Challenges to STEM education in Vietnamese high school contexts

• Published in: Heliyon Vol. 7; no. 12; p. e08649
• Main Authors: Le, Lam Thi Bich, Tran, Toan Thai, Tran, Ngoc Hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Challenges to STEM education; Experienced teachers; Interdisciplinary knowledge; STEM integration; STEM teaching methods; Vietnamese high schools; Challenges to STEM education; Vietnamese high schools; STEM teaching methods; STEM integration; Interdisciplinary knowledge; Experienced teachers
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08649

STEM education has been considered foundational to economic growth by many countries. It has received great attention from various educational systems, but the actual implementation has triggered several problems, especially in developing countries in Asia. This qualitative study investigated the challenges to STEM education in public high schools in Vietnam. The participants were ten experienced teachers from ten different schools in a Vietnamese central province. The data were collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the transcripts of the interview recordings showed that the teachers faced many challenges regarding their interdisciplinary knowledge and teaching methods, curriculum, practical constraints, and beliefs about effective STEM education. Notably, the findings concerning the teachers' beliefs about effective STEM education and the tension between their beliefs and the teaching goals were closely related to the local cultural values and the expectations of the schooling system. The findings of the study were discussed in relation to the local contextual factors and cultural values. Implications for teacher pedagogy and professional development regarding STEM education for Vietnamese high school contexts, and beyond, are discussed.
Challenges to STEM education; STEM integration; Vietnamese high schools; Experienced teachers; Interdisciplinary knowledge; STEM teaching methods.