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<p>The STEM acronym is now part of the Canadian lexicon, but researchers and educators have not yet agreed upon the definition or purpose of STEM in K-12 education. There are many who view STEM education as a potential leveler, a means by which equity can be promoted in an education system that has a poor record of inclusivity. The study described in this article is a discourse analysis of a new provincial Science &amp; Technology curriculum (released in 2022) that has included STEM education for the first time. The STEM discourse of the Ontario curriculum is explored alongside the discourses presented by public school boards and equity-focused informal STEM education programs in the region. We identify the prevalence of STEM being used as a proxy for contemporary pedagogies in science education and see how STEM is commonly presented as a way of connecting scientific material to everyday life experiences of learners and to promote equity for learners affiliated with groups that have been historically marginalized within Canadian STEM fields. The aim of the study is to make more explicit the messaging presented by a range of formal and informal STEM education providers so that educators can be more intentional about deriving ways to connect and relate STEM to the diversity of Canadian K-12 learners.</p>

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Equity-Focused Possibilities for New Interpretations of STEM Education: A Discourse Analysis of STEM Education Across Three Sectors in a Canadian Region

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月3日

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  • Lydia E. Carol-Ann Burke,
  • Sarah Lu,
  • Ananya Mukherjee

摘要

The STEM acronym is now part of the Canadian lexicon, but researchers and educators have not yet agreed upon the definition or purpose of STEM in K-12 education. There are many who view STEM education as a potential leveler, a means by which equity can be promoted in an education system that has a poor record of inclusivity. The study described in this article is a discourse analysis of a new provincial Science & Technology curriculum (released in 2022) that has included STEM education for the first time. The STEM discourse of the Ontario curriculum is explored alongside the discourses presented by public school boards and equity-focused informal STEM education programs in the region. We identify the prevalence of STEM being used as a proxy for contemporary pedagogies in science education and see how STEM is commonly presented as a way of connecting scientific material to everyday life experiences of learners and to promote equity for learners affiliated with groups that have been historically marginalized within Canadian STEM fields. The aim of the study is to make more explicit the messaging presented by a range of formal and informal STEM education providers so that educators can be more intentional about deriving ways to connect and relate STEM to the diversity of Canadian K-12 learners.