Towards a new STEM culture: suggestions from early childhood teachers
Abstract
Children not only have the need but also the right to develop scientific literacy. This is essential for them to become active future citizens and, more importantly, to be today's STEM citizens in societies that include children. However, early childhood teachers' needs for adequate support to meet the high standards and demands of STEM education, as well as access to affordable, ongoing, and high-quality professional development, are often overlooked. International literature has repeatedly highlighted that early childhood teachers feel overwhelmed by current STEM challenges. The study's objective is to shed light on this contradiction by examining teachers' experiences with STEM education and the professional development that aligns with their needs. The empirical data presented were generated through interviews with three focus groups that were formed with the participation of twenty-eight kindergarten teachers who participated in a professional development program as part of the research project. The results reveal the need to redefine STEM education as an open, exploratory, systemic, and dialectical process. The research findings map a transitional pathway for creating a new culture of STEM education in kindergarten.
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Φραγκιαδάκη Γ., Σταυροπούλου Ε., Ζαχαριάδη Η., Σκίζα Φ., Κακανά Δ., & Χρηστίδου Β. (2025). Towards a new STEM culture: suggestions from early childhood teachers. Dialogoi! Theory and Praxis in Education, 11, 80–100. https://doi.org/10.12681/dial.41959
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