Enhancing student motivation and achievement in science classrooms through STEM education

Rommel AlAli; Wardat Yousef; Rommel AlAli; Wardat Yousef

doi:10.3934/steme.2024012

STEM Education

2024, Volume 4, Issue 3: 183-198. doi: 10.3934/steme.2024012

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Research article

Enhancing student motivation and achievement in science classrooms through STEM education

Rommel AlAli ^{1
,
,},
Wardat Yousef ^{2
,}

1.
King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia; ralali@kfu.edu.sa
2.
Higher Colleges of Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE; yousef_alwardat@yahoo.com

Academic Editor: Ergun Gide

Received: 06 March 2024 Revised: 19 May 2024 Accepted: 29 May 2024 Published: 03 June 2024

This qualitative study investigated how science teachers integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into their lessons, focusing on the benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 26 science teachers in public schools in Irbid Governorate, Jordan, during the 2023–2024 academic year. The findings revealed that while teachers generally have a positive attitude toward STEM education, they encountered significant challenges related to inadequate physical resources and time constraints. Additionally, STEM education was shown to promote student engagement in research activities. The study employed a thematic analysis approach to identify, analyze, and report patterns within the data, providing a detailed account of the themes that emerged from the teachers' experiences. The study underscores the importance of addressing these challenges to facilitate the effective integration of STEM into science education.
- STEM education,
- science teachers,
- qualitative research,
- implementation challenges,
- student engagement
Citation: Rommel AlAli, Wardat Yousef. Enhancing student motivation and achievement in science classrooms through STEM education[J]. STEM Education, 2024, 4(3): 183-198. doi: 10.3934/steme.2024012

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Abstract

This qualitative study investigated how science teachers integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into their lessons, focusing on the benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 26 science teachers in public schools in Irbid Governorate, Jordan, during the 2023–2024 academic year. The findings revealed that while teachers generally have a positive attitude toward STEM education, they encountered significant challenges related to inadequate physical resources and time constraints. Additionally, STEM education was shown to promote student engagement in research activities. The study employed a thematic analysis approach to identify, analyze, and report patterns within the data, providing a detailed account of the themes that emerged from the teachers' experiences. The study underscores the importance of addressing these challenges to facilitate the effective integration of STEM into science education.

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Author's biography Dr. Rommel AlAli is an Associate Professor in the Supervisor of Research Department at the National Research Center for Giftedness and Creativity, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Box 1881, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His research interests span a diverse range of areas, including the construction of tests and scales, item response theory (IRT), latent trait theory (LTT), the Rasch measurement model, data analysis, quantitative methods, mathematics education, and teacher development. He has an extensive publication record, with numerous research papers indexed in leading databases such as Clarivate and Scopus. Additionally, he holds 5 patents; Dr. Yousef Wardat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Mathematics Education, at the Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from United Arab Emirates University, UAE, in 2022. His research interests include a range of interdisciplinary areas, including data analysis, quantitative methods, SPSS analysis, mathematical modeling, mathematics education, and teacher development. He has published several peer-reviewed articles in different journals in math education and teaching and learning

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