Context of STEM Integration in Schools: Views from In-service Science Teachers
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Heba EL-Deghaidy 1 * , Nasser Mansour 2 3, Mohammad Alzaghibi 4, Khalid Alhammad 5
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1 American University in Cairo, EGYPT
2 University of Exeter, UK
3 Tanta University, EGYPT
4 Ministry of Education, SAUDI ARABIA
5 Shaqra University, SAUDI ARABIA
* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Background:
This study explores science teachers' views regarding Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pedagogy and its interdisciplinary nature. It also seeks to identify teachers' views on the contextual factors that facilitate and hinder such pedagogy in their schools.

Material and methods:
Qualitative methodologies were used through focus group discussions and an interview protocol.

Results:
Findings expressed teachers' concerns of their under preparedness to enact STEM practices and illustrated that engineering is the least mentioned discipline to be integrated with science. From the specific contextual issues that were highlighted was teacher self-efficacy, pedagogical-knowledge, issues related to establishing a collaborative school culture and familiarity to STEM education among school administrators, students and parents.

Conclusions:
The study ends with recommendations that could lead to develop a professional development model to enact STEM education in schools based on valuing partnership with universities and industries as a necessary step for enacting a STEM integrated model.

Keywords

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.01235a

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2017 - Volume 13 Issue 6, pp. 2459-2484

Publication date: 15 Jun 2017

Article Views: 2515

Article Downloads: 1474

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