Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions, Readiness, and Challenges in Using Interactive Deep Learning–STEM-PBL Modules

Abstract

This study examines elementary school teachers’ perceptions, readiness, and challenges in using and developing interactive teaching modules based on pedagogical deep learning integrated with Problem-Based Learning (STEM-PBL) to support scientific literacy and communication. This study adopted an exploratory cross-sectional design, collecting data from 100 elementary teachers in Lampung Province, Indonesia, through online questionnaires, document analysis, and in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that while most teachers demonstrate positive perceptions toward interactive Deep Learning–STEM-PBL modules, their readiness to implement such approaches varies and is constrained by limited pedagogical competence, instructional design skills, and professional development opportunities. Document analysis further reveals a clear perception–practice gap, as most teaching modules do not yet explicitly integrate deep learning principles and STEM-PBL stages. Key challenges include insufficient training, time constraints, limited instructional references, and inadequate institutional support. Based on these findings, this study proposes a Teacher Readiness Framework for Deep Learning–STEM-PBL, which conceptualizes readiness as the interaction between teachers’ perceptions, multidimensional pedagogical capacities, and structural–institutional conditions that influence instructional practice outcomes.