Action Research On Improving Preschool Teachers’ Interdisciplinary Teaching Efficacy With STEAM Training

The fostering of 21st Century Competencies is recognized as one of the main education goals over recent years.Interdisciplinary learning has been carried out by different countries to achieve this goal,which leads to more emphasis on the development of teachers’ interdisciplinary professional abilities.However,not enough attention has been paid so far upon the cultivation of preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary ability to increase their confidence in interdisciplinary teaching.Therefore,this study focuses on preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.This study aims to find out the influence of STEAM training on preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.This study adopted action research approach.22 preschool teachers from a public preschool in Chongqing were divided into two groups.A STEAM training was carried out in the experimental group to explore whether STEAM training can promote the interdisciplinary teaching efficacy among preschool teachers.Pre-test and post-test data were collected before and after the action research using interview.Data were analyzed and compared to find out the impact of STEAM training on preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.This thesis is divided into six parts.First,the introduction deals with background,significance,literature review,concept definition and theoretical basis.Second,the research design includes purpose,participants,methods,general framework as well as data collection and data analysis.Third,the analysis of the pre-test results mainly compares and analyses preschool teachers’ understanding of interdisciplinary teaching,their interdisciplinary teaching training experience and teaching experience,their level of interdisciplinary teaching efficacy and the challenges for interdisciplinary teaching.The fourth part consists of the implementation and results of the action research,including the preparation process,the implementation process,researchers’ reflection on the action research and the analysis of the post-test results which mainly analyses and compares the understanding of interdisciplinary teaching and the level of interdisciplinary teaching efficacy between the control group and the experimental group.The fifth part is the discussion,which further analyses the impact mechanism of the STEAM training on preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.And the last part is the conclusion.This study revealed that STEAM training can improve preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.All the teachers in the experimental group and 91%teachers in the control group claimed the lack of confidence in interdisciplinary teaching before the action research.However,82% teachers in the experimental group possessed confidence for interdisciplinary teaching after the STEAM training,64% teachers said that they were ready to carry out interdisciplinary teaching in the future,and 36% teachers said that they had put it into practice in the class,while there was no significant change in the control group.The results also showed that the mechanism of STEAM training promoting the development of preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy lied in the fact that preschool teachers in the experimental group obtained the source of interdisciplinary teaching efficacy in STEAM training.First,teachers internalized interdisciplinary knowledge and teaching methods in the STEAM activities and obtained cognitive mastery.Second,the interesting training form and activities,as well as the relaxed and pleasant training atmosphere,had enabled the teachers to gain positive emotion.Third,teachers gained vicarious experience through the trainer’s verbal demonstration.Last,as the teachers gained cognitive mastery,positive emotion and vicarious experience in the STEAM training,their sense of efficacy in interdisciplinary teaching was improved,which leaded them to carry out interdisciplinary teaching in the class.The teaching practice then provided them with mastery experience,which further promoted teachers’ s interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.Therefore,STEAM training can be considered as a useful way to enhance preschool teachers’ interdisciplinary teaching efficacy.