Integrating science through authentic research in secondary schools

Abstract

The growing recognition that interdisciplinary approaches are needed to solve the most pressing issues in the modern world has led to a renewed focus on pedagogical integration particularly across STEM disciplines. While valuable, the emphasis on combining STEM disciplines ignores the unique aspects of science and the need to integrate both across and within the scientific disciplines themselves. Using multiple examples of student research projects, we highlight the ways in which authentic research at the secondary school level provides a natural platform for science integration and offers distinct benefits compared to research at the undergraduate level. Recommendations for the implementation of an authentic and integrated student research program in a secondary school are discussed.