Beliefs and Attitudes of Primary School Mathematics Teachers Towards STEM Education
Beliefs and Attitudes of Primary School Mathematics Teachers Towards STEM Education

Summary/Abstract: Background/purpose. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) interdisciplinary education in schools may spark students’ interest in learning the subjects and further help develop human capital and a STEM-educated workforce. However, many teachers are yet to be prepared to integrate STEM education into the school curriculum. Considering the significance of teachers’ perspectives on STEM education, this study aimed to determine the correlation between primary school mathematics teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about STEM education. Materials/methods. Using simple random sampling, forty-nine primary school mathematics teachers were selected to participate in this quantitative research utilizing a questionnaire with a fivepoint Likert scale. The study objectives were addressed using descriptive analysis. Further, the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to conduct Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression analyses. Results. The study found that primary school mathematics teachers had moderate attitudes and beliefs toward STEM education. Additionally, a significant correlation existed between primary school mathematics teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards STEM education. A simple linear regression test confirmed that teachers’ beliefs in STEM education influenced their attitudes towards STEM education with a value of adjusted R2 = .860. Furthermore, the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test results showed that participation in STEM Professional Development (PD) is a significant factor in mathematics teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards STEM education. Conclusion. There is a need to provide quality and sustainable professional development programs to support teachers’ knowledge in integrating STEM education in primary school curriculum.

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