Elementary Stem Educators: Views and Practices in Teaching Stem

This book examines Elementary STEM Educators’ views and classroom practices in teaching STEM through a qualitative research approach. It explores how teachers conceptualize STEM education and translate these understandings into everyday instructional practices at the elementary level. Using thematic analysis, data were collected from in-depth interviews with practicing teachers to identify key patterns related to pedagogical strategies, interdisciplinary integration, assessment methods, and classroom implementation. The findings highlight that teachers perceive STEM education as an effective approach for fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration among young learners. However, the study also reveals several challenges faced by educators, including limited resources, inadequate professional training, time constraints, and difficulties in aligning STEM instruction with prescribed curricula. Despite these constraints, teachers demonstrated adaptive practices and innovative strategies to create meaningful STEM learning experiences.