From the Steam Engine to STEAM Education: An Experience with Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers
Abstract
In this paper, we describe an educational experience in the context of the Master’s degree that is compulsory in Spain to become a secondary education mathematics teacher. Master’s students from two universities in Madrid (Spain) attended lectures that addressed—emphasizing the concourse of a dynamic geometry software package—some historical, didactic and mathematical issues related to linkage mechanisms, such as those arising in the 18th and 19th centuries during the development of the steam engine. Afterwards, participants were asked to provide three different kinds of feedback: (i) working on an assigned group task, (ii) individually answering a questionnaire, and (iii) proposing some classroom activity, imagining it would be addressed to their prospective pupils. All three issues focused on the specific topic of the attended lectures. In the framework of Mason’s reflective discourse analysis, the information supplied by the participants has been analyzed. The objective was to explore what they have learned from the experience and what their perception is of the potential interest in linkages as a methodological instrument for their future professional activity as teachers. This analysis is then the basis upon which to reflect on the opportunities (and problems) that this particular bar-joint linkages methodological approach could bring towards providing future mathematics teachers with attractive tools that would contribute to enhancing a STEAM-oriented education. Finally, the students’ answers allow us to conclude that the experience was beneficial for these pre-service teachers, both in improving their knowledge on linkages history, mathematics, industrial, technological and artistic applications, and in enhancing the use in the classroom of this very suitable STEAM context.
Description
Este artículo describe una experiencia educativa para futuros profesores de matemáticas en Educación Secundaria que se realizó en España en el marco del Máster de Formación del Profesorado. Los estudiantes aprendieron sobre mecanismos usando un software de geometría dinámica, tras recibir una sesión magistral sobre los mecanismos y su contexto histórico. Proporcionaron retroalimentación a través de tareas grupales, cuestionarios y propuestas de actividades de aula. El análisis de sus respuestas, basado en el Análisis del Discurso Reflexivo de Mason, indica que la experiencia fue beneficiosa, mejorando su conocimiento y uso de los mecanismos en un contexto STEAM.
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