Abstract
National efforts in Thailand are currently focused on promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education in order to better prepare the future generations to be an effective and productive workforce. In accordance with this mission, the goal of this research is to develop a tablet-based professional development (PD) program to enhance in-service teachers’ perceptions of STEM education, which will directly affect both their decision to incorporate STEM, as well as their ability to effectively do so in their own classroom. To assess the efficacy of the PD program, we recruited 240 STEM and non-STEM teachers from basic education schools in Thailand to participate in the program. The activities in this program were divided into three parts: 1) increasing knowledge about STEM education, 2) providing demonstrations of STEM teaching, and 3) developing STEM-based lessons. Data were collected throughout the tablet-based PD program from focus group discussion sessions, pre-post questionnaires, and informal interviews. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that before participating in the tablet-based PD program, the majority of participants had limited knowledge on STEM education and were uncertain on how to integrate STEM into their instructional practices. They also had difficulty with connecting the different STEM disciplines in their activities. Although they were interested in implementing the STEM educational approach, they lacked confidence on how to accomplish this. After completing the tablet-based PD program, many participants had a much better understanding of STEM education and greater confidence with implementing STEM pedagogical approaches.
Highlights
In Thailand, there are national efforts to transform society to a new economic model, known as the “Thailand 4.0” policy, which is focused on promoting creativity, innovation, new technology, and the availability of high-level services (Baxter, 2017)
We present a summary of their perceptions prior to and after completing the program on the definition of STEM education, the different disciplines in STEM education, STEM integration, and implementation of STEM education in the classroom
Most of them had a partial understanding of STEM education
Summary
In Thailand, there are national efforts to transform society to a new economic model, known as the “Thailand 4.0” policy, which is focused on promoting creativity, innovation, new technology, and the availability of high-level services (Baxter, 2017). STEM education, a pedagogical approach that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is considered a critical component to this transformation, as it provides the best opportunity to prepare the new generations of Thailand’s workforce in several sectors, including industry, health services, environmental management, logistics, and transportation. In-service teachers’ strongly support the initiative to incorporate STEM education in their classrooms. Their perceptions and knowledge of the STEM approach are vital for the success of educational reform, since students’ learning is directly related to their teachers’ approaches to teaching (Trigwell, Prosser, & Waterhouse, 1999). There are few general guidelines or models available for teachers to integrate STEM approaches in their classrooms.
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