Maria Tirano
This essay critically examines the social representations that teachers construct regarding STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), arguing that these representations play a decisive role in shaping the implementation of this educational approach in the classroom. From a hermeneutic perspective, it contends that understanding the meanings teachers attribute to STEM education—including their beliefs, perceptions, and pedagogical experiences—is essential for any genuine educational transformation, since no curricular model can become firmly established in practice unless those responsible for its implementation have critically internalized it. The essay further argues that teachers' voices, which are often marginalized in debates on educational innovation, constitute an indispensable epistemological starting point and a necessary condition for the development of pedagogical reforms that are truly context-sensitive. It concludes that teachers' social representations should not be viewed merely as obstacles to change but rather as interpretive resources that, when properly understood, can guide a more coherent, contextualized, and sustainable implementation of the STEM approach in contemporary education.