Abstract

Background

Research on teaching and learning for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects has increased, and has demonstrated the importance of integrating interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Our research model was based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the data were analyzed by partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The present study aims to identify factors that play an important role in students’ ability to integrate STEM knowledge and skills.

Results

Data were collected from participants who had won awards in local contests and represented their regions in a national technology competition. The reliability and validity of our instrument, the Students’ STEM Integration Scale, were verified. The findings demonstrated that students’ intentions to integrate STEM knowledge and skills to solve complex problems can be predicted by their attitude and perceived behavioral control.

Conclusions

This work highlights factors which are associated with students’ intentions to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, and serves as a reference for research on the gap between intentions and actual behavior. The findings could help teachers and instructors design STEM-based activities to enhance students’ attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and intentions, to improve their ability to integrate STEM knowledge and skills.

Details

Title
A model for examining middle school students’ STEM integration behavior in a national technology competition
Author
Chih-Jung, Ku 1 ; Ying-Shao, Hsu 2 ; Mei-Chen, Chang 3 ; Kuen-Yi, Lin 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  National Taiwan Normal University, Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development and Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412090.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2158 7670) 
2  National Taiwan Normal University, Graduate Institute of Science Education and Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412090.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2158 7670) 
3  National Kaohsiung Normal University, Department of Industrial Technology Education, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (GRID:grid.412076.6) (ISNI:0000 0000 9068 9083) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Dec 2022
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
e-ISSN
21967822
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00321-z
ProQuest document ID
2617112238
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.