"Beyond Boundaries”: A Narrative Inquiry on Learning Togetherness in Scientific Education

Preparing scientifically literate citizens is essential for European growth and policy, since science education helps increase the awareness and understanding of the world we live in (European Com-mission, 2015). Research indicates science educators should shift from teaching in an isolated man-ner to connecting content among disciplines such as technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) (European Commission, 2015). Including the mystery and wonder of our world is an es-sential part of any science presentation, for without this element, a wall will be built between disci-pline and learner (Bateson, 1972; Dossey, 2010). Despite increasing global awareness of the need for interconnectivity among knowledge domains to promote lifelong learning (Milana & Holford, 2014), a clear gap continues to exist among those who persist in science learning and careers and those who drop out (women, minorities and those with disabilities) (Bean et al., 2016). Our qualita-tive study focused on the identity transformations among teachers and students as they become a cohesive unit of co-inquirers in science education. In doing so, we celebrated the systemic nature of learning environments, as well as we gave value to the metalevel of this approach, with the aim to enhance togetherness among all stakeholders (Gess, 2015). The introductory section of this paper suggests we should begin thinking “beyond the boundaries” of each discipline teaching and instead consider STEAM education as a meta-discipline, existing at a higher state than each of its compo-nent parts. In fact, the separateness among disciplines does not allow all students to discover the re-lational, embedded, and networked way that life is maintained (Dossey, 2010). Eight middle school teachers and forty students participated in a re-designed STEAM curriculum (3 months), and wrote about their personal experiences in reflective journals. Thematic analysis on the narratives revealed a crucial transformation in participants’ identities, especially adult teachers, that shifted from the “iso-lated person” to “we are a family”. At the same time, this shift transcended isolated discipline and bounded classroom into an interconnected community. As a result, the togetherness cultivated in this re-designed STEAM classroom is deeply connected with responsive and relevant teaching and may therefore result in responsible citizenry made of lifelong learners, that change their biographical sense in learning science. The paper concludes with some suggestions for Higher Education and be-yond. References Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of Mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Bean, N., Gnadt, A., Maupin, N., White, S. & Andersen, L. (2016). Mind the Gap: Student Re-searchers Use Secondary Data to Explore Disparities in STEM Education. Prairie Journal of Educational Research, 1(1), 7. Dossey, L. (2010). A Challenge to Science. Explore, 6 (4): 197-214. European Commission (2015). Science Education for Responsible Citizenship. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/pdf/pub_science_education/KI-NA-26-893-EN-N.pdf Gess, A. H. (2015). The Impact of the Design Process on Student Self-Efficacy and Content Knowledge (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from http://www.vtechworks.lib.vt.edu Milana, M. & Holford, J. (Eds.) (2014). Adult Education Policy and the European Union. Rotter-dam: Sense Publishers.