Analysis of Factors that Influence the Instructional Design Competency of STEM Pre-service Teachers
Abstract: Teachers’ instructional design competency is a key element that affects the success of STEM courses. It is of great significance to clarify the influence factors of STEM pre-service teachers' instructional design competency to develop STEM teacher education and improve their instructional design competency. Based on the STEM Teachers’ knowledge, skills, and attitude, this study proposed a factor model of STEM pre-service teachers' instructional design competency, including design thinking, pedagogical beliefs, collaborative attitude, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Data were collected from 106 STEM pre-service teachers and were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that TPACK, learning design practice, and student-centered pedagogical belief had a significant positive effect on their instructional design competency, and TPACK had the greatest effect. This suggest that, STEM teacher education needs to pay attention to improving pre-service teachers’ TPACK and learning design practice and creating a favorable environment to help them establish a student-centered pedagogical belief.