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<p>Despite global emphasis on STEM education, its meaningful integration into mathematics classrooms remains a significant challenge. The perceptions of mathematics teachers are critical in shaping classroom practice, yet this area remains underexplored. Grounded in the theory of planned behaviour, this study investigates the perceptions and practices of 186 secondary mathematics teachers in Shanghai through questionnaire and interview data. The findings reveal a key discrepancy: while teachers value STEM integration, they predominantly view mathematics as a service tool for science, technology, and engineering, rather than an equal component. While the national curriculum and local teaching research groups act as primary drivers for integration, teachers identified a critical need for more relevant professional development and targeted teaching materials. Consequently, despite a reported willingness to integrate STEM, teachers’ actual implementation was infrequent, occurring only once or twice per year on average. Notably, teachers in designated STEM-advanced schools demonstrated significantly higher willingness and more frequent implementation. This study illuminates the persistent gap between intention and practice, highlighting the urgent need to align policy, teacher training, and institutional support with the realities of the mathematics classroom to foster effective STEM integration.</p>

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Bridging the Perception–Practice Gap: Perceptions, Willingness, and Realities of STEM Integration in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月15日

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  • Shuhui Li,
  • Jietong Luo,
  • Qiaoping Zhang

摘要

Despite global emphasis on STEM education, its meaningful integration into mathematics classrooms remains a significant challenge. The perceptions of mathematics teachers are critical in shaping classroom practice, yet this area remains underexplored. Grounded in the theory of planned behaviour, this study investigates the perceptions and practices of 186 secondary mathematics teachers in Shanghai through questionnaire and interview data. The findings reveal a key discrepancy: while teachers value STEM integration, they predominantly view mathematics as a service tool for science, technology, and engineering, rather than an equal component. While the national curriculum and local teaching research groups act as primary drivers for integration, teachers identified a critical need for more relevant professional development and targeted teaching materials. Consequently, despite a reported willingness to integrate STEM, teachers’ actual implementation was infrequent, occurring only once or twice per year on average. Notably, teachers in designated STEM-advanced schools demonstrated significantly higher willingness and more frequent implementation. This study illuminates the persistent gap between intention and practice, highlighting the urgent need to align policy, teacher training, and institutional support with the realities of the mathematics classroom to foster effective STEM integration.