How confident do early years teachers in Taif feel in teaching STEAM subjects?

Abstract

Given the recent interest in and move towards Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this research aims to explore the confidence that early years' teachers in Taif feel when teaching STEAM subjects. To accomplish this goal, quantitative data was collected from 170 early years female teachers in the city of Taif via questionnaire. Demographic variables included in the questionnaire were age, years of experience, educational qualification, and STEAM experience. Study findings revealed that female teachers have limited knowledge about STEAM, which is also almost non-existent for approximately half of them, and that most of them are not aware of the importance of using this approach with children. The results indicated that the majority of the sample are not interested, receptive and regular in implementing STEAM activities. Also, a large percentage of the participants expressed a need for integrated support and vocational training programs, their reluctance to continue learning about this approach and their lack of a desire to recommend this discipline to their colleagues. The implications of the results are discussed, and the study's shortcomings are considered.