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Title: 21st Century Skills Through STEAM Education: Analysis of School Leaders’ Perspectives
Authors: Qaisar Abbas, Shafqat Hussain, Misbah Rehman, Shazia Tabassum, Muhammad Mehdi
Journal: Journal of Asian Development Studies
Publisher: Centre for Research on Poverty and Attitude pvt ltd
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2024
Volume: 13
Issue: 3
Language: English
DOI: 10.62345/jads.2024.13.3.39
Keywords: 21st Century SkillsSTEAM EducationSecondary School Leaders
STEAM is an educational approach that strive for developing students’ STEAM skills to meet the demands of the global workforce. This research examined the role of STEAM education in developing 21st century skills, and the factors influencing the integration of STEAM education in the Pakistani education system. It was a descriptive research. A sample of 100 school leaders, 52 male and 48 female, using a simple random method was selected. Researchers made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection after confirming its validity and reliability. The instrument's reliability (α =.87) was calculated. The collected data were analyzed it using SPSS (version 26). This study revealed that the majority of the school leaders agreed about developing 21st century skills through STEAM education such as technology and information literacies, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, social and civic literacy and responsibility. Most of the leaders also agreed regarding the factors influencing the integration of STEAM education in the Pakistani education system, such as lack of resources and infrastructure, ineffective teacher training, traditional teaching methods, cultural barriers, lack of awareness, lack of budget, traditional testing system, limited collaboration with industry, language barriers, and lack of clear guidance in policy and curriculum. Both Male and female leaders were agreed equally regarding 21st century skills and factors influencing integration of STEAM education. This study recommends that Ministry of Education should minimize the aforementioned factors in order to ensure the effective integration of STEAM education in Pakistani education system and in order to develop 21st century skills among students.
To explore school leaders' perspectives on the role of STEAM education in developing 21st-century skills, investigate their views on factors influencing STEAM integration in Pakistan, and evaluate gender-based differences in these perspectives.
Descriptive research design using a quantitative approach. Data were collected from 100 school leaders (52 male, 48 female) in Shikarpur, Pakistan, via a 20-item Likert scale questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26) with frequency, percentage, mean score, and t-test statistics.
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A["Descriptive Research Design"] --> B["Data Collection: Questionnaire from 100 School Leaders"];
B --> C["Data Analysis using SPSS"];
C --> D["Identify Key Findings and Gender Differences"];
D --> E["Formulate Conclusions and Recommendations"];
The study highlights the perceived importance of STEAM education for equipping students with essential 21st-century skills crucial for the global workforce. It also identifies significant systemic challenges within the Pakistani education system that impede the effective implementation of STEAM. The agreement between male and female leaders suggests a unified understanding of these issues.
School leaders strongly agree that STEAM education is effective in developing 21st-century skills such as technology and information literacies, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership, and social/civic responsibility. They also agree on numerous factors hindering STEAM integration, including lack of resources, ineffective teacher training, traditional methods, cultural barriers, and insufficient policy guidance. No significant gender differences were found in leaders' perspectives on these aspects.
STEAM education is viewed by school leaders as a vital approach for developing 21st-century skills. However, its successful integration in Pakistan is hampered by various educational, infrastructural, and policy-related factors. The Ministry of Education is urged to address these challenges and enhance teacher training to facilitate effective STEAM implementation.
- A sample of 100 school leaders was selected, comprising 52 males and 48 females. (Confirmed in Methodology)
- The questionnaire had 20 items, with 12 items on 21st-century skills and 8 items on influencing factors. (Confirmed in Methodology)
- The World Economic Forum (2020) report anticipates the creation of 97 million new jobs worldwide by 2025 due to STEAM skills. (Mentioned in Introduction)
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