Introduction
As the information age gives way to the comprehensive age (Cai, 2011), learners are increasingly required to synthesize large amounts of information and employ interdisciplinary knowledge to solve complex real-world problems (Nadelson and Seifert, 2017). Complex Problem Solving (CPS) is deemed to be a key cross-curricular skill of the 21st century (Herde et al., 2016). However, much formal education has traditionally been premised on the division of knowledge into discrete subject areas. Although the division of knowledge into disciplines is conducive to scientific research (Morrison et al., 2009), it detaches formal education from the real world, meaning learners may fail to apply the knowledge they have learned to resolve practical issues. This, in turn, leads to the emergence of the phenomenon of “useless knowledge” (Linn and Hsi, 2000).
STEM education, guided by…
