Perspectives of STEM education from physics teachers' points of view: A quantitative study

Abstract

Many perspectives of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are available, but which perspective is common among science teachers? This study aims to determine major and minor STEM education perspectives of physics teachers using Bybee's nine perspectives. A number of 70 in-service physics teachers were selected by using cluster random sampling. Data were collected via an online survey using questionnaire items derived from Bybee's review. Pilot testing, face validity assessment and content validity were conducted to determine 27 items that fitted with the nine perspectives of STEM education. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. This study found that the major perspective of STEM held by the teachers is the perspective that deems engineering or technology as a bridge between science and mathematics. Many teachers were inclined to have inter/multi/transdisciplinary perspectives of STEM than single-disciplinary. Nonetheless, all seven perspectives that are inter/multi/transdisciplinary have no statistically significant differences among them. Additionally, two STEM perspectives that are single-disciplinary kinds have recorded a significant difference in their means. The implications of this study to the literature, STEM teaching and learning, and professional development programs are discussed.