Abstract—The global pandemic in 2020 thwarted teachers’ plans to continue their integrated STEM curriculum implementation as school closures created the urgent need to use distance learning modes to support students. This study highlights the journey of one school that continued to offer STEM project-based curriculum during Covid19 using online learning platforms during one term, for half their cohort of students. The other half of students undertook their STEM project-based curriculum with face-to-face learning once students returned to school after restrictions were lifted. Following an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design (Creswell, 2013), this study explored the impact of blended learning, undertaken during Covid-19 restrictions, on student attitudes in STEM subjects. For students that completed two projects with face-to-face learning, there were no statistically significant differences in STEM attitudes. However, students that undertook STEM with blended learning during Covid19 restrictions indicated a significant increase in their attitude in mathematics. Interviews with three STEM teachers illuminate these findings.

 

Index Terms—integrated curriculum, STEM education, teacher professional learning, student attitudes and aspirations

Cite: Deborah Tully and Judy Anderson, "Adapting to Uncertain Times: Implementing Integrated STEM Curriculum during the COVID19 Pandemic and the Impact on Student Attitudes," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 134-141, June 2021. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.7.2.134-141