STEM Teaching Beliefs Analyses at Secondary Level: A Comparative Study between Indonesia and Taiwan

Abstract

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STEM learning effectiveness is related to teachers' pedagogy, shaped by their beliefs about STEM education and the required knowledge and skills to teach STEM. In Indonesia and Taiwan, official STEM integration guidelines are not yet established within the curriculum frameworks. This study aimed to investigate STEM teachers' teaching beliefs in Indonesia and Taiwan. The research methodology involved a mixed-method approach, which included administering STEM-TTBIQ, analyzing STEM lesson plans, and conducting teacher interviews. The results indicate significant differences in the teaching beliefs of Indonesian and Taiwanese teachers, with Indonesian teachers rating higher on all STEM teaching beliefs dimensions. Both groups of teachers emphasize 21st-century skills and STEM literacy as educational goals but differ in their use of discipline integration level and instructional design. Indonesian STEM lesson plans were multidisciplinary and incorporated project-based learning, while Taiwanese lesson plans were transdisciplinary and incorporated inquiry-based learning. Indonesian and Taiwanese teachers believed in the relevance of integrating STEM courses with other disciplines and the importance of hands-on activities in STEM instruction. However, their beliefs differed in areas such as the degree of cooperation and community participation in STEM instruction and technology usage in the classroom. Future studies may investigate how teachers' beliefs connect to student learning outcomes, informing the development of evidence-based teaching practices that align with teachers' beliefs and improve student learning processes and outcomes.