STEM APPROACH FOR 21st CENTURY SKILLS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY DEVELOPMENT – EFL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES

STEM education is an approach that has affected all countries of the world in recent years. The study aims to explore English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ beliefs about the potential of the STEM approach to contribute to interdisciplinary and 21st-century skills development in teaching EFL in primary and secondary school education. It deals with EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the relevance of the STEM approach for moving from de-contextualized use of technology in learning towards a learning flow that fosters engagement with digital experiences in a way that can develop students’ cooperation, critical thinking, autonomous learning, and their mindset growth. The participants of the study were 45 EFL teachers working both in primary and secondary schools situated in various regions in Serbia. This paper describes their attitudes towards the relevance of the STEM approach in primary and secondary education on the basis of quantitative and qualitative data obtained through teachers’ questionnaires. The results show how positive attitudes of EFL teachers toward the STEM approach can effectively support students’ development of interdisciplinary connections and 21st-century skills. Findings are discussed with regard to teachers’ level of education, place of work, and years of experience intending to reveal their awareness and knowledge of professional skills required for possible application of this approach and to indicate relevance for using the STEM approach in primary and secondary school education. This study concludes by listing the benefits of the STEM approach summarized by primary and secondary EFL teachers in Serbia on the basis of their experience in implementing the STEM approach in the primary and secondary school curriculum.