Research Article

Pedagogical approaches and materials used by kindergarten and elementary school teachers in Greece to implement STEM education

Vasiliki Samara 1 * , Konstantinos T. Kotsis 1
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1 Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GREECE* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 7(2), July 2025, e2519, https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/17620
Submitted: 03 February 2025, Published: 22 December 2025
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ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to record the perceptions of primary school teachers in Greece, kindergarten teachers, and elementary school teachers regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The research was conducted using questionnaires sent via e-mail to the email addresses of primary schools and kindergartens in various regions of Greece. The findings of the research show that the majority of teachers suggest preschool education as the most appropriate starting point for STEM education for various reasons, such as the availability of time in kindergarten, the flexibility of the curriculum, and the consideration of preschool education as the fundamental stage for preparing students for the next school stage. Regarding pedagogical approaches to implementing STEM, most teachers responded that they apply teaching with experiments and learning based on synthetic tasks (projects)/problems. In contrast, only a small percentage of the participating teachers responded that they apply direct traditional teaching. Regarding materials, there seems to be a tendency for teachers who apply the two dominant pedagogical approaches to utilize more modern materials– media, such as robots, software, etc. in their classrooms.
Keywords: STEM, pedagogical approaches, primary education

CITATION (APA)

Samara, V., & Kotsis, K. T. (2025). Pedagogical approaches and materials used by kindergarten and elementary school teachers in Greece to implement STEM education. International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning, 7(2), e2519. https://doi.org/10.30935/ijpdll/17620

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