Palgrave Communications volume  5 , Article number:  141 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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Addressing many of the world’s contemporary challenges requires a multifaceted and integrated approach, and interdisciplinary research (IDR) has become increasingly central to both academic interest and government science policies. Although higher interdisciplinarity is then often assumed to be associated with higher research impact, there has been little solid scientific evidence supporting this assumption. Here, we provide verifiable evidence that interdisciplinarity is statistically significantly and positively associated with research impact by focusing on highly cited paper clusters known as the research fronts (RFs). Interdisciplinarity is uniquely operationalised as the effective number of distinct disciplines involved in the RF, computed from the relative abundance of disciplines and the affinity between disciplines, where all natural sciences are classified into eight disciplines. The result of a multiple regression analysis ( n  = 2,560) showed that an increase by one in the effective number of disciplines was associated with an approximately 20% increase in the research impact, which was defined as a field-normalised citation-based measure. A new visualisation technique was then applied to identify the research areas in which high-impact IDR is underway and to investigate its evolution over time and across disciplines. Collectively, this work establishes a new framework for understanding the nature and dynamism of IDR in relation to existing disciplines and its relevance to science policymaking.

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Introduction: a new testbed for evaluating interdisciplinary research.

Many of the world’s contemporary challenges are inherently complex and cannot be addressed or resolved by any single discipline, requiring a multifaceted and integrated approach across disciplines (Gibbons et al., 1994 ; Frodeman et al., 2010 ; Aldrich, 2014 ; Ledford, 2015 ). Given the widespread recognition today that cross-disciplinary communication and collaboration are necessary to not only pursue a curiosity-driven quest for fundamental knowledge but also address complex socioeconomic issues, interdisciplinary research (IDR) has become increasingly central to both academic interest and government science policies (Jacobs and Frickel, 2009 ; Roco et al., 2013 ; NRC, 2014 ; Allmendinger, 2015 ; Van Noorden, 2015 ; Davé et al., 2016b ; Wernli and Darbellay, 2016 ). Accordingly, various national and international programmes, focusing especially on promoting IDR, have recently been launched and developed in many countries through specialised research funding and grants or through staff allocations (e.g., Davé et al., 2016a ; Gleed and Marchant, 2016 ; Kuroki and Ukawa, 2017 ; NSF, 2019 ).

Driving these pro-IDR policies and the attendant rhetoric is an implicit assumption that IDR is inherently beneficial and has a more substantial impact compared with traditional disciplinary research. However, this assumption has rarely been supported by solid scientific evidence, and in most cases, the supposed merit of IDR has been based on anecdotal evidence from specific narrative examples or case studies (for related perspectives, see e.g., Jacobs and Frickel, 2009 , p. 60; Weingart, 2010 , p. 12). Considering the fact that significant resources have been and are being invested in promoting IDR, better clarity regarding the relationship between interdisciplinarity and its potential benefit, particularly the research performance, could help increase accountability for such policy actions.

Extant literature has investigated the relationship between interdisciplinarity and the research performance by using various data sources and methodologies, with different operationalisation of both dimensions (e.g., Steele and Stier, 2000 ; Rinia et al., 2001 ; Rinia et al., 2002 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Levitt and Thelwall, 2008 ; Larivière and Gingras, 2010 ; Chen et al., 2015 ; Elsevier, 2015 ; Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ; Leahey et al., 2017 ). Owing to such diverse investigation approaches, it is unsurprising that the results are usually neither consistent nor conformable and sometimes are even contradictory among the literature. Given this situation, it is desirable that a more robust and reproducible methodology be developed and implemented to systematically assess the value of IDR in practice. The present study seeks to contribute to this goal by developing a new testbed for IDR evaluation. The focus is especially placed on highly cited paper clusters known as the research fronts (RFs), which are defined by a co-citation clustering method (Small, 1973 ). In this new approach, the research interdisciplinarity is characterised by the disciplinary diversity of the papers that compose the RF, and the research performance is operationalised and measured as a field-normalised citation-based measure at the RF level.

This proposed RF-based approach has three major advantages over common approaches that focus, for instance, on individual papers (Steele and Stier, 2000 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Larivière and Gingras, 2010 ; Chen et al., 2015 ; Elsevier, 2015 ; Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ) to investigate the potential effect of interdisciplinarity on high-impact research. First, through the analyses of RFs, it is possible to capture a snapshot of the most lively, animated and high-impact research currently being undertaken in the academic sphere, since the papers composing RFs are classified as the most highly cited papers for each science discipline. As science policymakers, leaders, funders and practitioners are often most interested in promoting and supporting high-impact research, the evidence and insights obtained through this investigation of RFs can assist them in formulating more accountable policy recommendations that otherwise cannot be adequately addressed. Second, the RF is a unique manifestation of knowledge integration from different science disciplines. By construction, the interdisciplinarity operationalised at the RF level does not represent a mere parallel existence of discrete knowledge sources from multiple disciplines; rather, it indicates the state of the knowledge integration from multiple disciplines to create new knowledge syntheses. This organic scientific knowledge structure can be captured more effectively and robustly through RFs than through, for instance, an individual paper’s reference list. Consequently, the emergence of a new high-impact research area will also be more reliably detected at the RF level than at the paper level. The third advantage of the proposed RF-based approach is related to the technicalities. As discussed, RFs are unique self-organised units of knowledge in which bibliographically important information is effectively compressed and integrated. As this study considers thousands of papers, it is considerably more efficient and effective to handle RFs compared with a multitude of papers while conducting data retrieval, analysis and visualisation. These multifold advantages of the RF-based approach enable this study to comprehensively and uniquely assess the value of interdisciplinarity.

Methods: through the lens of emergent research fronts

The analyses in this study were based on the data retrieved from the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database, published by Clarivate Analytics, and data published by the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) of Japan. In this section, the definitions for the main terms used in this paper—the RFs, the research areas, the research impact and the interdisciplinarity index—are provided. Subsequently, the regression model specification used in this study and the rationale behind it are detailed.

Research fronts and (broad) research areas

The bibliometric data for the research papers (regular scientific articles and review articles) and citation counts were derived from more than 10,000 journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection published by Clarivate Analytics. The master journal list is updated regularly, with each journal being assigned to only one of the 22 ESI research areas (see Supplementary Table S1 ). Given a pre-set co-citation threshold, the original ‘ESI-RFs’ were defined based on the number of times the pairs of papers had been co-cited by the specified year and month within a five-year to six-year period. The ESI-RF investigation in this paper was focused on papers classified as ‘Highly Cited Papers’ in the ESI database, which are the top 1% for annual citation counts in each of the 22 ESI research areas based on the 10 most recent publication years.

Based on the ESI framework, the NISTEP’s Science Map dataset (NISTEP, 2014 , 2016 , 2018 ) defines a set of ‘aggregate RFs’ using a second-stage clustering in each of the three data periods: 2007–2012, 2009–2014 and 2011–2016, which are denoted in this study as S 2012 , S 2014 and S 2016 , respectively. Each dataset comprised approximately 800–900 of such ‘aggregate RFs’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘RFs’). The i -th RF in the aggregate dataset S   =   S 2012   ∪   S 2014   ∪   S 2016 was denoted by RF i . After excluding two RFs with missing data, there were | S | = 2,560 RFs collected for the total data period (2007–2016), with a cumulative number of 53,885 papers (Table 1 ).

For this study’s purpose, the 22 ESI research areas were reorganised into nine broad categories based on the classification scheme in Supplementary Table S1 . Of these, we focused on the following eight categories composed of 19 ESI natural science areas: ‘ Environmental and Geosciences ’, ‘ Physics and Space Sciences ’, ‘ Computational Science and Mathematics ’, ‘ Engineering ’, ‘ Materials Science ’, ‘ Chemistry ’, ‘ Clinical Medicine ’ and ‘ Basic Life Sciences ’, which we denote collectively as \({\mathscr{R}}\) . The other category, composed of the three ESI ‘non-natural-science’ areas—‘ Economics and Business ’, ‘ Social Sciences, General ’ and ‘ Multidisciplinary ’—was excluded from the analyses because the main research output were books rather than journal papers and thus were under-represented in the data.

Research impact measure

Although higher citations do not necessarily represent the intrinsic value or quality of a paper, research impact is commonly operationalised as citation-based measure (e.g., Steele and Stier, 2000 ; Rinia et al., 2001 , 2002 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Levitt and Thelwall, 2008 ; Larivière and Gingras, 2010 ; Chen et al., 2015 ; Elsevier, 2015 ; Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ), which is due to not only its intuitive and computational simplicity but also the data availability and tractability. Moreover, the citation-based research impact is often defined as a field-normalised measure, that is, the absolute citation counts divided by the world average in each discipline, in order to take into account for the disciplinary variations in publication and citation practices. This study also used a surrogate field-normalised citation-based measure of research impact; however, in contrast to previous studies, it was defined and measured at the RF level rather than at a paper level (Steele and Stier, 2000 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Larivière and Gingras, 2010 ; Chen et al., 2015 ; Elsevier, 2015 ; Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ), at a journal level (Levitt and Thelwall, 2008 ) or at a research programme level (Rinia et al., 2001 , 2002 ).

Let N i be the number of papers comprising RF i , and let \(N_i = \mathop {\sum}\nolimits_{{\mathrm{A}} \in {\mathscr{R}}} {N_{i,{\mathrm{A}}}}\) be its decomposition based on the research areas, where N i ,A is the number of papers in RF i attributed to each research area A  ∈   \({\mathscr{R}}\) . Let X i be the actual citation counts received by RF i . Let also C A;y/m be the baseline citation rate for each research area A as noted on the ESI database as of the specified year and month (‘y/m’), which is defined as the total citation counts received by all papers attributed to research area A divided by the total number of papers attributed to the same research area in the 10 years of the Web of Science. Then, the mean baseline citation rate for each research area A, denoted 〈 C A 〉, was obtained by averaging C A;y/m over all the ESI data periods from March 2017 to January 2019 (i.e., from y/m = 2017/03 to 2019/01; bimonthly) (Supplementary Table S2 ). Subsequently, the research impact measure for RF i was defined by

that is, the ratio of the actual citation counts earned by RF i to the expectation value of the citation counts for the same RF.

Interdisciplinarity index

The context-dependent nature of research interdisciplinarity has made its identification and assessment far from trivial, hitherto without a broad consensus on its operationalisation (Porter and Chubin, 1985 ; Morillo et al., 2003 ; Huutoniemi et al., 2010 ; Klein et al., 2010 ; Wagner et al. 2011 ; Siedlok and Hibbert, 2014 ; Adams et al., 2016 ). Numerous attempts have been made to develop methodologies for operationalising interdisciplinarity in practice, not only at the paper level (Morillo et al., 2001 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Porter and Rafols, 2009 ; Larivière and Gingras, 2010 ; Chen et al., 2015 ; Elsevier, 2015 ; Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ; Leahey et al., 2017 ) but also at a journal level (Morillo et al., 2003 ; Levitt and Thelwall, 2008 ; Leydesdorff and Rafols, 2011 ) or at a research programme level (Rinia et al., 2001 ; Rinia et al., 2002 ). Still, it is most popularly defined at a paper level, either in terms of ‘knowledge integration’, as measured through the proportion of references from different disciplines, or ‘knowledge diffusion’, as measured through the proportion of citations received from different disciplines (Porter and Chubin, 1985 ; Adams et al., 2007 ; Van Noorden, 2015 ). Regardless of the operationalisation level, a more refined quantitative approach to interdisciplinarity, conceptualised as the disciplinary diversity, necessarily requires the following three aspects: ‘variety’ (number of disciplines involved), ‘balance’ (distribution evenness across disciplines) and ‘dissimilarity’ (degree of dissimilarity between the disciplines) (see Rao, 1982 ; Stirling, 2007 ). Most previous IDR studies have evaluated interdisciplinarity based on either variety or balance, while some recent studies (e.g., Porter and Rafols, 2009 ; Leydesdorff and Rafols, 2011 ; Mugabushaka et al., 2016 ) have made efforts to incorporate the aspect of dissimilarity as well.

This study also operationalises interdisciplinarity as an integrated measure of the aforementioned three aspects; however, in contrast to previous studies, it was uniquely operationalised at the RF level. Specifically, the interdisciplinarity index for RF i was defined and evaluated using the following ‘canonical’ formula (Okamura, 2018 ):

Here, w i ,A denotes the relative abundance of a research area A in RF i , defined by, using the previous notations, w i ,A  =  N i ,A / N i , satisfying \({\sum\nolimits_{{\mathrm{A}} \in {\mathscr{R}}}} {w_{i,{\mathrm{A}}} = 1}\) . The effective affinity (i.e., similarity) between each pair of research areas A and B in \({\mathscr{R}}\) , denoted 〈 M AB 〉 in (2), was defined as the time-averaged Jaccard indices (see Supplementary Methods and Discussion ), where, as before, the bracket ‘〈…〉’ represented the average over the 12 ESI data periods. Figure 1 shows the chord diagram representation of the affinity matrix (see Supplementary Table S3 for the source data), from which it was evident that the degree of affinity varied considerably for different pairs of the disciplines.

A chord diagram representation of the affinities between research areas. The affinity indices were defined as the time-averaged Jaccard similarity indices and were evaluated between each pair of research areas ( Supplementary Methods and Discussion ). They were assigned to each connection between the research areas, represented proportionally by the size of each arc, from which it is evident that the degree of affinity varied considerably for different pairs of the disciplines (see Supplementary Table S3 for the source data)

The interdisciplinarity index (2) is unique because it is conceptualised as the effective number of distinct disciplines involved in each RF and is robust regarding the research discipline classification scheme. Specifically, it has the special property of remaining invariant under an arbitrary grouping of the constituent disciplines, given that the between-discipline affinity is properly defined for all pairs of disciplines. For instance, suppose one is interested in measuring the interdisciplinarity of RF i based on the classification scheme \({\mathscr{R}}\) 1 and someone else wishes to measure the interdisciplinarity of the same RF i based on the more aggregate classification scheme \({\mathscr{R}}\) 2 . Then, for the interdisciplinarity index to be a consistent measure of disciplinary diversity, both approaches must result in the same value for the interdisciplinarity; that is, \({\it{\Delta }}_i\left[ {{\mathscr{R}}_1} \right] = {\it{\Delta }}_i\left[ {{\mathscr{R}}_2} \right]\) . Otherwise, it results in an inconsistent situation as the interdisciplinarity changes with respect to the level (or ‘granularity’) of the research discipline classification, while the physical content of the RF (i.e., the constituent papers) remains the same. Note that popular (dis)similarity-based diversity measures such as the Rao-Stirling index (Rao, 1982 ; Stirling, 2007 ) and the Leinster-Cobbold index (Leinster and Cobbold, 2012 ) do not generally satisfy this invariance property; to the best of our knowledge, the only known diversity measure that respects this invariance property is given by the formula (2), the theoretical grounds for which have recently been established for a general diversity/entropy quantification context (Okamura, 2018 ).

Using this formula, the interdisciplinarity index for each RF in S was obtained, from which it was found that 43.6% of the RFs were mono-disciplinary (i.e., Δ = 1) and more than half were interdisciplinary (Fig. 2a ; median = 1.2, range = 2.5; see also Supplementary Fig. S1a ).

Relationship between research impact and interdisciplinarity. a The histogram for the interdisciplinarity index (median = 1.2, range = 2.5, interquartile range = 0.58); b The histogram for the log-transformed research impact (mean = 1.2, SD = 0.83); c The scatterplot showing the associations between the interdisciplinarity index and the log-transformed research impact. The solid line in the scatterplot represents the robust linear model fit. The shaded region and the dashed lines, respectively, indicate the 95% confidence interval based on the standard error of the mean and on the standard error of the forecast, including both the uncertainty of the mean prediction and the residual

Regression model

Based on the aforementioned operationalisations of the research impact and the interdisciplinarity index, the relationship between the two variables was analysed using a regression analysis method. As the histogram analysis showed that the original research impact distribution was skewed, it was log-transformed so that the distribution curve was closer to a normal curve (Fig. 2b ; mean = 1.2, SD = 0.83; see also Supplementary Fig. S1b ). The scatterplot of the log-transformed research impact against the interdisciplinarity index indicated that these variables were relatively linearly related (Fig. 2c ; see also Supplementary Fig. S2a–c ). Subsequently, the following multiple linear regression model was investigated:

where, x i was a l ×  k vector for predictive variables, and β was a k  × l vector for the regression coefficients, which were the unknown parameters to be estimated (with k being some integer). To deal with the possible issue of heteroscedasticity, the model was analysed using heteroscedasticity-robust standard errors (i.e., the Huber-White estimators of variance). In addition, a test for serial correlation (i.e., the Breusch-Godfrey Lagrange multiplier test) was conducted as a post-estimation procedure, which indicated that there was no serial correlation between the residuals in each model considered (see below).

For comparability, five different regression models corresponding to different specifications of the predictive variables were analysed and labelled Models 1–5, with the following sets of predictive variables, respectively, defined for each model:

In Model 1, the interdisciplinarity index was used as the only predictive variable, which was added to the intercept term (constant). In Model 2, the variables associated with IntlCollab and IntlCiting , denoting the proportion of internationally collaborated papers in papers comprising an RF and in the citing papers, respectively, were included as additional predictive variables. Models 3, 4 and 5, in the same manner, represented the prior model with a new set of predictive variables, respectively, added as follows: Year dummy variables for the different years (2012, 2014 and 2016) of the Science Map to capture the possible time-fixed effects; a ‘ Research Area ’ control set to represent the proportion of papers belonging to each research area A  ∈   \({\mathscr{R}}\) ; and a ‘ Country ’ control set to represent the proportion of papers for which authors from each country of \({\mathscr{C}}\)  = { US, France, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, China } contributed (measured on a fractional-count basis). The last two control sets were introduced to, respectively, account for the possible discipline-related and country-related effects that could reflect such factors as research environment, practices and cultures intrinsic to each discipline or/and country.

In interpreting the regression results, each regression coefficient β k (i.e., the k -th component of β in Eq. ( 3 )) indicated that a one point increase in the predictive variable x k was associated with β k point increase in ln( I ), or equivalently, [exp( β k )−1] × 100% increase in the research impact ( I ) at the specified significance level. Care should be taken in interpreting the results for the proportion variables ( IntlCollab , IntlCiting , ‘ Research Area ’ and ‘ Country ’ control sets) as the regression coefficients for each of these variables represented the effect on the criterion variable (i.e., the log-transformed research impact) associated with a 100% increase in the proportion variable. For the time-fixed effects, the base category was chosen as Year  = 2014, against which the effects of the other two data periods (corresponding to Year  = 2012 and 2016) were measured. For the ‘ Research Area ’ control set, the effect of the proportion of each research area in \({\mathscr{R}}\) was measured against the set of ‘residual’ (i.e., ‘non-natural-science’) ESI research areas. Finally, for the ‘ Country ’ control set, the effect of the share of each country in \({\mathscr{C}}\) was measured against the set of those countries not listed in \({\mathscr{C}}\) .

Results: interdisciplinarity as a key driver of impact at research fronts

The results of the multiple regression analyses for all the five models ( n  = 2,560; two-tailed) are summarised in Supplementary Table S4 . Based on the adjusted- R 2 for each model (the bottom row of the table), Model 5 was found to be the preferred model in terms of the goodness-of-fit, and therefore, this model was considered in detail in this study; see Table 2 for the summary table.

Particularly, the estimated coefficient for the interdisciplinarity index was found to be positive and statistically highly significant. Specifically, a one point increase in the interdisciplinarity index in an RF (i.e., an increase in the effective number of distinct disciplines by one) is, on average, associated with approximately a (( e 0.186 −1) × 100% ≈) 20% increase in the research impact, holding other relevant factors constant ( P  < 0.001). This appears to imply that, on average, a high-impact RF is more likely to be formed either in the presence of disciplines that are more dissimilar or with a more balanced mix of distinct disciplines, or both. What this indicates is that while the papers composing the RFs were already high-impact papers as they were classified as ‘Highly Cited Papers’ in the ESI database, nevertheless the degree of the ‘high-impact’ at the RF level was found to be higher on average as the interdisciplinarity level increased. Notably, this implication was found to hold sufficiently generally, reproducing the same results qualitatively for each data period separately (Supplementary Fig. S2a–c ).

Though outside the main scope of the present study, the regression results led to additional intriguing implications for the research impact predictors. Particularly, the regression coefficient for IntlCollab implied that a 1% increase in the international collaboration in an RF was, on average, associated with an approximately 0.6% increase in the research impact ( P  < 0.001), which was also found to hold sufficiently generally across the three data periods. By contrast, the regression coefficient for IntlCiting was found to be negatively significant ( P  < 0.001). For the time-fixed effects, the research impact was found to be, on average, statistically significantly lower in the ‘2012’ data compared with the ‘2014’ or ‘2016’ data ( P  < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the ‘2014’ and ‘2016’ data (see also Supplementary Fig. S1b , which already indicated this trend via the kernel density estimations for the criterion variable). Further, the coefficient for each of the ‘ Research Area ’ variables was found to be positively significant ( P  < 0.001), indicating that, on average, a paper belonging to either area of \({\mathscr{R}}\) is likely to have a higher research impact compared with a paper attributed to the ‘residual’ (i.e., ‘non-natural-science’) research area. Finally, the result for each of the country-share variables in \({\mathscr{C}}\) provided some intriguing insights into its effect on the research impact. For instance, the result for the variable ‘ US ’ implied that, on average, replacing 1% of the contributions from the ‘residual’ countries with that from the US resulted in an approximately 0.3% increase in the research impact ( P  < 0.001). These observed relationships between the research impact and each predictor variable, along with their policy implications, should be investigated in future studies.

Discussion: evolving landscape of cross-disciplinary research impact

To further enhance our understanding of the relationship between interdisciplinarity and research impact, a more detailed investigation of the finer structures and evolutionary dynamism of high-impact research over time and across disciplines is desirable. For this purpose, we present in the following a new bibliometric visualisation technique and demonstrate its potential use in the study of interdisciplinarity.

‘ Science Landscape ’: a novel bibliometric visualisation approach

Significant efforts have been made to visualise scientific outputs, especially bibliometric data regarding the citation characteristics. Such efforts have been partially successful in displaying the links between and across various research disciplines or subject categories (Small, 1999 ; Boyack et al. 2005 ; Igami and Saka, 2007 ; Leydesdorff and Rafols, 2009 ; Porter and Rafols, 2009 ; Van Noorden, 2015 ; Klavans and Boyack, 2017 ; Elsevier, 2019 ). Each alternative form of ‘science mapping’ has its own merit in particular situations, offering complementary and synergistically beneficial implications not only for a deeper understanding of academic (inter-)disciplinarity but also for policy implementation. To contribute to the evidence-base in this fast-growing and innovative field, here we present a new technique—called the Science Landscape —that visualises research impact and its development patterns in relation to the entire natural science discipline corpus. The same research impact measure and the interdisciplinarity index as used in the previous sections were employed to ensure methodological consistency between the empirical implications drawn from this new visualisation technique and the quantitative evidence already obtained from the regression analyses.

In the Science Landscape diagrams (Fig. 3a–c ), the eight (broad) research areas were arranged along the edge of a circular map, with the angle of each research area being proportional to the number of papers attributed to that research area. Each RF was then mapped onto the circular map for each data period (Supplementary Fig. S3a–c ), so that the distance from the edge to the centre indicated the RF’s interdisciplinarity index; that is, the closer it was to the centre, the greater the degree of interdisciplinarity. The angle around the centre was determined by the disciplinary composition; that is, the closer it was to a particular research area, the higher its share in the disciplinary composition. A similar circular research field frame (27 subject areas) is used in the ‘Wheel of Science’ for Elsevier’s SciVal system based on Scopus data (Klavans and Boyack, 2017 ; Elsevier, 2019 ); however, the objectives and what is mapped and how it is mapped are dissimilar. In particular, the Science Landscape shown here was based on 3D mapping technology, so that the height of each RF i was proportional to the log-transformed research impact, ln( I i ), with the highest (‘over the clouds’) and lowest (‘under the sea’) research impact levels being depicted in red and blue, respectively. Here the heights of the RFs were not added vertically; rather, at each map position, the maximum height value was used to depict the surface of the landscape. The rationale behind this method was that for the current purpose of investigating the cross-disciplinary spectrum of research impact, it was more meaningful and implicative to visualise ‘individually outstanding high-impact RFs’ rather than ‘a number of low-impact RFs additively forming high peaks’.

Dynamic evolution of research impact across disciplines. Corresponding to each data period—2007–2012 ( a ), 2009–2014 ( b ) and 2011–2016 ( c )—the Science Landscape diagrams are shown. The figures on the left show the top views and the figures on the right show the birds-eye views. The eight ‘base’ research areas are arranged along the edge of the circular map, and the angle allocated to each research area is proportional to the number of papers from each discipline. The highest and lowest levels of research impact are depicted in red and blue, respectively

Moreover, each RF’s concrete disciplinary composition was indicated by the direction(s) towards which the RF’s peak tails (see Supplementary Fig. S4 ). For instance, in the Science Landscape for 2009–2014 (Fig. 3b ), there is a high research impact peak ( I  = 100.7) near the centre that has one tail towards ‘ Comp & Math ’ and another tail towards ‘ Basic Life Sciences ’ (the solid square region). In light of the original NISTEP’s Science Map dataset (NISTEP, 2016 ), this peak corresponds to the RF characterised by feature words such as ‘RNA Seq’ and ‘next generation sequencing’. Then, intuitively, this correspondence indicates that during this period, there was a scientific breakthrough related to new sequencing technology that occurred at the intersection of these two disciplines. Further technical and mathematical details including the explicit functional form of the 3D research impact profile are presented in Supplementary Methods and Discussion .

Provided the above encoding, the Science Landscape diagrams (Fig. 3a–c ) clearly illustrate how the shape of interdisciplinarity has changed over the three data periods. It is noticeable that the overall landscape of the research impact has never been static, monolithic nor homogeneous; rather, it evolves dynamically, both over time and across disciplines. One of the most remarkable features can be seen in the northwest of the map (dashed circle region) at the low ivory-white-coloured ‘mountains’ in 2007–2012 (Fig. 3a ), where new high-impact RFs are evolving and developing into a group of yellow-coloured mid-height ‘mountains’ in the years up to 2009–2014 (Fig. 3b ) and towards 2001–2016 (Fig. 3c ). This dynamic research impact growth indicates the increased IDR focus around the region during the data period. Thus, this visualisation can assist identifying where the scientific community’s focus of attention is undergoing a massive change, where high-impact IDR is underway worldwide, and where new knowledge domains are being created. Each landscape appears to represent the superposition of the following two research impact evolutionary patterns; one that has steady, stable or predictable development that accounts for the ‘global’ or ‘evergreen’ structure of the landscape, and the other that represents a breakthrough in science or a discontinuous innovation, induced ‘locally’ in a rather abrupt or unpredictable manner. The challenge of science policy, therefore, is developing ways to address each of these dynamic evolutionary patterns and the mechanism thereof and to promote IDR in a more evidence-based manner with increased accountability for the investments made.

Summary and conclusions: towards evidence-based interdisciplinary science policymaking

This study revisited the classic question as to the degree of influence interdisciplinarity has on research performance by focusing on the highly cited paper clusters known as the RFs. The RF-based approach developed in this paper had several advantages over more traditional approaches based on a paper-level or journal-level analysis. The multifold advantages included: quality-screening, cross-disciplinary knowledge syntheses, structural robustness and effective data handling. Based on data collected from 2,560 RFs from all natural science disciplines that had been published from 2007 to 2016, the potential effect of interdisciplinarity on the research impact was evaluated using a regression analysis. It was found that an increase by one in the effective number of distinct disciplines involved in an RF was statistically highly significantly associated with an approximately 20% increase in the research impact, defined as a field-normalised citation-based measure. These findings provide verifiable evidence for the merits of IDR, shedding new light on the value and impact of crossing disciplinary borders. Further, a new visualisation technique—the Science Landscape —was applied to identify the research areas in which high-impact IDR is underway and to investigate its evolution over time and across disciplines. Collectively, this study established a new framework for understanding the nature and dynamism of IDR in relation to existing disciplines and its relevance to science policymaking.

Validity and limitations

The new conceptual and methodological framework developed to reveal the nature of IDR in this paper would be of interest to a wide range of communities and people involved in research activities. However, as with any bibliometric research, this study also faced various limitations that may have impacted the general validity of the findings, and thus, its practicability in the real policymaking process is necessarily limited. To conclude, some of these key issues and challenges are highlighted.

First, both the regression analysis results and the Science Landscape visualisations should be assessed with caution as they may be highly dependent on the research area classification scheme, which is not unique. Research area specifications other than those used in this study could also have been applied. For instance, a factor-analytical approach (Leydesdorff and Rafols, 2009 ) to identify a ‘better justified’ set of academic disciplines could be useful in providing a more nuanced assessment and understanding of the nature of interdisciplinarity and could possibly have higher robustness and reliability. Moreover, a different research area arrangement along the edge of the circular map would have resulted in different Science Landscape visualisations, and the cross-disciplinary spectrum of research impact might have been more plentiful or profound than observed in this study.

Second, in relation to the first point, the quantification of the affinity between the research areas could have been refined in other acceptable ways. Our rationale behind the definition of the between-discipline affinity based on the Jaccard-index was that papers from closer (i.e., with higher affinity) research areas were more likely to be co-cited, and thus more likely to belong to the same ESI-RF (see Supplementary Methods and Discussion ). In this approach, the affinity matrix was defined solely using the bibliometric method, and therefore its matrix elements may have been more or less biased because of the publication/citation practices of the existing disciplines. Consequently, it may have failed to capture the inherent ‘true’ between-discipline affinities responsible for the ‘true’ interdisciplinarity operationalised at the RF level.

Third, it is unlikely that the regression model specification used in this study included every salient research impact predictor. For example, factors such as the types of research institute, departmental affiliations, individual journal characteristics and funding opportunities (e.g., funding agencies and programmes/fellowships) were not considered in the model owing to their unavailability in the dataset. Moreover, the links between the different scientific specialties irrespective of their academic discipline could have also influenced the research performances. These omitted variables may also have affected the regression results because they may be associated with both the criterion variable (i.e., the research impact) and some predictive variables including the interdisciplinarity index.

Finally, there are inherent limitations in using citation-based methods to evaluate research performance. Combining bibliometric approaches with expert judgements from qualitative perspectives will be favoured to extract the policy implications and recommendations from a wider context. Although the societal impacts of research (see e.g., Bornmann, 2013 ) were beyond the scope of the present work, it is hoped that this study’s findings can be extended to incorporate such societal aspects. In so doing, it is also important to consider not only the benefits but also the costs of IDR (Yegros-Yegros et al., 2015 ; Leahey et al., 2017 ) for interdisciplinary approaches to provide viable policy options for decision-makers.

With further conceptual and methodological improvements, it is hoped that future studies can reveal more about the nature of IDR and its intrinsic academic and/or societal value by overcoming some of the aforementioned limitations. Continued efforts will contribute to the development of the more evidence-based and accountable IDR strategies that will be imperative for addressing, coping with and overcoming contemporary and future challenges of the world.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analysed during this study are not currently publicly available, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was conducted as part of the in-house research activities of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. This work also contributes to the MEXT’s ‘Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX)’ programme, hosted at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), for which the author serves as Policy Liaison Officer. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the author and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the government of Japan.

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• Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: Study the integration of artificial intelligence and robotics in various applications, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and exploration.
• Biomedical Engineering: Explore the intersection of biology and engineering to develop innovative medical devices, diagnostics, and therapies.
• Environmental Health: Investigate the impacts of environmental factors on human health, including air and water pollution, climate change, and toxic substances.
• Bioinformatics and Genomics: Study the analysis of biological data, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, using computational tools and techniques.
• Sustainable Materials: Research sustainable materials and manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact and promote resource efficiency.
• Disaster Risk Reduction: Explore strategies for mitigating the impact of natural disasters, including early warning systems, infrastructure resilience, and community preparedness.
• Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Study the use of satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS technology to monitor and analyze environmental changes.
• Neuroscience and Cognitive Science: Investigate the structure and function of the brain, cognition, and behavior, including applications in education, healthcare, and artificial intelligence.
• Alternative Transportation: Research alternative transportation systems, including electric vehicles, public transit, and non-motorized modes, to reduce carbon emissions and congestion.
• Water Resource Management: Explore strategies for sustainable water resource management, including conservation, desalination, and wastewater treatment.
• Social-Ecological Systems: Study the interactions between human societies and natural ecosystems, including resilience, adaptation, and governance.
• Biogeography and Conservation Biology: Investigate patterns of biodiversity, species distribution, and conservation priorities in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Cultural Heritage Preservation: Explore methods for preserving cultural heritage sites, artifacts, and traditions in the face of environmental threats and human activities.
• Bioenergy Production: Research the production of biofuels, biogas, and biomass energy from renewable biological sources to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Science Education and Outreach: Study effective strategies for teaching and communicating scientific concepts, promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) literacy, and engaging the public in scientific inquiry.
• Green Chemistry: Investigate environmentally friendly approaches to chemical synthesis, manufacturing, and waste management to reduce pollution and resource consumption.
• Systems Biology: Explore the complexity of biological systems, including cellular networks, signaling pathways, and gene regulation, using computational and mathematical models.
• Social Innovation and Sustainable Development: Research innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges, including poverty, inequality, and climate change adaptation.
• Astrophysics and Cosmology: Study the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe, including dark matter, dark energy, and the search for extraterrestrial life.
• Smart Cities: Explore the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve urban infrastructure, services, and quality of life.
• Food Security and Nutrition: Investigate strategies for ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all, including sustainable agriculture, food distribution, and dietary diversity.
• Behavioral Ecology: Study the behavior of animals in their natural environments, including foraging, mating, and social interactions, and its ecological and evolutionary significance.
• Energy Policy and Governance: Examine policies, regulations, and institutions governing energy production, distribution, and consumption, including the transition to renewable energy sources.
• Infectious Disease Dynamics: Investigate the transmission dynamics, evolution, and control of infectious diseases, including emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.
• Green Infrastructure: Research the design and implementation of green spaces, urban forests, and natural habitats in urban areas to enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and improve quality of life.
• Data Science and Big Data Analytics: Study the collection, analysis, and interpretation of large and complex datasets from diverse scientific disciplines, including applications in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and business.
• Chemical Ecology: Explore the role of chemical signals in ecological interactions, including predator-prey relationships, plant-insect interactions, and microbial communication.
• Social Network Analysis: Investigate the structure and dynamics of social networks, including online communities, collaboration networks, and information diffusion.
• Geoengineering: Study proposed techniques for deliberately manipulating the Earth’s climate system to mitigate the effects of climate change, including solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal.
• Regenerative Medicine: Research approaches to repair, replace, or regenerate damaged tissues and organs using stem cells, tissue engineering, and gene therapy techniques.

Integrated Science Research Topics/Papers

List of integrated science research project topics and papers – download in pdf or doc format.

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110+ Best Science Investigatory Project Topics: Dive into Science

• Post author By admin
• September 29, 2023

Explore a wide range of science investigatory project topics to engage in innovative research and make significant contributions to the field.

Get ready to dive headfirst into the thrilling world of Science Investigatory Project (SIP) topics! Imagine a journey where you become a scientist, an explorer of the unknown, and a solver of real-world puzzles.

This is what SIP offers – a chance to channel your inner curiosity and creativity into the fascinating realm of science.

From unlocking the secrets of life in biology to experimenting with the wonders of chemistry, from unraveling the mysteries of the universe in physics to addressing vital environmental issues – SIP topics are your keys to a world of exploration.

In this adventure, we’ll guide you through an array of captivating SIP ideas. These topics aren’t just assignments; they’re opportunities to uncover new knowledge, make a difference, and have a blast along the way.

So, gear up for an exciting journey, as we unveil the science topics that could spark your imagination and fuel your passion for discovery. Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

What is a Science Investigatory Project?

Imagine stepping into the shoes of a scientist – asking questions, running experiments, and discovering the secrets of the world around you. That’s exactly what a Science Investigatory Project, or SIP, is all about.

At its core, a SIP is a thrilling journey of scientific exploration. It’s a project that challenges you to pick a problem, make educated guesses (that’s your hypothesis), roll up your sleeves for experiments, collect data, and connect the dots to find answers.

Here’s how it works

Step 1: the mystery.

You start with a question – something that piques your curiosity. It could be anything from “Why do plants grow towards the light?” to “What makes the sky blue?” Your SIP is your ticket to unravel these mysteries.

Step 2: The Guess

Next comes your hypothesis – a fancy word for your best guess at the answer. It’s like saying, “I think this is what’s happening, and here’s why.”

Step 3: The Detective Work

Now, it’s time for the fun part – experimenting! You set up tests, tweak variables, and observe closely. Whether you’re mixing chemicals, observing insects, or measuring temperature, you’re the scientist in charge.

Step 4: Clues and Evidence

As you experiment, you collect clues in the form of data – numbers, measurements, observations. It’s like gathering puzzle pieces.

Step 5: The “Aha!” Moment

When you analyze your data, patterns start to emerge. You connect those puzzle pieces until you have a clear picture. Does your data support your guess (hypothesis), or do you need to rethink things?

Step 6: Sharing Your Discovery

Scientists don’t keep their findings to themselves. They share them with the world. Your SIP report or presentation is your chance to do just that. You explain what you did, what you found, and why it matters.

So, why do SIPs matter? They’re not just school projects. They’re your chance to think like a scientist, ask questions like a detective, and discover like an explorer. They’re where you become the expert, the innovator, the problem-solver.

From the mysteries of biology to the wonders of chemistry and the enigmas of physics, SIPs open doors to countless adventures in science. So, what question will you ask? What mystery will you solve? Your SIP journey awaits – embrace it, and you might just uncover something amazing.

Choosing the Right SIP Topic

Choosing the right Science Investigatory Project (SIP) topic is like selecting a path for your scientific adventure. It’s a critical decision, and here’s how to make it count:

Follow Your Passion

Your SIP topic should resonate with your interests. Pick something you’re genuinely curious about. When you’re passionate, the research becomes a thrilling quest, not a chore.

Real-World Relevance

Consider how your topic connects to the real world. Can your research shed light on a problem or offer solutions? SIPs are a chance to make a tangible impact.

Feasibility

Be realistic about the resources at your disposal. Choose a topic that you can explore within your time frame and access to equipment. Avoid overly ambitious projects that might overwhelm you.

Originality Matters

While it’s okay to explore well-trodden paths, strive for a unique angle. What can you add to the existing knowledge? Innovative ideas often lead to exciting discoveries.

Mentor Guidance

If you’re feeling uncertain, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from teachers or mentors. They can help you refine your ideas and offer valuable insights.

Remember, your SIP topic is the compass for your scientific journey. It should excite your curiosity, have real-world significance, and be feasible within your means. So, choose wisely, and let your scientific adventure begin!

Popular Science Investigatory Project Topics

Now that we’ve established the criteria for selecting a SIP topic, let’s explore some captivating ideas across various scientific domains.

• Investigating the Effects of Various Soil Types on Plant Growth
• The Impact of Different Water pH Levels on Aquatic Life
• Studying the Behavior of Insects in Response to Environmental Changes
• Analyzing the Effect of Different Light Intensities on Photosynthesis
• Exploring the Microbial Diversity in Different Soil Samples
• Investigating the Antioxidant Properties of Various Fruit Extracts
• Studying the Growth Patterns of Mold on Different Types of Food
• Analyzing the Effects of Temperature on Enzyme Activity
• Investigating the Impact of Pollution on the Health of Local Wildlife
• Exploring the Relationship Between Diet and Gut Microbiota Composition
• Developing Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products from Household Ingredients
• Investigating the Chemical Composition of Common Food Preservatives
• Analyzing the Effects of Different Chemical Reactions on Metal Corrosion
• Studying the Factors Affecting the Rate of Vitamin C Degradation in Fruit Juices
• Exploring the Chemistry Behind the Colors of Fireworks
• Investigating the Efficiency of Various Household Water Softeners
• Synthesizing Biodegradable Polymers from Natural Sources
• Studying the Chemical Reactions Involved in Baking Soda and Vinegar Reactions
• Analyzing the Impact of Acids and Bases on Tooth Enamel
• Investigating the Chemical Composition of Different Brands of Shampoos
• Designing and Testing a Solar-Powered Water Heater
• Investigating the Factors Affecting the Bounce Height of Balls
• Studying the Relationship Between Temperature and Electrical Conductivity in Materials
• Analyzing the Efficiency of Different Insulating Materials
• Exploring the Effects of Magnetism on Plant Growth
• Investigating the Behavior of Sound Waves in Different Environments
• Studying the Impact of Projectile Launch Angles on Distance
• Analyzing the Factors Affecting the Speed of Falling Objects
• Investigating the Reflection and Refraction of Light in Different Media
• Exploring the Relationship Between the Length of a Pendulum and Its Period

Environmental Science

• Analyzing the Effects of Urban Green Spaces on Air Quality
• Investigating the Impact of Microplastics on Marine Life
• Studying the Relationship Between Temperature and Ocean Acidification
• Exploring the Effects of Deforestation on Local Ecosystems
• Investigating the Factors Contributing to Soil Erosion in a Watershed
• Analyzing the Impact of Noise Pollution on Wildlife Behavior
• Studying the Relationship Between Temperature and Ice Melt Rates
• Investigating the Effect of Urbanization on Local Bird Populations
• Exploring the Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health in Urban Areas
• Analyzing the Biodiversity of Insects in Urban vs. Rural Environments

Social Sciences

• Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Use on Teenagers’ Mental Health
• Investigating the Factors Influencing Online Shopping Behavior
• Studying the Effects of Different Teaching Methods on Student Engagement
• Analyzing the Impact of Parenting Styles on Children’s Academic Performance
• Investigating the Relationship Between Music Preferences and Stress Levels
• Exploring the Factors Contributing to Workplace Stress and Burnout
• Studying the Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Access to Healthcare
• Analyzing the Factors Influencing Voting Behavior in Local Elections
• Investigating the Impact of Advertising on Consumer Purchasing Decisions
• Exploring the Effects of Cultural Diversity on Team Performance in the Workplace

These SIP topics offer a wide range of research opportunities for students in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science. Students can choose topics that align with their interests and contribute to their understanding of the natural world.

Conducting Your SIP

So, you’ve picked an exciting Science Investigatory Project (SIP) topic and you’re all set to dive into the world of scientific exploration. But how do you go from a brilliant idea to conducting your own experiments? Let’s break it down into easy steps:

Step 1: Dive into Research

Before you start mixing chemicals or setting up experiments, it’s time for some detective work. Dive into research! What’s already out there about your topic? Books, articles, websites – explore them all. This background study gives you the superpower of knowledge before you even start.

Step 2: Hypothesize Away!

With all that newfound wisdom, formulate a hypothesis. Don your scientist’s hat and make an educated guess about what you think will happen during your experiments. It’s like making a bet with science itself!

Step 3: Time for Action

Now comes the fun part. Design your experiments. What materials do you need? What steps should you follow? Imagine you’re a mad scientist with a plan! Then, go ahead and conduct your experiments. Be precise, follow your plan, and observe like Sherlock.

Step 4: Collect That Data

During your experiments, be a data ninja. Record everything. Measurements, observations, weird surprises – they’re all clues! The more detailed your notes, the better.

Step 5: Decode Your Findings

Time to put on your detective’s hat again. What do your data and observations tell you? Look for patterns, anomalies, and secrets your experiments are revealing. This is where the real magic happens.

Step 6: The Big Reveal

Now, reveal the grand finale – your conclusions! Did your experiments support your hypothesis, or did they throw you a curveball? Discuss what your findings mean and why they matter. It’s like solving the mystery in a thrilling novel.

Step 7: Your SIP Report

Finally, put it all together in your SIP report. Think of it as your scientific storybook. Share your journey with the world. Start with the introduction, add in your methodology, sprinkle your results and discussions, and wrap it up with a conclusion that leaves your readers in awe.

Remember, this isn’t just about science; it’s about your adventure in discovering the unknown. Have fun, be curious, and let your inner scientist shine!

What is a good topic for an investigatory project?

A good topic for an investigatory project depends on your interests and the resources available to you. Here are some broad categories and potential topics to consider:

• The Impact of Different Fertilizers on Plant Growth
• Investigating the Effect of Air Pollution on Local Plant Life
• Analyzing the Quality of Drinking Water from Various Sources
• Studying the Growth of Microorganisms in Different Water Types
• Creating Biodegradable Plastics from Natural Materials
• Investigating the Chemical Composition of Household Cleaning Products
• Analyzing the Effects of Different Cooking Oils on Food Nutrition
• Testing the pH Levels of Various Household Substances
• Studying the Behavior of Ants in Response to Different Food Types
• Investigating the Impact of Light Exposure on Seed Germination
• Analyzing the Effects of Different Music Types on Plant Growth
• Designing and Testing a Simple Wind Turbine
• Investigating the Relationship Between Temperature and Electrical Conductivity in Materials
• Studying the Behavior of Different Types of Pendulums
• Analyzing the Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Solar Panels
• Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Use on Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns
• Investigating the Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior in Online Shopping
• Studying the Effects of Different Teaching Methods on Student Learning
• Analyzing the Relationship Between Music Preferences and Mood

Computer Science and Technology

• Developing a Smartphone App for Personal Productivity
• Investigating the Factors Affecting Wi-Fi Signal Strength in Different Locations
• Analyzing the Impact of Screen Time on Productivity and Well-being
• Studying the Efficiency of Different Coding Languages in Software Development

When choosing a topic, consider your interests, available resources, and the potential impact of your project. It’s essential to select a topic that excites you and allows you to conduct meaningful research.

Additionally, check with your school or instructor for any specific guidelines or requirements for your investigatory project.

What should I do in a science investigatory project?

So, you’re all set to embark on a thrilling adventure known as a Science Investigatory Project (SIP). But where do you start, and what should you be doing? Here’s your guide to diving headfirst into the world of scientific exploration:

Choose a Topic That Sparks Your Interest

Begin by picking a topic that genuinely excites you. It should be something you’re curious about, like “Why do plants grow towards the light?” or “How does pollution affect local water quality?”

Unleash Your Inner Detective with Background Research

Dive into the world of books, articles, and online resources. Learn everything you can about your chosen topic. It’s like gathering clues to solve a mystery.

Craft Your Hypothesis – Your Educated Guess

Formulate a hypothesis. Think of it as your scientific prediction. What do you think will happen when you investigate your question? Make an educated guess and write it down.

Plan Your Scientific Experiments

Now, let’s get hands-on! Plan your experiments. What materials will you need? What steps will you follow? Imagine you’re a mad scientist with a plan to uncover the secrets of the universe!

Collect Data – Be a Data Ninja

During your experiments, be a data ninja! Record everything meticulously. Measurements, observations, quirky surprises – they’re all part of your data treasure trove.

Decode Your Findings – Be a Scientific Sleuth

Time to decode the clues! Analyze your data like a scientific sleuth. Look for patterns, unexpected twists, and, most importantly, what your experiments are trying to tell you.

Share Your Scientific Tale: The SIP Report

It’s time to tell your scientific tale. Create your SIP report – your storybook of science. Start with the introduction, add in your experiments, sprinkle with results, and wrap it up with a conclusion that leaves your readers in awe.

Share Your Discoveries with the World

If you can, share your SIP findings. Present your work to your classmates, at science fairs, or anywhere you can. Share your excitement about science with the world!

Remember, SIP isn’t just about following steps; it’s about your adventure in discovering the mysteries of the universe. So, stay curious, have fun, and let your inner scientist shine!

What are the best topics for investigatory project chemistry class 12?

Hey there, future chemists! It’s time to explore the fascinating world of Chemistry with some class 12 investigatory project ideas that will not only challenge your scientific skills but also pique your curiosity:

Water Wizardry

Dive into the world of H2O and analyze water samples from different sources – tap water, well water, and that bottled stuff. Let’s uncover the secrets of your hydration!

Biodiesel Bonanza

Ever wondered if you could turn cooking oil into fuel? Investigate the synthesis of biodiesel from everyday vegetable oils, and let’s see if we can power the future with French fries!

Vitamin C Showdown

Put on your lab coat and determine the vitamin C content in various fruit juices. Is your morning OJ really packed with vitamin C? Let’s find out!

Race Against Time – The Iodine Clock

Get ready to race time itself! Study the kinetics of the iodine clock reaction and see how factors like concentration and temperature affect this chemistry marvel.

Shampoo Chemistry

Let’s turn your shower into a science lab! Test the pH levels of different shampoos – are they gentle or are they acidic? Your hair deserves the best!

Heavy Metal Detectives

Investigate soils for heavy metals. Are there hidden dangers lurking beneath our feet? Let’s discover the truth and protect the environment.

Metal Makeover

Ever dreamed of turning ordinary objects into shimmering treasures? Electroplate items like coins or jewelry with various metals and unveil their magical transformations!

The Dye Chronicles

Explore the vibrant world of food dyes used in your favorite treats. What’s really behind those bright colors? Let’s uncover the secrets of our rainbow foods!

Solubility Sleuths

Unravel the mysteries of solubility! How does temperature impact the solubility of common salts? Let’s dissolve some science questions.

Perfume Alchemy

Dive into the world of fragrances! Analyze the chemical components in different perfumes and discover the magic behind your favorite scents.

Remember, the best project is one that not only challenges you but also stirs your scientific curiosity. Choose a topic that excites you, and let your chemistry adventure begin!

What are good science experiment ideas?

• Light Dance with Plants: Imagine plants swaying to the rhythm of light! Explore how different types of light affect plant growth – from disco-like colorful LEDs to the soothing glow of natural sunlight.
• Kitchen Warriors: Don your lab coat and investigate everyday kitchen items like garlic, honey, and vinegar as germ-fighting superheroes. Who knew your kitchen could be a battleground for bacteria?
• Animal Extravaganza: Dive into the world of critters! Observe and report on the curious behaviors of your chosen animal buddies. It’s like being a wildlife detective in your own backyard.
• Fizz, Pop, and Bang: Get ready for some explosive fun! Experiment with classic chemical reactions that sizzle and explode, like the volcanic eruption of baking soda and vinegar.
• Titration Showdown: Become a master of precision with acid-base titration. Unlock the secrets of unknown solutions, like a chemistry detective solving mysteries.
• Crystal Kingdom: Step into the magical world of crystals. Grow your own dazzling crystals and reveal how factors like temperature and concentration influence their growth.
• Swingin’ Pendulums: Swing into action with pendulums! Investigate how factors like pendulum length and mass affect the way they sway. It’s like dancing with physics.
• Machine Marvels: Enter the world of simple machines. Uncover the mechanical magic behind levers, pulleys, and inclined planes as you lift heavy objects with ease.
• Electromagnet Madness: Get electrified! Build your own electromagnet and experiment with coils and currents to see how they shape magnetic fields.
• Water Adventure: Dive into water quality testing. Collect samples from different sources and become a water detective, searching for clues about pollution and health.
• Air Expedition: Take to the skies with your own air quality station. Discover what’s floating in the air around you, from tiny particles to invisible gases.
• Climate Crusaders: Join the battle against climate change. Investigate how shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns impact your local ecosystem.

Earth Science

• Rock Detectives: Grab your magnifying glass and investigate rocks and fossils in your area. It’s like traveling through time to uncover Earth’s ancient secrets.
• Weather Watchers: Become a meteorologist with your own weather station. Predict the weather and marvel at how the atmosphere behaves around you.
• Volcano Eruption Spectacle: Get ready for volcanic eruptions without the lava! Create a stunning volcano model and watch it come to life with your own eruptions.
• Starry Nights: Explore the cosmos with a telescope and discover celestial wonders, from the rings of Saturn to the galaxies far, far away.
• Moon Phases Odyssey: Join the lunar calendar club! Track the Moon’s different faces over weeks and become an expert on lunar phases.
• Solar Eclipse Spectacle: Witness the sky’s ultimate blockbuster – a solar eclipse! Safely observe this cosmic dance with eclipse glasses and telescopes.

These science experiments are not just about learning; they’re about unleashing your inner scientist and having a blast along the way! So, pick your favorite, put on your lab coat, and let the science adventures begin!

In wrapping up our exploration of Science Investigatory Project (SIP) topics, it’s clear that we’ve uncovered a treasure trove of possibilities. These topics are more than just words on a page; they’re gateways to adventure, inquiry, and understanding.

We’ve ventured into diverse realms of science, from the secrets of plant life to the hidden chemistry of everyday items. We’ve danced with the laws of physics, delved into environmental enigmas, and probed the complexities of human behavior. These topics aren’t just ideas; they’re invitations to explore the wonders of our world.

So, as you consider your own SIP journey, let your curiosity be your compass. Pick a topic that truly intrigues you, one that keeps you awake at night with questions. Embrace the process – the experiments, the surprises, and the “Aha!” moments.

Remember, it’s not just about reaching a conclusion; it’s about the exhilarating path you take to get there. SIPs are your chance to be a scientist, an explorer, and a storyteller all at once. So, go ahead, choose your topic, embark on your adventure, and share your discoveries with the world. Science is waiting for your curiosity to light the way!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how long does it typically take to complete a science investigatory project, the duration of an sip varies, but it generally spans a few months to a year, depending on the complexity of the topic and available resources., 2. can i work on an sip alone, or is it better to collaborate with classmates, you can choose to work on an sip individually or in a group. both approaches have their advantages, so it depends on your preference and the project’s requirements., 3. are there any age restrictions for participating in sips, sips are typically undertaken by students in middle school and high school, but there are no strict age restrictions. anyone with a passion for scientific inquiry can engage in an sip., 4. how can i find a mentor or advisor for my sip, you can seek guidance from science teachers, professors, or professionals in your chosen field. they can provide valuable insights and support throughout your sip journey., 5. where can i showcase my sip findings, you can present your sip findings at science fairs, school exhibitions, or even submit them to relevant scientific journals or conferences for broader recognition..

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Education of Integrated Science: Discussions on Importance and Teaching Approaches

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The economic and technological development of societies depends on the training of students who can make connections between daily life and science issues and have problem-solving skills. Integrated science education supports the holistic development of the student’s personality by establishing a relationship between school and real life. Although there are different approaches, it is understood that all approaches to integrated science are more effective than the traditional single discipline-based approach for the student to learn. This chapter discusses the importance of integrated science education, teaching approaches at the K-12 level, and the skills that need to be emphasized to answer this question. An integrated science teaching program based on the transdisciplinary approach is exemplified as well.

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Transdisciplinary teaching process.

Science is the only true guide in life . Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

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Bati, K. (2022). Education of Integrated Science: Discussions on Importance and Teaching Approaches. In: Rezaei, N. (eds) Integrated Education and Learning. Integrated Science, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15963-3_19

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INTEGRATED SCIENCE EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS

Integrated science project topics and materials for undergraduate and post graduate students. research project paper, seminar topics, proposals, titles, ideas and materials are available for dissertation, thesis and essay in integrated science department. find below the list of research project topics for ond, hnd, bsc, msc and phd integrated science students., effects of eight weeks plyometric training on the trunk flexibility of undergraduate female human kinetics students of university of benin, the perception of students and teachers towards the implementation of computer based test (cbt) mose of examination in selected higher institutions in nigeria, the influence of teaching and learning environment on teachning and learning of financial accounting, the effects of e-learning on teaching and learning of mathematical concepts, the effect of schools supervision on academic performance of secondary school students, an observational study of classroom processes used by senior secondary school mathematics teachers in edo state, an assessment of divorce among women and educational attainment of children (a case study of oredo local government area of edo state), attitude of teenagers to english language in ado local government area, ekiti state, challenges and prospects of e – education in nigeria: a case study of national open university, benin city center, social dynamics of career choices among university of lagos final year students, teenage out of wedlock pregnancy and educational pursuit among youths in bariga lga, influence of social networking on business education student’s academic performance, effectiveness of photography as a teaching method for science subjects in secondary schools in nigeria (a case study of selected secondary schools in egor lga, edo state), the functions and influences of the school values among undergraduates in the university of ibadan, learning methods in technology education on the learning outcomes of graduates of technology education, an investigation into the utilization of multimedia in teaching and learning of ceramic in juniorsecondaryschools in osun states, millennium development goals and educational development in nigeria, perception of students on the relevance of home economics in junior secondary school in egor local government area of edo state, strategies for improving students academic performance in teaching and learning financial accounting in secondary schools in nigeria, the influence of parental influence on study habits of students, effect of gender discrimination on girl child education in abraka, ethiope east local government area of delta state, organizational culture and ranking of universities in south africa and nigeria, the causes and effect of exam malpractices among ss3 students in some selected secondary schools (a case study of gwale local government area of kano state), the need for an effective communication system in teaching and learning (e-learning), influence of family factors on academic achievement of secondary school students in english language: a case study of yakurr local government area of cross river state, the effect of biology practical activities on academic achievement of senior secondary school students (case study of enugu east lga), factors responsible for poor academic performance among junior secondary school students in oredo local government area of edo state, factors responsible for poor health habits among secondary school students: a case study of some selected secondary school in oredo local government area of edo state, factors militating against the performance of students in introductory technology in junior secondary school level in nigeria” (a case study of secondary schools in calabar municipal council cross river state), importance of improvisation in teaching integrated science in some selected secondary school in egor local government area, the problems and prospects of press club in secondary schools in nigeria, a study of gender differences in the attitudeof students to science subjects in secondary schools in osun state, a comparative study of environmental awareness between public and private secondary school students in funtua local government area of katsina state, a study on the emotional maturity on school adjustment of fresh undergraduate students, attitude of parents towards modern techniques of family planning in ise orun local government area of ekiti, ekiti state, a study of stress and academic adjustment of married female students in obafemi awolowo university, ile-ife, osun state a case study of ile-ife central local government, the challenges and statistical implication of computer based testing(jamb) on nigerian students; the need to implement computer assisted learning, administrators supervisory skills and teachers job performance in secondary schools in aba south local government area of abia state, an evaluation of human trafficking among our youth in the society: a case study of oredo local government area of edo stat e, an identification of factors affecting the effective teaching of physics practical in ovia south west local government area of edo state, causes of drug abuse and its efects among scondary school students, community participation in the ube programme in cross river state from 2006 – 2012, evaluation of factors affecting the peformance of fct students in english language, factors affecting attitude to work of secondary school teachers in ogbaru local gourmet area of anambra state, the factors responsible for pupils lateness to school in primary school, impact of education in rural development process, identification of difficult teaching topics in integrated science in junior secondary schools in enugu urban area in enugu state, impact of single parenting and its effect on child education in selected schools in egor local government area, edo state, impact of strike action in the achievement of trade union aims in an organization (a case study of nut, implication of bribery and corruption on students academic performance (a case study of imt enugu), influence of peer group on the academic performance of students in some selected secondary schools in oredo local government area of edo state, the attitude of parents towards the education of female students in egor local government area of edo state, peer group influence on the adolescent and their perfomance in schools in egor local gvoernment area of edo state, the problems of classroom management and control in secondary school, problems of educating the physically handicapped children in nigeria (a case study of college of education, ekiadolor-benin), the availability of human and material resources in teaching senior school in lagos state, reward system and teachers’ attitude to work in calabar south local government area of cross river state, the role teaching sex education in junior secondary school: a case study of oredo local government area of edo state, the effect of bullying on academic performance of students in selected secondary schools, the effects of mother tongue interference in the study of english language in secondary schools in enugu north local government area of enugu state, the factors influencing choice of school subjects by senior secondary school students in oredo local government area of edo state, the importance and prospects of teaching sex education in junior secondary school: a case study of some selected schools in egor local government area of ed state, the influence of learning disabilities on students’ academic performance in northern education zone of cross river state, nigeria. (education), the relationship between marital success and the level of education among women in oredo local government area., the role of instructional materials in pupils academic performance: a case study of some selected primary schools in ikpoba okha local government area of edo state, improving the reading difficulties of pupils using phonic and syllabic method, assessment of banking habits of undergraduate students in nigeria (a case study of university of benin and ambrose alli university students), attitude of educational administrators to ict usage in secondary school management (a case study of wuse comprehensive college, abuja), a study into the influence of field study on academic performance of geography students (case study of geography department, uniben), factors that affect the growth and performance of schools and childcare providers in enugu state, influence of e-learning facilities on academic performance of business education students in nigeria university, the challenges confronting operators of private primary and secondary schools in some selected schools in sagbama lga of bayelsa state, the impact of women’s education on national development in oredo local government area of edo state, the problems of teaching physical and health education in junior secondary schools (a case study of selected schools in bwari area council, fct-abuja), effect of twitter social networking site on the achievement of senior secondary school students in history in nsukka local government area, social factors affecting effective teaching and learning in senior secondary schools in abuja nigeria, perception of students on the causes and effects of mathematics anxiety among students of tertiary institutions in nigeria. a case study of uam, causes and effects of dropout among undergraduates in nigeria: a case study of lagos state project topics, the roles of gis on the spatial pattern of distribution of educational facilities, timely release of result and academic performance of student in business education, effect of housing conditions on student academic performance, impact of study habit on academic performance of students, influence of guidance on academic performance of students, teacher quality and work environment as determinants of secondary school students academic performance, challenges and qualities of a good teacher, a case study of some selected secondary schools in gboko local government area  project topics, effects of video taped instructional strategy on the academic performance of secondary school students, management factors influencing academic performance of students in private secondary schools in port harcourt local government area in rivers state nigeria, the effects of poverty on the academic performance of students in gushegu midwifey college, an investigation into the relationship between teaching methods and academic performance of secondary school students in nigeria  project topic, the effects of indiscipline on academic performance of secondary school students, the infleunce of principals’leadership styles on secondary school teachers job performance, the effect of socio-economic status on the enrollment of students into science classes in secondary schools in nigeria, attitude of students towards the study of economics in nigeria, factors influencing the attitude of students towards the study of mathematics in nigeria, effects of broken homes on academic performance of secondary school students in nigeria, analysis of problems of student teachers during teaching practice in nigeria, the effect of socio-economic status of parents on the academic performance of secondary school students in nigeria, a comparative analysis of well behaved and delinquent students, a comparative study of secondary school students academic performance in food and nutrition in waec & neco examinations from 2006-2011, a critical anaysis of the causes and effects of mass failure in mathematics in senior secondary schools (a case study of uyo local government area), the effect of the nigerian pidgen english on the academic performance of university students in nigeria, attitude of technical and vocational students towards students’ industrial work experience(siwe), availability of instructional materials for the teaching of business studies in nigeria, child hawking and educational development, effect of child abuse on the academic performance of secondaary school students in nigeria, factors hindering the effective teaching of vocational courses in nigerian universities, students’ perception of the role of school councelors in the choice of a career, the need for guidance and counceling services among nigerian university students, the application of information technology to the learning and teaching of economics in nigeria : a case study of sec. sch in jos, the role of locust of control on the start-up intention of higher institution students in nigeria, exploring the determinants of entrepreneurship amongs graduates in nigeria, determinants of career choice among secondary school students in nigeria, the influence of family background on the academic performance of physics students, the effect of government funding on educational growth in nigeria, problems and prospects of teaching social studies in junior secondary schools in nigeria, the effect of instructional materials on the learning and teaching of economics in secondary schools in nigeria, entrepreneurial education as a tool for reducing unemployment in nigeria, a study into the negative influence of information technology on child education, assessment of the role of teachers in classroom management in secondary schools inn nigeria project topic, the impact of motivation on local government staff education, attitude of parents towards primary education of their children in nigeria, evaluation of guidance and counseling in federal government college,, a critical study on the effect of cultism on tertiary institutions in nigeria, a comparative analysis of the academic performance of computer science, integrated science and english language of junior secondary school students in enugu north lga, the impact of child abuse and neglet on the nigerian society, the impact of public library services to the people of cross river state, the impact of planning on the teaching and learning process, the impact of planning on teaching and curriculum development of teaching and learning intergrated science in junior secondary schools in nigeria, the effect of social networking sites (twitter) on the behaviour of secondary school students in nigeria ( a case study of nobles internation school,), the effect of teenage pregnancy on the educational development of teenagers in nigeria, strategies for improving low academic performance in english language in secondary schools in cross river state, knowledge, perdeption and attitude of university students towards prevention of hiv/aids, assessment of the factors responsible for child abuse and neglect in nigeria, assessment of factors responsible for poor academic performance of pupils in public primary schools, an evaluative study of teaching of english grammatical structures in some selected primary schools, an assessment of the implementation of universal basic education in nigeria, assessment of almajiri system of education; it’s implication for child, family and national development in zaria local government area of kaduna state., the impact of orphanage home on child personality development in nigeria, the effect of street hawking among teenage girls, the impact of guidance and counselling services in some selected secondary schools in nigeria, the teaching of integrated science (its) in the primary schools, problems and prospects, the theory and practice of continuous assessment, problems and prospects in primary schools, the role of nutrition in the well-being of undergraduates in nigeria, the relationship between drug abuse and tone of discipline in secondary schools in nigeria, the knowledge and practice of contraception among male adolescent students of college of education, the influence of excessive intake of alcohol among university of uyo students, the importance of social workers in an hospital, survey of divorce among women and it’s effects on children’s academic achievement  project topic, perception of married women on family programmes in nigeria, contraceptive use among female students of university of uyo, an analysis of hiv risk practices amongst women of child-bearing age in uyo lga, abortion as a causative factor to the increase in mortality rate among adolecents in uyo local government area of nigeria, a comparative study of students and teachers perception of students’ problems, a study of adolescent attitude towards sex education in the senior secondary school, a study on the impact of child labour on school attendance and academic performance, a survey of examination malpractice among secondary school students, an assessment of teachers’ knowledge of test construction procedure in chemistry objective test in senior secondary schools, an evaluation of the implementation of the universal basic education (ube) programme, an investigation into the problems facing teachers in teaching computer science in nigerian secondary schools today, analysis of the environmental influence on students’ academic performance, assessment of siwes relevance to business education programme objectives, attitude of students towards the study of social studies in secondary schools, effects of socio-economic background of parents on the academic achievement of their children in schools, effects of socio-economic background of parents on the academic achievement of their children in schools in igueben local government area of edo state, effects of stress on the academic performance of students, factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in public secondary schools in nigeria, higher education and manpower development:  an assessment of the contributions of the university of uyo, knowledge and perception of drug use and abuse among secondary school students, social studies teachers’ perception on the use of community resources in the teaching/learning of social studies in some selected junior secondary schools, the effect of environment on the performance of secondary school students in english language, the effect of improvisation of instructional materials for biology instruction in senior secondary schools, the effects of integrated group based mastery learning model on social studies students’ achievement, the impact of women literacy education on the empowerment of women, the quality of nigerian tertiary institutions graduates: perception of employers, the relationship between principals leadership style and job satisfaction of teachers in secondary schools, an analysis of teachers’ perception of the supervisory behaviour of school inspectors, an assessment of students’ knowledge of autotronics servicing strategies in technical colleges, assessment of availability and utilization of e-learning technologies in business education programme in tertiary institutions, attitudes of undergraduate youths toward democratic values:  implication for social studies, factors militating against effective management of school records by secondary school principals, higher education and manpower development: an assessment of the contributions of university of uyo, strategies for improving maintenance of laboratories and equipment of vocational and technical education for effective service delivery in tertiary institutions, the impact of teachers’ welfare package on teachers’ job satisfaction, validation of ginzberg’s theory of career development among university undergraduates in nigeria, an assessment of government involvement in adult literacy programmes, an examination of sources of stress among secondary school students, comparative analysis of education/economics and economics students’ pattern of carryover in courses between 2007-2010 in university of benin  project topic, factors affecting the efficient management of students’ academic records, factors motivating adult learners participation in functional literacy programmes, peer group and career choice of secondary school students, the appraisal of the problems and solutions confronting student teachers on teaching practic e, the effect of instructional strategy in incorporating local practices on secondary school students’ interest and achievement in chemistry, validation of ginzberg’s theory of career development among university students, the impact of industrial actions (asuu strike) on academic performance of univerity students, influence of classroom size on academic performance of secondary school students in nigeria, impact of personality traits on students academic performance, students satisfaction with learning environment in distance learning universities in nigeria, factors responsible for poor academic performance in public secondary schools in nigeria, effectiveness of ict on teaching and learning case study on basic technology, effect of parental care on the academic performance of primary school pupils, effect of socio economic status and sex on attitude towards crime, impact of family background on career choice of secondary school students in nigeria, impact   of  enviromental factor on choice of career among youths in nigeria, the effect of biology practical activities on academic achievement of senior secondary school students, undergraduates perception on courtship and it’s influence on pre-marital sex, a survey of relevance of business education program to ecocomic development of nigeria, an appraisal of infrastructural facilities and personnel for teaching physics in senior secondary schools in adamawa state, impact of students industrial work experience scheme (siwes) on the students after the completion of the programme, problems and prospects of adult education in nigeria, factors affecting study habit and academic performance of national open university study center, the effects of qualification of english teachers on the performance of secondary school students in external examinations (a case study of selected schools in karu local government area), factors  affecting the  use of field trip in teaching and learning of biology in secondary school, factors  influencing  effective  implementation  of cooperative  education  in  imo  state, functional accounting education curriculum for sustainable youth empowerment in edo state, the role of pta in administration of primary schools, project topics, latest projects, studies on some aspects of anthracnose-blight-dieback complex of cultivars of grapevines (vitis spp.) in..., genetic variability studies of twenty potato genotypes, relationship of haemoglobin and potassium polymorphism with conformation, milk production and blood biochemical profiles..., adoption of agricultural innovations among members and non-members of women co-operative societies in oju..., small farmer credit with particular reference to nigeria, research department.

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• 1. AFRICAN LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTIC
• 2. ACCOUNTING
• 3. ACCOUNTING EDUCATION
• 4. ACTUARIAL SCIENCE
• 5. ADULT EDUCATION
• 6. AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
• 7. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
• 8. AGRONOMY
• 10. ANIMAL SCIENCE
• 11. ARCHITECTURE
• 12. BANKING AND FINANCE
• 13. BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGY
• 14. BIOCHEMISTRY
• 15. BIOLOGY
• 16. BREWING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• 17. BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
• 18. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
• 19. BUSINESS EDUCATION
• 20. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
• 21. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
• 22. CHEMISTRY
• 23. CHILD/BASIC EDUCATION
• 24. CIVIL ENGINEERING
• 25. CO-OPERATIVE ECONOMICS
• 26. COMMERCE
• 27. COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION
• 28. COMPUTER SCIENCE SECTION A : SOURCE CODES & APPLICATIONS
• 29. COMPUTER SCIENCE SECTION B : ONLY DOCUMENTATION
• 30. COMPUTER SCIENCE SECTION C : NO CODING/DESIGNS (THEORIES)
• 31. CRIMINOLOGY
• 32. CROP SCIENCE
• 33. CURRICULUM STUDIES AND EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
• 34. DENTISTRY
• 35. ECONOMICS
• 36. ECONOMICS EDUCATION
• 37. EDUCATION
• 38. EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
• 39. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
• 40. ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
• 41. ENGLISH EDUCATION
• 42. ENGLISH LITERARY STUDIES
• 43. ENGLISH/LINGUISTIC
• 44. ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• 45. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
• 46. ESTATE MANAGEMENT
• 47. FINE APPLIED ARTS
• 48. FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE
• 49. FOOD AND NUTRITION
• 50. FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• 51. FORESTRY WILDLIFE
• 53. GENERAL EDUCATION
• 54. GEOGRAPHY
• 55. GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION
• 56. GEOLOGY
• 57. GUIDANCE COUNSELING
• 58. HEALTH AND KINETICS
• 59. HEALTH AND SEX EDUCATION
• 60. HEALTH EDUCATION
• 61. HISTORY & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• 62. HOME ECONOMICS
• 63. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
• 64. INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY
• 65. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• 66. INSURANCE
• 67. INTERNATIONAL LAW AND DIPLOMACY
• 68. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, HISTORY AND DIPLOMACY
• 69. ISLAMIC AND ARABIC STUDIES
• 71. LIBRARY INFORMATION SCIENCE
• 72. LINGUISTICS
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Aquaculture

Sea Grant invests in the development of sustainable marine and Great Lakes aquaculture to help coastal communities maintain a safe and sustainable local seafood supply. Sea Grant’s investment in aquaculture focuses on research and technology transfer, often through one-on-one interactions with extension agents, to support and expand America’s aquaculture industry. Questions about Sea Grant’s aquaculture work or the aquaculture funding opportunity may be directed to  [email protected] . Check out our related subjects: 

• Seafood Resources
• Young Fisherman’s Development Program

From FY 2018 to 2022, Sea Grant’s average annual federal investment of $16.3 million in aquaculture resulted in a yearly average* of:

PUBLICATIONS

*Metrics are direct results of Sea Grant work between February 1, 2018 and January 31, 2023, as reported by Sea Grant programs through June 2023. Sea Grant’s average annual federal investment during this time = $16.3 million. Sea Grant Investment = Funding to advance aquaculture research, technology transfer, and extension. Economic impact = market and non-market value of Sea Grant’s work related to aquaculture; value of jobs and businesses. Businesses = the number of aquaculture businesses created or sustained as a result of Sea Grant efforts. Jobs = aquaculture jobs created or sustained as a result of Sea Grant efforts.

Meet the Experts

Reference Resources

Story Highlights

Science & Seafood

Sea Grant invests in the development of sustainable marine and Great Lakes aquaculture businesses to help coastal communities maintain a safe and sustainable local seafood supply that complements, not replaces, wild-caught fisheries.

Sea Grant Knows Oysters

Here at Sea Grant, we study oysters (a lot!), and we support hundreds of small businesses that grow, harvest, and serve oysters by providing training and technical assistance.

Resources from NOAA Fisheries

Read more about what NOAA is doing for aquaculture at the NOAA Fisheries website.

• More information on aquaculture in the U.S.  (NOAA Office of Aquaculture)
• NOAA Fisheries’ Guide to Federal Aquaculture Grant Services
• NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan (2023–2028)

Featured Aquaculture Research

Sea Grant Continues to Support the U.S. Aquaculture Industry with FY23 Investments

Wisconsin Sea Grant Helps Launch Innovative Salmon-Raising Business

South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium Partnership Supports Aquaculture Business Development by Increasing Oyster Seed Availability

Maine Sea Grant Works to Advance American eel Aquaculture in the U.S.

Sea Grant Integrated Program Expands Oyster Farming Industry in Alabama

New Report Identifies Next Steps for Offshore Aquaculture in Southern California

Aquaculture funding.

• Sea Grant Continues to Support the U.S. Aquaculture Industry with FY23 Investments (2023)
• Sea Grant Projects Provide $3.3M in Support of Seafood Industry Workforce Development (2023)
• NOAA Sea Grant Announces $14 Million in Investments to Strengthen U.S. Aquaculture (2022)
• NOAA Sea Grant and Ocean Acidification Program Projects to Examine Impacts of Stressors on Shellfish Aquaculture (2021)
• Sea Grant Selects “Food From the Sea” Career Program Development Projects (2021)
• NOAA Sea Grant Awards $3.5 Million to Improve Sustainable Aquaculture, Strengthen Seafood Resources (2021)
• Sea Grant Awards $4.7 Million to Strengthen Economics of U.S. Aquaculture (2021)
• National Sea Grant Aquaculture Initiative: 2020 Update
• Sea Grant Responds to COVID-19-Related Challenges Across the Country  (2020)
• Sea Grant awards $16 million to advance U.S. aquaculture (2019)
• Sea Grant Announces 2018 Aquaculture Research Awards (2018)
• 2023 – Aquaculture Workforce Development Projects
• 2022/2023 – Aquaculture Economics & Markets Collaborative; Aquaculture Technologies & Education Awards; Aquaculture Supplemental Funding (PDF)
• 2022 – Early Stage Propagation Strategies; Marine Finfish Juvenile Production Technologies; Advanced Aquaculture Collaboratives Continued; Aquaculture Information Exchange Creation (PDF)
• 2021 – eeBLUE Aquaculture Literacy Mini-Grants Program
• 2021 – Addressing the Impacts of Multiple Stressors on Shellfish Aquaculture through Research/Industry Partnerships (PDF)
• 2021 – “Food From the Sea” Careers Program (PDF)
• 2021 – Addressing COVID-19 Impacts to Seafood Resources (PDF)
• 2021 – Addressing Economic and Marketing Needs of the U.S. Aquaculture Industry (PDF)
• 2020 – Aquaculture Supplemental Funding (PDF)
• 2020 – COVID-19 Rapid Response Funding (PDF)
• 2019 – Advanced Aquaculture Collaborative Programs – Hubs; Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research Needs in Aquaculture (PDF)
• 2018 – Sea Grant National Aquaculture Initiative
• 2017 – Integrated Projects to Advance Aquaculture  (PDF)
• 2017 – Addressing Impediments to Aquaculture  (PDF)
• 2016 – Research  (PDF)
• 2016 – Workshops/Trainings  (PDF)
• 2015  (PDF)
• 2014  (PDF)
• 2013  (PDF)
• 2012  (PDF)

Aquaculture Hubs

As part of Sea Grant’s  2019 National Aquaculture Initiative , 11 funded projects are focused on accelerating the development of specific aquaculture topics through integrated teams of professionals. These teams established collaborative programs, commonly referred to as “Hubs”, to plan for and appropriately focus the next generation of aquaculture investments while enhancing the synthesis and transfer of past research advances to the industry.

Aquaculture Hub Links:

• East Coast Hard Clam Selective Breeding Collaborative
• Atlantic and Gulf Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Collaborative
• Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative
• Hawai’i-Pacific Aquaculture Consortium
• Indigenous Aquaculture Collaborative
• Maine Aquaculture Hub
• Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network
• Seaweed Hub
• Southern New England Shellfish Aquaculture Hub
• West Coast Aquaculture Collaborative

NATIONAL AQUACULTURE SYMPOSIA

In Fall 2021, the National Sea Grant Office hosted two Aquaculture Research Symposia to bring together researchers and their teams involved in projects funded through the 2019 National Strategic Initiative competitions. Awardees shared their work and findings with members of the aquaculture community through live talks, followed by time for discussion. Please see the links below for PDFs of project presentations.

The first symposium was held October 25-29, 2021 and focused on projects funded through the “Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities” and the “Social/Behavioral/Economic Needs in Aquaculture” competitions.

• Download Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities Presentations
• Download Social/Behavioral/Economic Needs in Aquaculture Presentations

The second symposium was held November 1-3, 2021 and focused on projects funded through the “Advanced Aquaculture Research Collaboratives” (Hubs) competition.

• Download Advanced Aquaculture Research Collaboratives Presentations

Aquaculture News

NOAA Sea Grant Develops 5-Year Aquaculture Investment Plan

Year-over-year, Sea Grant is committed to supporting aquaculture development across the nation, as a means of enhancing economic resilience and nutritional security in American communities. Sea Grant recently developed a five-year Aquaculture Investment Plan to guide its efforts in supporting aquaculture research, extension and education.

In fiscal year 2023, Sea Grant invested $14 million in federal funding to support several new initiatives, including the Aquaculture Economics and Markets Collaborative, Aquaculture Technologies and Education Awards, Aquaculture Supplemental Awards and the previously announced Seafood Industry Workforce Development Awards. In addition, fiscal year 2023 investments supported the continuation of Early Stage Propagation Strategies for Aquaculture Species Awards, Marine Finfish Aquaculture Juvenile Production Technologies Awards, Advanced Aquaculture Collaboratives, and the Aquaculture Information Exchange.

Virginia Sea Grant Launches the USDA and NOAA-Supported Aquaculture Information Exchange Online Community Platform

The Aquaculture Information Exchange (AIE) online community platform website is now live and open for new user registrations. The AIE represents a joint effort between NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office, NOAA’s Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Virginia Sea Grant.

Learn More About Aquaculture

Careers in Mariculture — from North Carolina Sea Grant

Facilitating the Expansion of U.S. Marine Aquaculture

Frontiers | Science News

• Science News

Research Topics

Five research topics exploring the science of mental health.

Mental wellbeing is increasingly recognized as an essential aspect of our overall health. It supports our ability to handle challenges, build strong relationships, and live more fulfilling lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of mental health by acknowledging it as a fundamental human right.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we highlight the remarkable work of scientists driving open research that helps everyone achieve better mental health.

Here are five Research Topics that study themes including how we adapt to a changing world, the impact of loneliness on our wellbeing, and the connection between our diet and mental health.

All articles are openly available to view and download.

1 | Community Series in Mental Health Promotion and Protection, volume II

40.300 views | 16 articles

There is no health without mental health. Thus, this Research Topic collects ideas and research related to strategies that promote mental health across all disciplines. The goal is to raise awareness about mental health promotion and protection to ensure its incorporation in national mental health policies.

This topic is of relevance given the mental health crisis being experienced across the world right now. A reality that has prompted the WHO to declare that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

View Research Topic

2 | Dietary and Metabolic Approaches for Mental Health Conditions

176.800 views | 11 articles

There is increased recognition that mental health disorders are, at least in part, a form of diet-related disease. For this reason, we focus attention on a Research Topic that examines the mechanistic interplay between dietary patterns and mental health conditions.

There is a clear consensus that the quality, quantity, and even timing of our human feeding patterns directly impact how brains function. But despite the epidemiological and mechanistic links between mental health and diet-related diseases, these two are often perceived as separate medical issues.

Even more urgent, public health messaging and clinical treatments for mental health conditions place relatively little emphasis on formulating nutrition to ease the underlying drivers of mental health conditions.

3 | Comparing Mental Health Cross-Culturally

94.000 views | 15 articles

Although mental health has been widely discussed in later years, how mental health is perceived across different cultures remains to be examined. This Research Topic addresses this gap and deepens our knowledge of mental health by comparing positive and negative psychological constructs cross-culturally.

The definition and understanding of mental health remain to be refined, partially because of a lack of cross-cultural perspectives on mental health. Also, due to the rapid internationalization taking place in the world today, a culturally aware understanding of, and interventions for mental health problems are essential.

4 | Adaption to Change and Coping Strategies: New Resources for Mental Health

85.000 views | 29 articles

In this Research Topic, scientists study a wider range of variables involved in change and adaptation. They examine changes of any type or magnitude whenever the lack of adaptive response diminishes our development and well-being.

Today’s society is characterized by change, and sometimes, the constant changes are difficult to assimilate. This may be why feelings of frustration and defenselessness appear in the face of the impossibility of responding adequately to the requirements of a changing society.

Therefore, society must develop an updated notion of the processes inherent to changing developmental environments, personal skills, resources, and strategies. This know-how is crucial for achieving and maintaining balanced mental health.

5 | Mental Health Equity

29.900 views | 10 articles

The goal of this Research Topic is to move beyond a synthesis of what is already known about mental health in the context of health equity. Rather, the focus here is on transformative solutions, recommendations, and applied research that have real world implications on policy, practice, and future scholarship.

Attention in the field to upstream factors and the role of social and structural determinants of health in influencing health outcomes, combined with an influx of innovation –particularly the digitalization of healthcare—presents a unique opportunity to solve pressing issues in mental health through a health equity lens.

The topic is opportune because factors such as structural racism and climate change have disproportionately negatively impacted marginalized communities across the world, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and transition-age youth and young adults. As a result, existing disparities in mental health have exacerbated.

Post related info

May 13, 2024

Frontiers Science Communications

Post categories, featured news, related subjects, research topics, related content.

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A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• CDC Injury Center Divisions
• Injury Center Organization
• About the CDC Injury Center
• Leadership and Expert Bios
• Budget and Funding
• Data, Statistics, and Reporting
• Board of Scientific Counselors
• Injury and Violence Prevention

Data Science and Public Health

At a glance.

The CDC Injury Center uses a strategic approach to data science and data systems to protect the public's health and safety.

Data science and public health

Data science blends techniques from computer science, statistics, and epidemiology, and other areas. Data science often focuses on large or new data sources. It can apply sophisticated mathematical methods such as machine learning or natural language processing.

New data science approaches show promise in addressing critical public health needs, including injury and violence prevention . These approaches can help improve the timeliness of health information, respond to public health threats earlier, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of prevention campaigns.

The Injury Center data science strategy

The Injury Center's data science strategy outlines the goals and activities to improve CDC's data science work in injury and violence prevention. To advance these goals, the Injury Center will strengthen its internal data science workforce, expand public health partnerships, advance information technology infrastructure, and increase investments in data science activities.

The Injury Center's specific goals are listed below, along with key progress made in each goal.

Goal 1: Expand the availability and utility of more timely data for injury and violence prevention

Injury Center has increased the number and diversity of data sources being used to understand trends nationwide. We have developed, validated, and published machine-learning-based models for real-time estimation of national suicide, opioid overdose, and firearm homicide fatality trends with predictive accuracy of 99%.

Goal 2: Improve rapid identification of health threats and response to communities

We published scientific work demonstrating how new online data sources and natural language processing methods can improve early tracking of overdose trends.

Goal 3: Increase access to accurate health information and prevent misinformation

We collaborated with industry, non-profit, and academic partners to study safe-reporting guidelines for suicide information, evaluate media campaigns for help-seeking during mental health crises, and identify common overdose-related health misinformation.

Goal 4: Enhance the usefulness of current data systems by improving data linkage

We funded recipients to link nonfatal and fatal overdose data and fatal firearm data with additional data sources to better understand the context leading to these events. Additionally, the Division of Violence Prevention linked Social Determinants of Health data to the National Violence Death Reporting System.

Goal 5: Share information in compelling, useful, and accessible ways

We developed dashboards and enhanced the Web based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) to provide access to more timely injury and violence data.

Goal 6: Advance ethical practices for data science for injury and violence prevention

The Injury Center met with researchers and ethicists to identify best practices in using social media data for public health research and supported research that leverages innovative data science methods to advance health equity. We are developing a manuscript that details ethical considerations for data science in injury and violence prevention.

Goal 7: Increase efficiency of analytic and scientific processes for injury and violence prevention

We developed automated methods to clean, validate, and remove personally identifiable information from injury and violence datasets, which has increased the timeliness and availability of data.

Goal 8: Evaluate promising state and local data science efforts for injury prevention and expand the capacity and local health partners in data science methodologies

We funded over 30 state and local health departments and their partners to increase data science capacity and improve injury and violence prevention in localities across the United States.

Featured resources and projects

Using data and research to save lives.

Public health data science blends techniques from computer science, statistics, and epidemiology to extract insights from data. It often focuses on novel, large, and complex data sources and applies methods such as machine learning and natural language processing. Data science can help public health efforts to prevent injury by improving data timeliness, identifying emerging health trends, and using novel data sources.

Advancing Safe Reporting on Suicide

CDC partnered with Facebook to better understand adherence to suicide reporting guidelines in news articles shared on social media. The work resulted in the first scientific evidence that greater adherence to suicide reporting guidelines in news articles not only is beneficial for the health of individuals but also increases publisher reach and engagement—helping to motivate better use of safe reporting practices for suicide news online.

Injury Center

Learn about CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, also known as the Injury Center.

Amendment 16: New Opportunity: B.22 Artificial Intelligence Applications in Heliophysics

B.22 Artificial Intelligence Applications in Heliophysics (AIAH) solicits proposals for critically needed artificial intelligence tools to advance Heliophysics Science research, as described in B.1 the Heliophysics Research overview . Proposed projects must be Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 at the start of the award and present a convincing plan to mature to TRL 6 by the end. AIAH seeks innovative adaptations and applications of existing AI techniques, concepts, methodologies, etc. to demonstrate their feasibility and potential to increase science return, as well as to inform Heliophysics science research disciplines of promising techniques and capabilities. Notional areas of interest for proposals are given in Section 1.2.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 16 presents a new program element in ROSES-2024: B.22 Artificial Intelligence Applications in Heliophysics (AIAH) . Mandatory Notices of Intent are due by July 1, 2024, and the due date for proposals is August 20, 2024.

On or about May 17, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024

Questions concerning B.22 AIAH may be directed to Lika Guhathakurta at [email protected] .

Explore More

Dr. Lori Glaze to begin six-month Detail as Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for ESDMD

Agency leadership has chosen Dr. Lori Glaze to begin a six-month detail as the Acting Deputy AA for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD).

Hubble Views Cosmic Dust Lanes

How NASA Tracked the Most Intense Solar Storm in Decades

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