STEM Education in the Foreign Language Classroom with Special Attention to the L2 German Classroom.

摘要

This thesis tackles the issues of foreign language education, with special attention to German as a foreign language, and STEM education in the K-12, and in some cases K-16, educational system. After exploring the societal and national need for improved STEM and foreign language education programs, this thesis suggests methods of integrating STEM education elements and principals in the foreign language classroom. These methods are provided in chapters about integrating state and national education standards in the STEM fields, core academic subject fields, and foreign language teaching, and finally in chapters about the most appropriate and effective pedagogies for successful STEM and foreign language integration. The thesis brings together research about such integration in learning modules and discussion about assessment methods and further areas of research needed. The learning modules and research are answering a call for a need to shift education in the direction of an integrative, interdisciplinary approach that supports deeper learning, meaning making, and student interest.