THE ROLE OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF STEM

All human developmental requirements, including socio-economic transformation demands, depend on the effectiveness of its education system. This research seeks to find out the role teacher education (TE) can play as mass intellectual output in promoting the sustainability of technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a necessity for socio-economic transformation. There is a need to examine possible suggestions on how to improve TE curriculum to focus on STEM for socio-economic transformation dynamics literacy and cognition. Literature reviewed showed that TE and teacher expertise are one of the most crucial basics for cultivating STEM appreciation culture. The results of this research revealed that current TE has been criticised for not producing innovative, competent teachers with skilful thinking relevant to motivate students to be agents and active participants of STEM subjects. Data analysis indicated that TE faces challenges in making an impetus to contemporary STEM needs because TE remains traditional, focusing on teaching ‘course content’ instead of higher order–activities like critical thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. Literature reviewing and data analysis took a qualitative paradigm. The ‘analytical model of constant comparison’ was mainly used in gathering and analysing data. The major conclusion to this research was: if teacher education institutions produce effective teachers, these teachers will be in a position to use innovative pedagogies and reflective approaches to enhance critical thinking and cultivate a science culture in schools which is essential to the promotion of STEM. The research recommended a consideration of introducing sciences for all from tender learning levels compared to sciences for only gifted students, review of TE entry qualification requirements, change of TE curriculum to be inclined toward STEM orientation.