Where’s the STEM? Preservice Teachers’ Noticing of STEM Learning Opportunities in Early Childhood Classrooms

• In Event: Developing Preservice Teachers' Professional Noticing: Preservice Teachers' Noticing Across Diverse Contexts

Abstract

Teacher noticing is described in mathematics education research as skills used to attend to, interpret, and respond to student thinking. Extant studies have focused primarily on teachers of elementary or older students. To leverage this body of research in new directions, this exploratory case study examined written noticing data from preservice teachers (PSTs) to understand what they noticed of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities in early childhood classrooms. Findings revealed most PSTs identified STEM as isolated subjects rather than an integrated domain, and contextual factors (e.g., school type, instructional content) had no clear impact on noticing. While some PSTs showed emerging STEM awareness, most needed support developing an integrated STEM lens. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Authors

• Robyn K. Pinilla, University of Texas - El Paso

• Enrique Pineda Sanchez, University of Texas - El Paso

• Cynthia Arraya Wiltshire, University of Texas - El Paso