Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors

The aim of this paper is to examine pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of stem education, including their conceptualisations and psychosocial factors associated with teaching it. Methods used to in this study to elicit PSTs’ perceptions included surveys, online responses and drawings. PSTs in...

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Main Authors: Cooper, Grant, Carr, Nicky
Other Authors: Barkatsas, T.
Format: Book Chapter
Published: Brill 2019
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88748
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author Cooper, Grant
Carr, Nicky
author2 Barkatsas, T.
author_facet Barkatsas, T.
Cooper, Grant
Carr, Nicky
author_sort Cooper, Grant
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The aim of this paper is to examine pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of stem education, including their conceptualisations and psychosocial factors associated with teaching it. Methods used to in this study to elicit PSTs’ perceptions included surveys, online responses and drawings. PSTs in this sample commonly conceptualised stem education as involving an integrated approach, placing an emphasis on the relationships between disciplines. PSTs also frequently discussed the importance of developing students’ generic skills, using problem-based learning and inquiry-related pedagogies. Some participants positioned stem education as a way of promoting workforce skills and dispositions in their future students. PSTs generally reported positive attitudes to teaching stem education. They also reported a number of normative influences to teach stem, however there appeared to be limited opportunities to develop their teaching capacity on professional experience in schools. Relatively low levels of self-efficacy to teach particular areas of stem were reported by PSTs, particularly engineering and digital technologies. This paper contributes to debates on calls for reform to teacher education programs and discourses about PSTs perceptions of stem education.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-887482022-08-22T07:13:52Z Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors Cooper, Grant Carr, Nicky Barkatsas, T. Carr, N. Cooper, G. The aim of this paper is to examine pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) perceptions of stem education, including their conceptualisations and psychosocial factors associated with teaching it. Methods used to in this study to elicit PSTs’ perceptions included surveys, online responses and drawings. PSTs in this sample commonly conceptualised stem education as involving an integrated approach, placing an emphasis on the relationships between disciplines. PSTs also frequently discussed the importance of developing students’ generic skills, using problem-based learning and inquiry-related pedagogies. Some participants positioned stem education as a way of promoting workforce skills and dispositions in their future students. PSTs generally reported positive attitudes to teaching stem education. They also reported a number of normative influences to teach stem, however there appeared to be limited opportunities to develop their teaching capacity on professional experience in schools. Relatively low levels of self-efficacy to teach particular areas of stem were reported by PSTs, particularly engineering and digital technologies. This paper contributes to debates on calls for reform to teacher education programs and discourses about PSTs perceptions of stem education. 2019 Book Chapter http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88748 10.1163/9789004391413_011 Brill restricted
spellingShingle Cooper, Grant
Carr, Nicky
Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title_full Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title_fullStr Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title_full_unstemmed Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title_short Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of STEM Education:Conceptualisations and Psychosocial Factors
title_sort primary pre-service teachers' perceptions of stem education:conceptualisations and psychosocial factors
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/88748