ABSTRACT

This paper presents a unique perspective into challenges faced by kindergarten teachers in engaging children in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education in Vietnam. It reports on teachers’ perspectives of an adaptation of immersive learning experiences (ILE), to develop understanding of pedagogical approaches to STEAM education in real-world contexts. The study adopted a qualitative and interpretivist methodology, engaging 105 teachers in informal and collaborative activities. Their perceptions were gathered via participatory tools; photographic images recorded how they engaged with ILE. Data analysis occurred using de Freitas’s four-dimensional framework. The study responds to evidence that STEAM education is not prevalent in Vietnamese schools, and reflects on the top-down siloed approach ubiquitous within its early childhood education (ECE) sector. Findings indicate the necessity for a prolonged period of training using ILE that enables teachers’ development of pedagogical approaches to STEAM education. Significantly, it provides new insight for a variety of stakeholders (including teacher trainers and policy makers) into the under-researched field of Vietnamese teachers’ pedagogical approaches in ECE, and extends its findings to countries adopting more formalised approaches to education.

摘要

本文对越南幼儿园教师在让儿童参与科学、技术、工程、艺术和数学 (STEAM) 教育方面面临的挑战提出了独特的视角。它报告了教师对适应沉浸式学习体验 (ILE) 的看法，以加深对现实世界环境中 STEAM 教育教学方法的理解。该研究采用定性和解释性方法，让 105 名教师参与非正式和协作活动。他们的看法是通过参与式工具收集的；摄影图像记录了他们如何参与 ILE。使用 de Freitas 的四维框架进行数据分析。该研究回应了 STEAM 教育在越南学校并不普遍的证据，并反思其早期儿童教育 (ECE) 部门中普遍存在的自上而下的孤立方法。调查结果表明，有必要使用 ILE 进行长时间的培训，以便教师开发 STEAM 教育的教学方法。重要的是，它为各种利益相关者（包括教师培训师和政策制定者）​​提供了对越南教师在 ECE 中的教学方法研究不足的领域的新见解，并将其研究结果扩展到采用更正规教育方法的国家。