Preschool education plays a vital role in laying the foundation for a child’s academic and personal development. With the increasing importance of STEM/STEAM skills in the modern world, it is essential for preschools to effectively integrate STEM/STEAM curriculum into their educational programs. However, many schools face challenges in terms of teacher training and implementing STEM/STEAM education effectively.
This research project, initiated by the Vietnam Association for Non-Public Preschool Education (VANPPE) in partnership with edtech company KidsOnline aims to address these challenges and improve the quality of preschool education. The research team, coming from Ivey Global Lab 2023 – Ivey Business School (UWO) and working in Vietnam during the months of May to July 2023, captures the best practices in introducing STEM/STEAM, coding and robotic curriculum to preschool children in different Vietnamese preschools and suggests the way forward, based on the findings of the research project.
The research team conducted 23 preschool visits and interviewed multiple private kindergarten owners, teacher training schools, curriculum creators, and relevant stakeholders in the education industry. The goal is to gain insights into the preparedness of preschools in introducing or improving their STEM/STEAM curriculum/classes.
The primary research mainly focused on identifying the challenges that preschools face in including or teaching their STEM/STEAM curriculum to understand pain points that third parties like KidsOnline can help resolve through additional services. The focus is on assessing the specific challenges faced by schools in relation to teacher training and implementation of STEM/STEAM curriculum and robotics; provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of preschool education in terms of STEM curriculum preparedness. Ultimately, finding of this research will be basis for recommendations and strategies for improving preschool education, especially STEM/STEAM education in Vietnam and addressing the identified challenges.
Link to the presentation of the key finding of this research “STEM/STEAM Education in Vietnamese Preschools: understanding the preparedness and challenges of the pre-schools in teaching STEM/STEAM curriculum” can be found here. The full report will be published on VANPPE website in the coming time.
