Research Attitudes, Motivations, and Challenges of STEM Education Researchers

Abstract

The value of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and the significance of conducting research motivated the conduct of this study. As teachers take on a more active role in knowledge generation, studying their research attitudes, motivations, and challenges has become more relevant and timely. This paper aimed to describe Filipino STEM education researchers based on the three aforementioned parameters. To achieve this goal, a total of 46 STEM teacher-researchers were purposively sampled to answer an online survey. Three of the responses, however, were excluded due to incomplete answers. Results revealed that the respondents held a positive outlook towards research and consider it as an avenue for professional growth. They also recognized the positive impacts of research on their teaching skills and in their students’ learning experiences. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations were reported to be the main stimuli in doing research. Time and financial constraints, heavy workload, and lack of exposure and experience in research were some of the challenges identified by the respondents. Suggestions for future research and policy directions were provided.