High School Students’ Motivation Regarding an Integrated STEM Food System Project

High school students need to be prepared to enter the workforce and solve real-world problems including food and energy sustainability. Real-world problems require students to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills and transfer their learning across disciplines. Presented as a grand challenge to students, the food system project utilized an integrated STEM approach complemented by a systems thinking approach that challenged students to analyze relationships with a holistic perspective. This quantitative descriptive study described the perceptions, experiences, and career interests of high school students who completed a food system STEM project. The students self-reported they were interested in the project, they applied scientific reasoning to solve the problem, and they collaborated with peers to apply STEM concepts. Students also reported the project helped them learn more about STEM careers and students reported higher interest in career fields such as science, technology / engineering, the agricultural industry, food industry, and natural resources industry after completing the food system STEM project. Food system integrated STEM projects can be a tool to engage students to solve complex problems and build interest in STEM careers.