Pre-service Mathematics Teachers' Perspectives on STEM Education

Abstract

The integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into the classroom is often promoted as a way to enhance 21st century skills. Although it is used frequently, there is still lack of widespread awareness of STEM education, especially among pre-service teachers with less educational experience and different backgrounds. This research has focused on understanding pre-service mathematics teachers' perspectives toward STEM education. For this purpose, 52 pre-service mathematics teachers responded to a survey used to collect data about their general beliefs about STEM and their competency to teach STEM. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data by calculating frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that participants show a high degree of agreement with positive general perceptions of STEM education. However, a significant proportion of participants demonstrated negative general perceptions of STEM education. The vast majority of participants showed lack of competencies needed to teach STEM.