Perceptions of STEM education of teachers from Taiwan: Identifying factors influencing commitment to STEM teaching

In Taiwan, STEM education has become a priority task for the educational authorities concerned. As schools have the autonomy to promote STEM education, teachers in Taiwan have different experiences of teaching STEM education. In this study, Taiwanese primary teachers' perceptions of STEM education goals, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher commitment were investigated based on their academic background and experiences of STEM education. The stratified random sampling method was employed to collect survey data from 842 primary teachers of STEM-related courses (i.e. science, technology, and mathematics) with different academic backgrounds and STEM teaching experience. The results underscored the importance of STEM teaching experience in enhancing teachers' self-efficacy and commitment to STEM education, regardless of their academic background. Moreover, teachers' positive views on STEM education goals, particularly those for 21st-century skills and interdisciplinary problem-solving capabilities, had positive relations to their teaching self-efficacy and commitment. It is indicated that primary teachers in this study valued the power of STEM education in terms of student competency cultivation. The findings could be compared with those of studies conducted in different regions to gain an international perspective.