STEM teachers are the future educators: The effectiveness of the STEM approach in preparing cycle-one teachers and their perceptions towards the approach

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate how well 133 student teachers in a science course learned and perceived the STEM technique in comparison to the conventional approaches. There were 76 pupils in the experimental group and 57 in the control group. There were no discernible variations depending on gender, but data analysis (using ANCOVA) revealed a statistically significant difference favoring the STEM approach over the conventional one. Additionally, the great majority of students (97%) stated that the STEM approach improved their leadership and higher-order thinking abilities as well as their drive and enjoyment, indicating its beneficial transforming effect on their perceptions toward science. The study suggests incorporating the STEM methodology into teacher training programs, offering the required professional development, reorganizing curricula, and preparing schools to facilitate its successful implementation in light of these findings.