Constraints in PK-8 STEM Classrooms: A Mixed Methods Study

This study explores the restrictions and barriers to STEM education, which has grown in popularity due to its focus on real-world problem-solving and educating students for 21st-century issues. Financial resources, curriculum standards, time, shortage of qualified teachers, lack of professional development opportunities, low student motivation, weak connections with individual learners, poor facilities, and lack of hands-on experiences are all constraints, according to studies. STEM classrooms face time constraints for instruction, high-stakes assessments, experiments, and projects. The study examines how these constraints affect instruction and if time is a grade-level constraint. This study also emphasizes the necessity for student-centered training that integrates grade-level knowledge from other disciplines, notably mathematics, into STEM activities. The study collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from US STEM teachers (n=188) who taught students in grades PK-8. The survey included numerical, multiple-choice, and open-ended items. The quantitative investigation examined grade level and teaching time, while the qualitative analysis identified descriptive themes for perceived problems using a constant comparative method. To check for convergence, discrepancies, and data source links, the findings were pooled during interpretation. Three research question-based sections present the findings. A content analysis of teacher responses identifies the top STEM instruction hurdles in the first segment. Time was the biggest barrier, followed by budget and materials. Middle school teachers spend the most time teaching STEM in the second portion. The final component examines STEM teachers' time barriers and instructional time. Teachers who recognized time as a restriction had no statistically significant change in teaching time. These findings emphasize STEM teachers' challenges and potentially inform STEM classroom support. Convergent mixed-methods research identified PK-8 STEM instructors' issues and restrictions. Time, financing, and materials were the biggest STEM education impediments. Middle school teachers said financing was their biggest issue, while primary teachers said time was. The study also showed grade-level disparities in instructional time, suggesting varied STEM priorities. Self-reported data and sample size limit the study. The report advises that politicians and administrators address time as a major barrier to effective STEM instruction among K-12 teachers, particularly primary grade teachers. Research could examine teaching time by grade level and region.