In recent years, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) approaches in education have received growing attention in the political arena and in educational research and practice. A concern consistently raised in the research literature regarding interdisciplinary STEM education is that the role played by mathematics is understated such that it may be overshadowed by the other disciplines. This study contributes to the discussion by presenting a review of 4,812 studies, of which 37 with descriptions of STEM activities were selected, analysed and synthesised to identify the various roles played by mathematics in these STEM activities. This process produced an analytical framework that captures the various roles mathematics can play, which can be categorised into two major categories: mathematics as the specific aim of the activity or mathematics utilised as a tool. Two cases selected from the review are presented in this study to demonstrate how the framework can be employed in analysing STEM activities. Furthermore, we propose using the framework when developing STEM activities as a tool to ensure explicit awareness of the various roles mathematics can play.

This study investigates how structural alignment between mathematics teaching and vocational welding practice can support student engagement and strengthen the perceived relevance of mathematics. The research examines an interdisciplinary intervention in Danish vocational education, where mathematics and welding teachers collaboratively designed modules linking trigonometric calculations to practical workshop tasks. Using Cultural–Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the mathematics classroom and the welding workshop are analysed as interacting activity systems. The analysis draws on video observations, field notes, and interviews with teachers and students. The findings show that interdisciplinary collaboration reorganised relations between classroom and workshop practices by aligning artefacts, division of labour, and shared objectives across learning environments. Students reported improved understanding of how mathematics is applied in vocational practice, increased precision in workshop tasks, and more positive attitudes towards mathematics.

The increasing demand for a future-ready workforce, driven by rapid technological advancements, has positioned STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education as a global priority. Despite its recognized importance, integrating STEM within traditionally monodisciplinary educational systems poses significant challenges. These include rigid curricula, subject compartmentalization, and institutional constraints that hinder interdisciplinary collaboration. This study aims to address these challenges by proposing an expansion of the existing STEM integration model developed by Seidelin and Larsen in 2021, which originally includes four approaches: content integration, overlapping methods integration, overlapping concepts integration, and context integration. The proposed expansion introduces a fifth element focused on the learning environment, recognizing the critical role that physical spaces, local contexts, and materials play in shaping integrated STEM education. The study draws on insights from the Danish LabSTEM+ project, where educators utilized what the project calls a laboratory model to explore the impact of the learning environment on STEM teaching. Methods included field observations, interviews, and the analysis of four case studies involving diverse educational contexts. The results demonstrate that the learning environment serves as a new way of integrating STEM. This addition of a fifth element to the integration model by Seidelin and Larsen offers a more comprehensive framework for STEM integration. The study concludes that the learning environment can be seen as a core component of developing integrated STEM teaching.