Rethinking Nature of STEM: Theoretical Insights and the Development of EPISTEMIK-Fire as an Assessment Tool

Abstract Nature of STEM (NoSTEM) encompasses epistemological, social, and ethical dimensions underlying STEM disciplines, emphasizing their interdependence rather than treating them as isolated domains. This perspective challenges reductionist and technocentric views, fostering a holistic understanding of science and technology in society. Nevertheless, currently, no validated instruments specifically evaluate NoSTEM, making the development of such instruments essential for advancing interdisciplinary STEM education. Thus, we present Evaluating Performance in STEM Integrated Knowledge (EPISTEMIK), a roadmap for developing instruments to assess NoSTEM in educational contexts grounded in a solid theoretical-philosophical framework. Based on this, we introduce a mixed-method instrument, combining statistical validation with qualitative analysis to ensure instrument robustness, focused on fire ecology (EPISTEMIK-Fire), consisting of 11 closed-ended and 2 open-ended items. EPISTEMIK-Fire uses fire ecology to explore interdisciplinary integration and critical reflection. However, while we introduce both EPISTEMIK and EPISTEMIK-Fire, the results primarily focus on validating the latter. Findings highlight EPISTEMIK-Fire’s potential to provide a comprehensive understanding of NoSTEM, addressing gaps in existing evaluation tools by capturing interdisciplinary knowledge and socio-ethical implications. Beyond this application, our study contributes to STEM education by offering a rigorous framework for assessing interdisciplinary integration. Future applications aim to extend this instrument to diverse STEM fields and educational levels, fostering critical scientific literacy.