Impacts of method courses on Vietnamese pre-service teachers’ perceptions and practices: From the perspectives of model and modeling in STEM education

Abstract

Modeling in visual representations is essential in STEM education because of its concretization in science, technology, engineering, and math learning activities. Therefore, model-based teaching needs to be improved for pre-service teachers (PSTs) to implement STEM education successfully. We conduct the model-based integrated inquiry STEM (MII-STEM) method courses for 16 PSTs in Physics Education in Vietnam. A qualitative analysis was utilized to examine how and to what extent PSTs change in perceptions of models and STEM education. The findings showed that the number of PSTs with a higher understanding of the model increased. PSTs gain a deeper understanding of STEM education and could transfer alternative perceptions of STEM education into STEM lesson plans. PSTs clarified and embedded Science and Engineering Practices in STEM lesson plans. There were changes of PSTs’ STEM lesson plan after the MII-STEM course: (1) product-oriented to process-oriented; (2) make Engineering more apparent; (3) focusing on developing students’ science and engineering practices; (4) define how STEM sub-fields integrated into STEM lesson plans; and (5) using model and modeling in STEM activities. In addition, PSTs had a positive view of the effectiveness of the STEM-focus method course.