The context of STEM education from perspectives of pre-service teachers in a developing country: A southeastern regional case

Researching the current context of STEM education for preservice teachers in developing country is a practical issue that helped us have a more realistic perspective on this problem. This study was conducted a cross-sectional study through questionnaire and interviews with 1,000 preservice teachers from universities and colleges in a Southeastern regional country with high investment in STEM education and STEM-based preparation for teachers: Vietnam. The results showed that preservice teachers self-assessed their competencies in implementing STEM educational activities at good level. However, there still existed some limitations such as difficulties in linking knowledge with practice and handling situations that arise during the STEM teaching process. The study suggested that it was necessary to increase skills training and gain experience for preservice teachers to improve the quality of STEM education. In addition, our study also confirmed the context of STEM education in a developing country in Southeast Asia in terms of gaps in quantitative research and the potential for further in-depth research on STEM education, especially in the group of teachers and preservice teachers.