Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has been a major concern throughout many developed countries since the early 1990s, such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. STEM plays a significant role in sustainable economic development (Pitt, 2009; Thomasian, 2011; Nguyen, 2020; Holmes, Mackenzie, Berger, & Walker, 2021). “It’s vital that Australia keeps pace with technological change to advance its economy and prosperity” (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022, p.2). Studies report a decline in young adults’ participating in STEM areas at schools, and universities. This finding in a decline of engagement in STEM education is related to curriculum, subject content, teaching methodology and the lack of applicability to reality (Lyon & Quinn, 2010, 2011). “As the world of work changes, the gap between the knowledge generated in the education system and the skills demanded by employers and individuals is widening” (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022, p.1). Students have insufficient competences to meet with the requirement of labour markets and working difficulties. STEM education has an important part in providing the qualified graduates to meet the needs of the 21 st workforce (Obama, 2009).
The objectives of the STEM curriculum have focused on, not only equipping the students with knowledge and experience for future careers, but also raising the students’ interest in STEM subjects through extra-curricular activities and student-centred pedagogies using real-world, practical contexts (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2013; Thomas, Jackson, Mohr-Schroeder, Bush, Maiorca, Cavalcanti, Schroeder, Delaney, Putnam, & Cremeans, 2018). For the 21 st century, students need to learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes that connects with STEM competencies through STEM education. STEM competencies are associated with practical STEM knowledge, skills and understanding STEM real-world contexts (Penprase, 2020).
The case-study research framework involved an enhancement of the integrated STEM-Business/Industry Partnership Model (iSBIP) to best suit the requirements of the school. The iSBIP was a model to develop the relationship between the schools and the local educational organizations. Namely university, research institutes, industry partners, experimental laboratories and museums such as Hoa Binh Hydro-electricity Power Plant. In the developed model, the real-world context determined which of the academic disciplines including more than just “Physics” with two subjects integrated would be involved. The MPhil. I. study was carried in Bill Gates Schools located in Hanoi Vietnam. Bill Gates Schools (BGSs) is a multi-level education system – from kindergarten to high school which approaches effective educational objectives, comprehensive education quality and meet both Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) of Vietnam and International standards. Students could have opportunities to access innovative lessons which equip them with STEM knowledge and skills that comply with the objectives of STEM Secondary Education in the the 21 st century. Additionally, the iSBIP model could raise students’ engagement which natures their STEM interest and support students to produce their future career pathways. For teachers, they could have opportunities to experience an innovative teaching methodology and, as a result, improve the pedagogy which is a crucial part of delivering STEM knowledge to students.
This MPhil. I. research study aimed to investigate the challenges in the Vietnamese school context to the implementation of this model. The STEM-Business/ Industry Partnership Model proposed a vision of how it would sit within the current Bill Gates Schools, that School’s current STEM organisation and the current Vietnamese Curriculum. This research project was used a case-study research framework and utilised mixed methods data collection methods including questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The MPhil. I. researcher investigated teachers’ opinions about how the iSBIP benefits and challenges teachers, and recommendations for the iSBIP when implemented in the Vietnamese educational context. The research questions were raised: “What are teachers’ opinions about STEM teachers’ confidences in STEM pedagogy” and “What are teachers’ opinions of benefits, challenges, and recommendations for the iSBIP approach whether or not it is implemented in the Vietnamese educational context.” Forty-one Bill Gates school teacher participants were requested to answer the initial and final questionnaires. The data results indicated that STEM teacher participants were less self-confident in their STEM pedagogy than other subject teachers. Participants gave opinions on STEM teachers’ confidence. Additionally, teacher participants had positive opinions on the iSBIP approach because of benefits in terms of raising students’ interest in STEM subjects and connecting theoretical and practical STEM knowledge. However, there were some challenges for the iSBIP approach associated with STEM teachers’ self-confidences on STEM pedagogy and school financial difficulties whether implemented in the Vietnamese educational context.
The results of the research should help to narrow the gap when STEM education is often present in the mathematics and science field. The purpose of the research was to build a range of reforms and activities in some secondary schools in Vietnam. The evidence-based case-study research approach of MPhil. I. model with the educational philosophy is expected when incorporating MPhil. I. lessons into the national curriculum framework in the future.