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Abstract
Promoting innovation in education through enhanced design thinking (DT) mindsets among teachers is a central goal. This study examines the use of reflective practice within an upskilling STEAM training program to achieve this enhancement. The upskilling training initiative examined in this research encompasses a ten-week instructional session characterized by a hybrid learning methodology under the guidance of an instructor. An explanatory mixed method design is employed, starting with a quantitative method (teachers’ survey) followed by a qualitative method (focus group discussion). The participants were in-service K-12 teachers (n = 55) from charity schools across Northern Emirates in the United Arab Emirates. The main results demonstrate that reflective practice significantly contributed to developing teachers’ DT mindsets, fostering empathy, creative confidence, and the ability to navigate uncertainty. Teachers reported increased confidence in guiding students through open-ended problem-solving tasks and adapting their instructional strategies to address feedback from students and peers. This research highlights reflective practice’s transformative potential in elevating teachers’ DT mindsets. For example, through iterative reflection, teachers were better equipped to design STEAM challenges that connect with real-world problems, allowing students to apply creativity and critical thinking. It demonstrates the link between the upskilling STEAM program and the cultivation of innovative teaching methods, equipping educators to nurture creativity and problem-solving skills in students, thereby enriching education.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Research Article
EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 21, Issue 3, March 2025, Article No: em2600
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/16048
Publication date: 01 Mar 2025
Online publication date: 25 Feb 2025
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