INTEGRATING STEM INTO EFL CURRICULUM THROUGH STEM DAY ACTIVITIES: LEARNERS’ AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

STEM/ STEAM/ STREAM APPROACH IN THEORY AND PRACTICE OF CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION, 2025 (pp. 209-228)

AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Vera M. Savić, Ana Z. Živković

Download Full Pdf   

DOI: 10.46793/STREAM25.209S

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

Primary English Language curriculum is increasingly focusing on developing competencies beyond language skills and knowledge. Studies show that integrating English as a foreign language with STEM has been found beneficial for developing learners’ cognitive academic L2 proficiency and interest in STEM disciplines. The paper aimed to study how STEM Day activities affected learners’ perceptions of integrated English and STEM disciplines, and how the experience of planning and organizing STEM activities shaped teachers’ perceptions of the approach. The study applied a phenomenographic approach, and a purposive sample involving a total of 40 fifth- and seventh-grade primary learners (aged 11 and 13 respectively) and seven teachers was selected from a state school in southern Serbia on the basis of their experiences in STEM Days. The data were collected using two online questionnaires with both closed- and open-ended questions. The data of Learner STEM Survey reported in this chapter aimed to measure interest in integrated English and STEM as a key component of learners’ STEM attitudes. The results indicate that a majority of learners developed a positive interest in English and STEM disciplines, but the STEM Day experience was perceived differently by two sample age groups: younger learners expressed significantly higher interest in all STEM areas and for integrated English and STEM, being statistically significant for the area of technology. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in perceptions resulting from gender differences, boys expressing higher interest in technology and mathematics. The teachers highlighted STEM benefits for learners and pointed to some organizational challenges. The findings support the integration of STEM into the primary EFL curriculum and indicate an advantage of an early start for developing learners’ positive interest in key aspects of STEM. 

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

English and STEM integrated curriculum, primary learners’ interest in STEM, primary teachers’ perceptions of STEM, STEM Day activities

REFERENCES / ЛИТЕРАТУРA: 

  • Banerjee, S. (2016). STEM — A tool for teaching and learning a foreign language. 2016 IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), Princeton, NJ, USA, 16 – 18. DOI: 10.1109/ISECon.2016.7457523.
  • Bermudez, N. V., Salazar, J., Garcia, L., Ochoa, K. D., Pesch, A., Roldan, W., Soto-Lara, S., Gomez, W., Rodriguez, R., Hirsh- Pasekf, K., Ahn, J., & Bustamante, A. S. (2023). Designing culturally situated playful environments for early STEM learning with a Latine community. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 65: 205–216. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.06.003
  • Boice, K.L., Jackson, J.R., Alemdar, M., Rao, A.E., Grossman, S., & Usselman, M. (2021). Supporting teachers on their STEAM journey: A collaborative STEAM teacher training program. Education Science, 11(105): 1–20. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030105
  • Chesky, N. Z. & Wolfmeyer, M. R. (2015). Introduction to STEM education. In: N. Z. Chesky & M. R. Wolfmeyer, Philosophy of STEM education: A critical investigation, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1–16. Available: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137535467_1
  • Collier, S., Burston, B. & Rhodes, A. (2016). Teaching STEM as a second language: Utilizing SLA to develop equitable learning for all students. Journal for Multicultural Education, 10(3): 257–273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-01-2016-0013
  • DeJarnette, N. K. (2012). America’s children: Providing early exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) initiatives. Education, 133(1): 77–84.
  • Erkut, S., & Marx, F. (2005). 4 schools for WIE (Evaluation Report), Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College, Center for Research on Women. Available:  https://www.wcwonline.org/vmfiles/4SchoolsForWie.pdf
  • European Schoolnet Academy. (2023). STEM Out-of-the-box MOOC: Ana Živković’s learning scenario “Maths pirates and the lost treasure”. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3mARAvoNP5Trh8zLvDSZhFfXmeDG6F0L
  • Eurydice Unit Serbia (2022). Serbia: New elective activities for ISCED 2. European Commission. Country news 7th November 2022. Available at: https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news/serbia-new-elective-activities-isced-2
  • Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (2012). Upper Elementary School STEM Student Survey, Raleigh, NC: Author.
  • Fullan, M. & Langworthy, M. (2013). Towards a new end: New pedagogies for deep learning, Seattle, Washington, USA: Collaborative Impact.
  • García-Carrillo, C., Greca, I.M., & Fernández-Hawrylak, M. (2021). Teacher perspectives on teaching the STEM approach to educational coding and robotics in primary education. Educational Science, 11 (64). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020064
  • Guzey, S. S., Moore, T. J., & Harwell, M. (2016). Building up STEM: An analysis of teacher-developed engineering design-based STEM integration curricular materials. Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER), 6(1), 2.
  • Hansen, J. M., Palakal, J. M., & White, L.J. (2023). The importance of STEM sense of belonging and academic hope in enhancing persistence for low-income, underrepresented STEM students. Journal for STEM Education Research, 1–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-023-00096-8
  • Honey, M., Pearson, G., & Schweingruber, H. (eds.) (2014). STEM Integration in K-12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research, Washington, USA: National Academy of Sciences.
  • Leonidas de Oliveira, A., Macalalag, A. Z., Barbosa de Toledo, M. C., de Godoi dos Santos, M. E., Minken, Z., Varma, C. (2022). Students’ awareness, perceived ability, value, and commitment to science and mathematics: A perspective from high school students in Brazil. In: A. Z. Macalalag, I. Sahin, J. Johnson, & A. Bicer (Eds.), Internalization of STEM Education, ISTES Organization, 189–238.
  • Mahoney, M. P. (2010). Students’ attitudes towards STEM: Development of an instrument for high school STEM-based programs. Journal of Technological Studies, 36: 24–34. DOI: 10.21061/jots.v36i1.a.4
  • Min, M., Whitehead, A., Wells, C., & Akerson V. (2023). Unpacking elementary preservice teachers’ beliefs on culturally and linguistically responsive mathematics and science teaching for English language learners. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 9(2): 444–460. Available at: https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3068
  • MoESTD (2021). Amendments to the Bylaw on the teaching and learning plan for the 5th and 6th grades of basic education and on the teaching and learning programme for the 5th and 6th grades of basic education. (short: Amendments to the Bylaw) [Pravilnik o dopunama Pravilnika o planu nastave i učenja za peti i šesti razred osnovnog obrazovanja i vaspitanja i programu nastave i učenja za peti i šesti razred osnovnog obrazovanja i vaspitanja]. Available at: https://pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/viewdoc?uuid=4bb956bf-8bcd-4f6b-934a-10d44017f91a&actid=979122&doctype=og
  • Moran, C., Kilbul, C. & Moran, C. (2021). Determining the students’ attitudes towards STEM: e-Twinning project from STEM club to STEM school. Journal of STEAM Education, 4(2): 102–117.
  • Narli, S. (2010) An alternative evaluation method for Likert type attitude scales: rough set data analysis. Scientific Research Essays, 5(6): 519–528.
  • Nawaz, M., Khan, I. A., & Ahmad, M. I. (2023). STEM integration in resource constrained environments. In STEM Education – Recent Trends and New Advances. IntechOpen, 1–15. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113066
  • Puška, E., Puška, A., Stojanović, I., Dudić, B., & Premović, J. (2023). Students’ attitudes about STEM teaching case study from Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 11(3): 475–485.
  • Rosicka, C. (2016). Translating STEM education research into practice. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Available at: https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=professional_dev
  • Savić, V., Cekić-Jovanović, O., & Shin, J. K. (2020). Empowering teachers to manage change in the 21st century. In: V. Savić & O. Cekić-Jovanović (Eds.), Professional Competences for Teaching in the 21st Century, Jagodina: Faculty of Education Jagodina, Serbia, 247–278. DOI: 10.46793/pctja.19.249S
  • Savić, V. & Živković, A. (2024). Perceived ability and value of integrated English and STEM disciplines: A perspective from primary learners in Serbia. Journal of Language and Culture in Education, 1(1): 139–151. Available at: https://lce.disigma.gr/index.php/lce/article/view/25
  • Shin, J. K., Savić, V., & Machida, T. (2021). The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners: Young learners in a multilingual world, Alexandria, VA, United States: TESOL Press.
  • Sultana, N., Kahwaji, H., & Kurup, P.M. (2021). The influence of teaching English in STEM education for ESL learners amidst a ahanging world after COVID19. International Journal of Learning and Teaching, 7(2):175–180. DOI: 10.18178/ijlt.7.2.175-180
  • Tang, D., Li, M., & Crowther, D.T. (2021): What matters? A case study of elementary English language learners in STEM education. Research in Science & Technological Education, 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2021.1959308
  • Trott, C. D. & Weinberg, A. E. (2020).  Science education for sustainability: Strengthening children’s science engagement through climate change learning and action. Sustainability, 12 (16), 6400. DOI: 10.3390/su12166400
  • van Driel, S., Slot, E. and Bakker, A. (2018). A primary teacher learning to use scaffolding strategies to support pupils’ scientific language development. European Journal of STEM Education, 3(2), 05: 1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/3115
  • Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and language, MIT Press.
  • Zhang, Y., Xu, Q., Lao, J., & Shen, Y. (2021). Reliability and vlidity of a Chinese version of the STEM attitude scale for primary and secondary school students. Sustainability, 13, 12661. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212661