CURRENT TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS IN STEM EDUCATION IN THE K–12 CONTEXTS
AIZIEL JOY T. MICLAT
67(0 which stands Ior 6cience 7echnolog\ (ngineering and 0athematics has Eeen studied as a Iield on its own as well as Sart oI an integrated aSSroach that highlights the linNages Eetween the sNills and Nnowledge oI other disciSlines. 67(0 education has drawn more and more attention gloEall\ in recent \ears. $ccording to the 1ational 6cience 7echnolog\ &ouncil DeSartment oI (ducation 6Nills and (mSlo\ment and (ducation %ureau 67(0 education is considered a means oI Iostering economic growth and gloEal comSetitiveness as well as a source oI innovation and technological advancement. ,t also serves as a Sathwa\ Ior develoSing a comSetent worNIorce with st centur\ sNills. 7here have Eeen reTuests Ior enhancements to 67(0 learning as a result oI the growing Iocus on 67(0 education. 1onetheless issues with teachers SreSaredness to use 67(0 education have surIaced. ,n contrast to traditional Nnowledge Eased instruction contemSorar\ 67(0 education Slaces a greater Iocus on real world exSerience related to real world challenges. $s a result educators must reconsider and reEuild their lesson Slans. 0oreover rather than SreSaring teachers Ior multidisciSlinar\ domains traditional Sre service and in service teacher SroIessional develoSment Srograms oIten concentrate on enhancing teachers aEilities and Nnowledge in one disciSline. $s a result teachers are worried aEout whether the\ are SreSared to teach 67(0 suEMects Sarticularl\ those related to 67(0 /au -ong . /acN oI suEMect or interdisciSlinar\ Nnowledge challenges adMusting to Sedagog\ and classroom roles lacN oI time and exSertise in curriculum inte gration and ignorance oI essential standards and assessments are among the commonl\ mentioned oEstacles to imSlementing 67(0. 7eachers have taNen Sart in continuous Sro Iessional develoSment to imSrove their readiness to teach 67(0 courses to get around these oEstacles. ,t is commonl\ acceSted that SreSaring teachers Ior the classroom and suSSorting them are critical to their SroIessional success and to removing Earriers to achieving the goals oI 67(0 education. 67(0 teachers Sla\ a crucial role as Nnowledge advisors and their eIIectiveness has a direct Eearing on the Nnowledge and learning exSeriences oI their students. &ountries all around the world have started 67(0 teacher SroIessional develoS ment Srograms to guarantee the Tualit\ oI 67(0 education. While a limited numEer oI Srograms concentrated on technological content Nnowledge and technological Sedagogi cal content Nnowledge the maMorit\ oI the inIormation oIIered in the 67(0 Srogram was Sedagogical Nnowledge and Sedagogical content Nnowledge. With activities including learn ing E\ design learning E\ doing reIlective learning and grouS worN the maMorit\ oI the research used Elended SroIessional develoSment aSSroaches. 7hese methods created connections Eetween curriculum and classroom activities highlighted teachers active en gagement in the Srocess and Sromoted grouS SarticiSation in the Srocess oI gaining com Setence.1onetheless teachers Serceived man\ Earriers in executing classroom manage ment concerning elements liNe teaching methods educational resources and learners reactions. ,n addition the teachers anticiSated receiving additional assistance Ior their teach ing including time to worN with other educators access to excellent SroIessional develoS ment chances to stud\ 67(0 Sedagog\ and current trends and suSSort Ior 67(0 activities.
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,,, at 6an -uan +igh 6chool
7he author is 7eacher