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Investigating Teacher Perceptions of Integrating Engineering into Science Education in Mainland China

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Abstract

In many countries, integrating engineering into science education is regarded as the best means of improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In Mainland China, some efforts have been made to integrate engineering into science, but problems regarding teacher factors hinder its effective implementation. To address these problems, we conducted a survey together with classroom observations and interviews to explore science teachers’ perceptions of the integration of engineering into science (IEIS) with aims of exposing the problems and the status of IEIS implementation. The study involved 1185 science teachers from junior secondary schools in Shanghai. Ten teachers were interviewed, and 5 teachers’ classrooms were observed. The findings of mixed research methods revealed the science teachers generally established good understanding of engineering and engineering education; however, the problems are (1) science teachers failed to identify engineering practices and scientific practices, (2) they designed and implemented IEIS in low integration levels with low cognition level of engineering education, and (3) there was a lack of high-quality IEIS training programme for STEM education. The results of this study will inform science teacher education and STEM implementation.

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Notes

  1. In Shanghai, the science subjects include physics, chemistry, biology, and geography in junior secondary levels. The science curriculum is taught in the mode of integrated science in grade 6 and grade 7. There are four textbooks used in teaching integrated science, which are published by Shanghai Far East Publishers. Meanwhile, geography is taught in a separate way as one of science subjects in Mainland China. The science curriculum is taught in a separate way in the mode of physics, chemistry, biology, and geography in grades 8 and 9. The textbooks are published by Shanghai Education Publishing House, which have been approved by Ministry of Education, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

    Xiaohong Zhan & Ranran Xu

  2. Department of Mathematics and Information Technology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Daner Sun & Zhi Hong Wan

  3. Chengdu Tanghu Foreign Languages School, Chengdu, China

    Yingli Hua

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  1. Xiaohong Zhan
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  2. Daner Sun
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Correspondence to Daner Sun.

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Zhan, X., Sun, D., Wan, Z. et al. Investigating Teacher Perceptions of Integrating Engineering into Science Education in Mainland China. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 19, 1397–1420 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10117-2

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