A meta-analysis of interdisciplinary teaching abilities among elementary and secondary school STEM teachers

Abstract

Background: In the context of global educational reform, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, as an interdisciplinary educational model, has become increasingly central to foundational pedagogical reforms. However, research on the impact and development of STEM teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching abilities is relatively limited. This meta-analysis explored STEM education’s impact on elementary and secondary school teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching abilities. The review encompassed 21 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2023 and aimed to quantify the effect size of STEM interventions on teachers’ interdisciplinary abilities. Results: A moderately positive correlation (r = 0.452) was found between STEM education and teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching abilities. The role of potential moderating variables, including demographic traits, gender, academic qualifications, subject specialization, pedagogical tenure, and prior exposure to interdisciplinary learning, was scrutinized. The findings highlighted a substantial improvement in teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching abilities through STEM education, emphasizing the critical role of knowledge integration. STEM programs significantly aided educators in bridging and amalgamating diverse disciplinary insights. Variations in the efficacy of STEM education across different educational tiers, subject domains, levels of teaching seniority, and interdisciplinary familiarity were identified, indicating that the benefits of STEM training were contingent upon individual teacher profiles. Notably, gender disparities in the enhancement of interdisciplinary teaching abilities through STEM education were not observed. Despite the methodological diversity of the included studies, which encompassed various research paradigms, sampling strategies, and evaluation instruments, the integration of findings across these diverse methodologies added intricacy to the interpretation of the meta-analytic results. The study’s potential limitations, such as the risk of sample selection bias and the use of potentially imprecise assessment tools, were acknowledged as possibly having influenced the meta-analytic outcomes. Conclusions: The findings had two implications. First, they provided a roadmap for the strategic design and execution of STEM initiatives aimed at fostering excellence in interdisciplinary teaching. Second, they highlighted the imperative for tailored approaches to the development of STEM teachers, which recognize the heterogeneous needs and potential based on their unique professional and experiential backgrounds.