EXAMINING TEACHERS' VIEWS ON STEM EDUCATION

The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of teachers who apply STEM education in science and mathematics lessons about this education. The research is designed according to a case study of qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of four STEM educated teachers. Semi-structured interview form was used as data collection tool in the study. The data were analysed by content analysis. Within the scope of the validity and reliability of the data obtained from the research, participant confirmation and expert control strategies were used. As a result of the research, the teachers stated that STEM education is related to the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and technology. They stated that STEM is a necessity of our age and includes basic skills. In addition, regarding the in-class implementation of STEM-based activities, the participants emphasized that STEM practice increase student success, improve students' sense of self-confidence, make learning easier and permanent, associate lessons with daily life, conduct lessons with fun, and ensure collaborative learning. However, during the implementation of these activities, teachers stated that they mostly experienced problems with classroom management, implementation of the activities and lack of equipment. Article visualizations

Analysis of Understanding and Readiness of Elementary School Teachers on the Implementation of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Approach

The application of integrated thematic learning and scientific approaches to the 2013 curriculum in Indonesian elementary schools can be done using the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) approach because learning activities in the 2013 curriculum have been developed based on themes, sub-themes and lessons that have been adapted to life and student environment. Of the total respondents in the study, 37.6% understood the STEAM approach well, 40.8% expressed doubt, and 21.6% did not know about it. The results of the interviews with several teachers indicated that STEAM is art-based learning and that the elementary school teachers’ understanding of STEAM is far from its real nature. Based on this, the researchers have used a descriptive–analytical design to analyze the understanding and readiness of elementary school teachers toward the implementation of the STEAM approach in eight districts of Central Java Province. The results showed that teachers did not fully understand the concept or practice of learning using the STEAM approach despite having delivered projects based on STEAM. The authors, therefore, recommend that teachers must pay attention to the readiness and needs of students, and design and prepare STEAM learning tools based on the descriptions of basic competencies and indicators on the themes, sub-themes, and lessons that will be taught to the students. Keywords: teacher understanding, teacher readiness, implementation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics

Work in Progress -- Tailoring Optics Resources for K-5 Pre-college Outreach

Pre-college instruction in science, technology, Engineering; and mathematics (STEM) is critical to preparing a workforce and citizens for a technology-based society. The K-5 years are especially important to creating interest and instilling basic concepts. Engineering-based pre-college outreach can provide useful resources in the K- 5 education classroom. However, interaction among K-5 teachers and STEM professionals is more effective if outreach is tailored to the K-5 environment. In particular, resources and outreach should accommodate K-5 assessment standards, level-appropriate concept definition, and grade continuity. This work uses a set of optics resources as an example of tailored outreach. Example lessons and activities illustrate pedagogy appropriate for the unique K-5 education environment, e.g. auditory, visual, and kinesthetic components, concept definition, terminology, and grade continuity. Optical engineering topics are related to Missouri science standards, STEM relevance and inquiry, and measurement activities

Pre-service mathematics teachers' learning and teaching of activity-based lessons supported with spreadsheets

Mathematics education research has shown that too few students have adequate mathematics comprehension or problem-solving skills. To make up for this lapse in student outcomes, mathematics teachers should be among the most enthusiastic in seeking to maximize technologies’ potential to develop student understanding, stimulate student interest, and increase student mathematics proficiency. In this study, pre-service mathematics teachers worked in teams to develop their knowledge and skills in designing activity-based lessons supported by spreadsheets. The pre-service teachers developed and demonstrated their knowledge and skill adequately during the design and enactment of their lessons. The results also showed that, the activity-based lessons supported by spreadsheets served a useful pedagogical approach, impacted on student learning outcomes and has the potential of improving teaching and learning mathematics in secondary educatio

Developing ICT for Primary and Secondary Mathematics Teacher Professional Development: The Use of VTR in Lesson Study

Most (mathematics) teachers candidates have little opportunity to observe effective teaching in an actual classroom as many of their first learning experiences were based in a traditional classroom where rules were applied methodically to solve problems. In other words, they lack the experience base to meaningfully observe the classroom’s complex and rapid interactions. The use of video tape recorder (VTR) is one of the aspects of developing ICT to promote teachers professional development. Through Lesson Studies activities, some Indonesian teachers have experiences to reflect their teaching through VTR. Reflecting good teaching practice of mathematics form different context through VTR was proved to evidently encourage and motivate teachers to improve their teaching competencies. In some parts of the activities of teachers professional development programs in Indonesia, year 2002‐ 200, the reflections through VTR of Japanesse context and Indonesian context resulting teachers’ perception that it was a good model of mathematics teaching that can possibly be implemented in Indonesia. However, the techers were aware that to implement such good model there are some fundamental constraints should be overcome. Key Words: ICT, VTR, professional development, mathematics teacher, lesson stud

Teaching in the Middle Grades Today: Examining Teachers’ Beliefs About Middle Grades Teaching

Since the beginning of the middle school movement in the mid-1960s, middle level advocates have called for a school experience for young adolescents grounded in adolescent development that engages students in meaningful learning (Eichhorn, 1966; Alexander & Williams, 1965). The aim of this exploratory multi-case study was to understand middle level teachers’ beliefs about middle level instruction in the current educational environment. To gain this understanding, researchers asked ten current middle grades teachers with varying levels of experience to discuss their beliefs regarding their primary purpose as a middle grades teacher, the current status of middle level teaching, their best and worst instructional lessons, and their perceived barriers to teaching at the middle level. The teachers described the role of teaching in the middle grades as challenging and stressful, but of great importance. In general, they described instruction that included discovery, student engagement, and relevance in an effort to address students’ academic development. There was minimal mention of the non-academic aspects of adolescent development. Finally, teachers viewed curriculum restrictions, students’ attitudes toward learning, difficulty with differentiation, and lack of technology as significant barriers to their success in the classroom