Challenges Faced by Novice Australian Teachers in Early Childhood STEM Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/tnhae546Keywords:
Early Childhood STEM Education, Novice Early Childhood Teachers, Self-efficacy of Teachers, Professional DevelopmentAbstract
The global demand for STEM professionals has increased, and countries around the world have increased their emphasis on STEM education. This extends to the initiation of STEM education in early childhood. However, studies have indicated that novice early childhood teachers encounter a range of challenges in their professional practice, particularly in the area of STEM education.This study combines Self-Determination Theory and Ecological Systems Theory as the research framework to explore the specific challenges encountered by novice Australian early childhood teachers in STEM education, focusing on their professional development context. It aims to understand the challenges they face when transitioning from learning to work experiences, analyse how these challenges fit into the ecosystem of their career pathways, and identify areas where novice teachers need support in implementing STEM education. This study identified the overall challenges faced by novice teachers in implementing STEM education focus on the Individual, Microsystem and Mesosystem environments. Therefore, in the discussion section, I made three suggestions: Novice teachers should be autonomous and reflective in professional development; Give children exploratory time and observe children; Build good cooperative relationships with colleagues, to promote novice early childhood teachers to have a greater sense of self-efficacy in the process of STEM education, and to promote more effective STEM education for children.
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