2.1 STEM and Computer science
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics but the meaning is not completely clear. There is the common misconception that the “T” (for technology) means computing, thereby distorting the intended meaning of the STEM acronym (M. Sanders, 2009). STEM is often mentioned in the contexts of natural sciences and mathematics, much less in the contexts of engineering and technology.
Although the STEM acronym by itself was initially coined to highlight the importance of the respective disciplines, the interdisciplinary nature of the world in which we live and work demands a broadening of STEM education and research (English, 2016).
All mentioned above point to the fact that the process of problem-solving in the 21st century is closely linked to engineering and technology, and particularly requires competencies related to computer science (CS). It seems that many teachers do not integrate ideas of computer science much beyond the pure use of computers as a tool in current STEM education (Schulz & Pinkwart, 2015). In too many schools, science and math are still taught mostly in isolation from each other, and engineering is absent. To be sure, in a growing number of high schools (in the USA) and even some middle schools, a pre-engineering curriculum is becoming more common. But more often than not, these engineering courses are offered as electives without strong connections to core courses like physics, algebra, geometry,