Adoption of the steam approach in grade school mathematics instruction: Insights and challenges from math teachers' perspectives

Abstract

The current research explores how far the STEAM approach has been adopted in teaching mathematics in Jordan based on math teachers’ perspectives. Moreover, it examines the challenges that hinder the implementation of the STEAM model. A mixed-method research design involving descriptive-analytical methods and semi-structured interviews was adopted. The primary study tool is a specially designed questionnaire with four main axes. The questionnaire was randomly distributed to a selected sample of 304 math teachers working in government schools in Amman.  The results depicted a moderate adoption of the STEAM approach in mathematics education. No statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in the variables of gender or grade level taught. However, statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found for the variables of training courses and teaching experience with those who had received specialized training courses in STEAM and those with five or more years of teaching experience demonstrating higher levels of implementation. Mathematics teachers faced challenges in using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and incorporating it into the teaching process when instructing students of the upper high school grades (ninth and tenth grades). Different challenges were classified into AI-related, teacher-related, student-related, curriculum and content-related  and school and classroom environment-related obstacles.