Exploring Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Multimodal Educational Games for Engaging Girls in STEM

This study co-designed and developed multimodal educational games in collaboration with parents and teachers to engage girls in STEM from early childhood onward. Recent studies examine the supportive and complementary role of digital educational technology, such as multimodal games, in engaging girls in STEM education during primary and secondary schooling. Different skills, such as computational thinking, mathematical and scientific skills, can be developed via simulations, models, narrative-rich videos, and digital games. However, there is limited research on how parents and teachers perceive how multimodal games can engage children, especially girls in STEM, in early years learning environments, both at home and in formal educational classroom play-based learning contexts. Employing a multi-case study approach, the study conducted focus group discussions (N = 10) with 15 parents and 15 teachers of children from birth to 8 years of age. The theoretical framework underpinning Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological lens guided the thematic data analysis, particularly acknowledging theoretical ideas that a young girl’s natural learning environment comprises parents, siblings, peers, and early childhood professionals (e.g., educators) who play an essential role in the development of a child’s early STEM engagement. Findings indicate the essential role of the pedagogue (both parents and educators), with multimodal technologies (games) acting as the third teacher, being critical in scaffolding girls’ early STEM education by capitalising on multimodal learning environments. Implications pertain to designing hands-on, multimodal games that enable children to engage seamlessly with science and mathematics concepts through a variety of design features, including problem-solving, doing, constructing, role-play, and gamification.