PARENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD STEM TEACHING SUBJECTS IN THE FIRST CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

• Published in: Acta Didactica Napocensia Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 25 - 34
• Main Authors: Milanović, Nedeljko M, Miletic, Andrijana Z, Cekić-Jovanović, Olivera D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj-Napoca Babes Bolyai University, Didactics of Exact Sciences Chair 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Attitudes; Competence; Core competencies; Curricula; Educational Development; Educational Objectives; Educational Research; Elementary education; Elementary School Students; Elementary Schools; Engineering; Engineering Technology; Families & family life; Family Involvement; Influence of Technology; Integrated approach; Integrated Curriculum; Lifelong learning; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Parent Attitudes; Parent Participation; Parent Role; Parents & parenting; Primary Education; Schools; Sociodemographics; STEM education; Student Development; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Serbia
• ISSN: 2065-1430
• DOI: 10.24193/adn.18.1.3

The aim of the research concerns the attitudes of parents towards teaching subjects from the STEM field (mathematics, the world around us/nature and society and the digital world) in the first cycle of primary education. A total of 129 parents participated in the research. Parents are mostly familiar with the teaching and learning program of the subject mathematics, the world around us/nature and society and the digital world, while mothers are more often familiar with the teaching and learning programs of the mentioned subjects from the STEM field. Parents' responses range from undecided to agreement with the items that describe that the contents of the subjects are mathematics, the world around us/nature and society and the digital world are fun, while the parents' responses are slightly more positive that the subjects are mathematics, the world around us/nature and society and the digital world applicable in everyday life. The results show that it is necessary to inform parents more about the possibilities and importance of STEM teaching subjects. Future research can be directed towards ways of involving parents in the school system in order to be informed about STEM subjects and the possibilities for their implementation.