HI TRAILS Collaborative Research SEI: Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons
in STEM (TRAILS) 2.0
Global urgency driven by environmental and social impacts and STEM workforce needs of the 21 st
century drive the need to improve STEM education . Wicked problems from infectious diseases to climate
change, from bioterrorism to poverty requires collaborative, transdisciplinary teamwork to solve complex,
ill-defined problems. Indigenous Science Knowledge (ISK) recognizes that Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural
environment can be valuable resources for STEM problem-solving. HI TRAILS goals for teachers are to:
1) strengthen and increase STEM teachers' community of practice, and 2) increase integrated STEM
teaching knowledge and self-efficacy. HI TRAILS goals for students are to 1) improve student's capacity
to pursue STEM careers by strengthening their 21st-century skills and 2) enhance socio-emotional
outcomes (career awareness, engagement, attitudes toward learning in STEM, and inclusion in a
stewardship community). Students learn to: a) define problems and ask inquiry questions oriented to
sustainability; b) develop and use 3D models; c) use knowledge gained from scientific research and/or
practical experience; d) design and conduct investigations; e) analyze data to produce new design
solutions f) use computational thinking; g) construct explanations, h) defend decisions with evidence, and;
i) communicate results. Faculty from Purdue University, the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and a biology
and engineering/technology master teacher lead the professional development. Community members
serve as real world, post-secondary and career -technology role models. HI TRAILS challenges teachers
to consider the community in which they teach and students they teach for experiential, real-world
integrated STEM learning that helps studens problem-find and problem-solve, develop environmental
literacy and personally meaningful interest in STEM.