Is the STEM Approach Useful in Teaching Mathematics? Evaluating the Views of Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

The STEM approach, which has been included in the education literature with increasing value in the last decade, has also drawn researchers’ attention to the process of learning and teaching mathematics. In this study, the views of mathematics teachers, who were involved in in-services STEM-training, were evaluated under the themes of integration with the curriculum, limitations in implementation, and attitude development. A qualitative case study was carried out with 36 secondary school mathematics teachers. Data were collected with a questionnaire form two different types of STEM tasks (engineering design sets and coding) and analyzed with descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed that the participants’ views on the usefulness of STEM tasks in mathematics teaching are positive, but they have difficulties with linking the tasks to the mathematics curriculum. Participants find coding tasks more applicable than the engineering design and building tasks. Suggestions are made for teacher education and textbook development.