Exploring The Perceptions and Practices of Secondary School Teachers Toward STEM Education

This study explored the perception of science teachers regarding STEM education and the challenges, specifically those faced by secondary school science teachers, in integrating STEM into their pedagogical approaches. It adopted an exploratory qualitative design for data collection from science teachers. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the data, along with four supplementary classroom observations to validate the interview data. The collected data were analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis process. Science teachers showed a positive perception of expertise and were found to be eager to incorporate STEM education into the classroom; however, they encountered several obstacles. Teachers felt that STEM subjects took a lot of time, and they lacked the confidence to carry them out. Moreover, the study also found that, in crowded classrooms, there were challenges regarding student involvement. Professional development is required to successfully integrate STEM education. Educators should receive a variety of continuing education courses and training to ensure that they are always updated on the latest findings on STEM education.