Abstract
This dissertation examines teacher readiness for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the Foundation Year of Australian schools. Foundation Year is the first year of formal schooling in Australia for children typically aged 4–6 years. Early childhood STEM education is crucial for long-term academic success and economic prosperity. It provides young children with the skills and knowledge to face complex and evolving problems, influences their future educational choices and career paths, and develops essential spatial reasoning skills that predict STEM success. While STEM was originally an industry term that has been retrofitted for education, its implementation in early childhood settings presents unique challenges. The Australian Curriculum’s presentation of STEM subjects in relative isolation, coupled with ongoing work by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority to better situate STEM through initiatives like the STEM Connections project, highlights the complexity of effective STEM implementation. Unfortunately, Foundation Year teachers’ readiness for STEM education is not well understood within the Australian educational context, and there is a lack of consensus on defining teacher readiness.A literature review was conducted to identify criteria that constitute ‘readiness’ for teachers to implement STEM education. From this, a novel theoretical framework for teacher readiness was developed, comprising three key domains: competence, mindset and situation. The Competence, Mindset, Situation (CMS) framework provides an inclusive lens for analysing teacher readiness in STEM education, extending beyond the traditional focus on knowledge and attitudes to equally include contextual factors that influence teaching practice.
Using an embedded mixed-methods approach, the study surveyed 80 Foundation Year educators from diverse teaching backgrounds and school contexts. A phenomenographic analysis of the qualitative data uncovered a range of conceptions about STEM readiness, from basic acronymic understanding to sophisticated transdisciplinary integration practices. The analysis also highlighted the significant role of situational factors in shaping teacher readiness. A thematic analysis identified key factors that both impede and enhance teacher readiness. Situational and competence factors emerged as the most significant barriers, particularly in resource limitations and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Access to professional learning opportunities was identified as the primary enhancing factor. A quantitative analysis process examined how the different domains of the CMS framework interact with each other. Factor analysis revealed three distinct factors: (1) mathematics and English PCK, (2) science and technology PCK, and (3) the perceived importance of STEM. Notably, years in teaching were only correlated with the mathematics and English factor. Additional analyses of variance revealed that experienced teachers and those in leadership positions reported significantly higher confidence in English and mathematics subjects but not science and technology, whereas qualification level had no significant effect on any of the factors. These findings challenge common assumptions about STEM composition in early years education and suggest the need to reconsider how STEM is conceptualised in Foundation Year classrooms.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Tom Lowrie (Supervisor) & Ilyse RESNICK (Supervisor) |