Abstract

Over the years, the evolution of science along with technology, engineering, and mathematics has been noticeably evident while science education, on the other hand, has shown little development. The research study aimed to investigate future change initiative implementation in secondary science curricula. In addition, the purpose of the research was to learn and examine postsecondary students' perceptions of how well secondary science education prepared them for the postsecondary level plus for schools to utilize the feedback received from students to further improve the quality of science education. The data for the study were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 college/university students who had experience in both secondary and postsecondary science education. From data analysis, three themes were identified: Insufficient Knowledge, Need Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Guidance, and Improvement in Syllabus and Teaching. The description of each determined theme included the research participants' perceptions of secondary and postsecondary STEM, their interview responses, and the commonalities they shared. Overall, the findings indicated the need for science or STEM curriculum changes, STEM awareness plus guidance, and effective instructional strategies for the enhancement of student preparation for higher education.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Education, Higher; Postsecondary education; Science—Study and teaching; Mathematics—Study and teaching; Technology—Study and teaching; Engineering—Study and teaching

Date of Award

2023

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Education

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Shreyas Gandhi

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS