DEVELOPING INTEGRATED STEAM EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE OF BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS: an inclusive strategy to close girls in science
integrated STEAM education; gender; community of practice; school-based ethnography.
This research investigates how pedagogical proposals grounded in the integrated
STEAM approach, developed within a Community of Practice (CoP) composed of
Basic Education female teachers, can contribute to bringing girls closer to science. It
is based on the understanding that the integration of knowledge across different
disciplines, as proposed by i-STEAM, combined with collaboration among teachers
with diverse backgrounds and experiences, represents a promising strategy for
promoting gender equity in science education. The study seeks to understand the
meanings constructed by teachers through their interactions within the CoP, how they
incorporate gender-sensitive perspectives into their pedagogical actions, and the
effects of these experiences on girls’ interest and participation. Grounded in school-
based ethnography (André, 2002), the study employs participant observation,
interviews, and records produced by the teachers themselves as methodological
strategies to examine the processes of learning, planning, and implementing the
proposals. The research aims to contribute to the consolidation of integrated
pedagogical approaches that are attentive to gender inequalities and aligned with the
realities of public-school contexts.