T H E S I S   S U P E R V I S I O N

Given the need to prepare citizens for the global challenges of the 21st century, the European continent has focused on Integrated STEM Education (iSTEM) as an educational method to address these demands, starting from the earliest stages of education. However, both European reports and educational literature suggest that teachers face various difficulties in implementing this method in the science classroom, with a lack of specific training being a prominent one. Therefore, this doctoral thesis project focuses on promoting the transfer of this educational method to both pre-service and in-service primary school teachers. Based on a study of the strengths and weaknesses identified by the in-service Primary Education Teachers (PE) in the design and implementation of iSTEM teaching proposals, as well as the knowledge gathered in the literature, this doctoral thesis project designed and implemented a training program for pre-service primary school teachers to enable them to design teaching proposals that incorporate this educational method. In general terms, this program is organized into three phases. The first phase involves the PFI (teachers in initial training) receiving instruction on this educational method, followed by experiencing examples of iSTEM proposals from the students' perspective, and finally receiving the necessary training and support for designing their own proposals. Simultaneously, the program is enriched and improved by the strengths and challenges identified in various training activities organized with PE. To gather these perceptions, various qualitative and quantitative instruments were used. The recorded perceptions were of different natures, primarily in the form of strengths and challenges related to PE, as well as attitudes and emotions toward this educational method and its core approaches of inquiry and engineering design in the case of the PFI. Potential gender differences were also considered among the PFI.

Overall, the PE expressed strengths and challenges during the design and implementation of these proposals related to the guiding approaches, student learning, and curriculum alignment, among other factors. For their part, the PFI expressed a favourable attitude towards iSTEM and its future implementation. Likewise, most of the emotions expressed towards this method, as well as towards its core approaches, were positive, primarily of an epistemic nature. However, gender differences were observed in the attitudes expressed towards iSTEM and its future implementation, as well as in the emotional profile manifested at certain stages of the scientific inquiry. 

Finally, some limitations arising from the study design are discussed, along with the implications that can be drawn from the results and conclusions obtained, ending with possible avenues for continuing the research initiated in this doctoral thesis project.