Teaching STEM through Horticulture: Implementing an Edible Plant Curriculum at a STEM-centric Elementary School

Abstract

School gardens are ideal places for students to ask and answer questions about science. This paper describes a case study of two 3rd grade teachers and two STEM coordinators who were recruited to implement and evaluate a horticultural-based curriculum developed for this study. U Informed by the Teacher-Centered Systemic Reform model we conducted a case study analysis of the beliefs and practices of these four educators. Teachers made curricular decisions based on their confidence teaching about plants, the accessibility of curricular materials, perceptions of relevancy of lessons to academic science standards, and the time constraints. One STEM coordinator reported that the curriculum addressed academic science standards, was relevant to students’ lives, and provided hands-on inquiry activities connected to the school garden. The subsequent STEM coordinator, along with the teachers, believed that garden plants do not address science standards and instead support enrichment activities. We conclude that professional development on horticultural-based curriculum for both teachers and STEM coaches is warranted.