Integrated Development and Assessment of Mathematical Modeling Practices for Culturally Responsive STEM Education: Lionfish Case Study

Abstract

Real-world problems often demand interdisciplinary solutions, and thus provide opportunities for cross-disciplinary instruction and learning within the mathematical sciences and STEM fields. Building on the vision of The Mathematical Sciences in 2025 (National Research Council, 2013) and with the motivation to prepare the students of the 21st century, interdisciplinary teacher teams are created to work together with students, university faculty, and community experts, towards building instruction around solving problems on locally relevant STEM challenges. The goal of this research program is to provide equitable access to quality STEM instruction for all students while using culturally responsive practices. Since 2014, with support from the National Science Foundation, in-service STEM teachers, students, and university faculty have been participating in year-long professional learning community (PLC) activities on STEM projects around culturally relevant topics such as lionfish population dynamics and control, water quality, and green home design. Based on the emerging local best practices with PLCs around interdisciplinary projects, these PLCs support the development of interdisciplinary knowledge and practices by students, teachers and the community for learning mathematical sciences and STEM, both in and out of school settings. Using the case of the lionfish project as an exemplar for culturally responsive STEM projects, we discuss how focused professional development sessions for teachers on the mathematical and scientific modeling of lionfish population dynamics and control using discrete, continuous and statistical methods furthered this development.