LEVEL OF ACCESS TO STEAM EDUCATION OF STUDENTS MAJORING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

Participation in STEAM education since studying at universities of teacher education is essential for students’ career readiness. STEAM not only is a contemporary pedagogical approach, but it also enables students to integrate such fields as science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics into their educational practices. Integrating STEAM education into training activities provides students with theoretical understanding and practical experience, thereby bolstering their confidence in using this approach in the future teaching contexts. Research findings indicate disparities in involvement levels with STEAM education between the second-year and third-year students majoring in early childhood education. The findings also reveal that students have consistently worked with the theoretical aspects of STEAM education while they rarely involve in practical and experiential learning activities.