Empirical study of the relationship between teachers' attitudes and their personal readiness to implement STEM education in their professional activities

Introduction. The introduction of STEM education in Ukraine is dictated by the global need for a new generation of specialists. In the context of general secondary education, the positive perception of STEM education by teachers and their personal readiness for implementation is of particular importance. Aim. To identify and analyze the relationship between teachers' attitudes towards STEM education and certain aspects of their personal readiness for its implementation in professional activities. Methods. At the empirical stage of the study, a specially designed incomplete sentences questionnaire was used to identify teachers' attitudes towards STEM education and its implementation as well as teachers’ attitudes towards themselves as innovators. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The study involved 962 teachers of general secondary education institutions from different regions of Ukraine. Results. The overwhelming majority of teachers demonstrated a positive attitude towards STEM education, however, their attitude towards the direct implementation of STEM was significantly lower. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between teachers' attitudes toward the implementation of STEM education and their self-perception as innovators. Teachers who considered themselves innovative demonstrated a higher level of readiness to integrate STEM approaches. Conclusions. There is correlation between teachers' attitudes towards STEM education and their personal readiness to implement it. Positive attitudes towards STEM implementation are closely related to teachers' innovative self-identification. The obtained results are important for creating programs to develop teachers’ positive attitudes and readiness to implement STEM education.