Developing STEM Skills in Kindergarten: Opportunities and Challenges from the Perspective of Future Teachers
Abstract
The article has been written as a part of Erasmus+ Project KLab4Kids[1]. Its main aim is to present the idea of STEM education to readers, to explain the interdisciplinary nature of STEM education as a “meta-discipline,” and to show the possibilities of implementing this type of curriculum/material in a preschool environment. The article consists of three parts. The theoretical part which aims to turn the readers’ attention to the interdisciplinary characteristics of STEM skills. It also analyses different theoretical frameworks and classifications of such skills, and offers a list of core STEM skills which can and should be developed at an early age. The second part is empirical and compares the theoretical assumptions with survey results – the opinions of students of early childhood education – future preschool teachers. In this part we present our initial teacher educators concerns about the essence and objectives of STEM education. In summary, the authors look at some challenges which have to be addressed in order to prepare teachers for a more modern well rounded education which is capable of shaping young children XXI century skills.Article prepared within the frame of Erasmus+ Project “Kitchen Lab for Kids,” grant number 2018-1-PL01-KA201-050857.
The article prepared with financial support of EU Erasmus+ programme. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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