2025 Volume 49 Issue 2 Pages 172-183
The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ initial attitudes and perceptions toward the introduction and practice of STEAM education in Japanese junior high schools. This is essential in understanding how best to introduce STEAM education into Japanese public education. Therefore, the authors conducted a semi-structured interview with one junior high school science teacher about implementing STEAM classes for the first time and analyzed the data using SCAT. As a result, it was revealed that the teacher actively embraced the teaching practice after being initially confused by STEAM education when she first encountered it. In addition, the teacher’s understanding of STEAM education deepened by observing students’ behavior during class, and it was shown that the teacher could see the positives of problem-solving in a real-world context, creative activities based on divergent thinking, and inquiry activities. Furthermore, it was shown that the teacher could see the positives of STEAM education firsthand such as how it aligns with her core beliefs, a positive impact on students not experienced before, and a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment in STEAM education.
