High School Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge About Stem Education: The Ordinal Logistic Regression Model

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue V, May 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

High School Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge About Stem Education: The Ordinal Logistic Regression Model

Charles Kojo Assuah^1*, Robert Benjamin Armah², Rufai Sabtiwu³, Grace Abedu⁴ & Stephanie Assuah^5
1,2,3Department of Mathematics Education, University of Education, Winneba
⁴Unipra South Inclusive Basic Schools, Winneba Basic Schools, Winneba
⁵Department of Science Education, University of Education, Winneba
*Corresponding Author

Abstract: – This study analyses high school mathematics teachers’ knowledge about STEM education. Three hundred and fifty (350) Senior High School teachers, comprising one hundred and eighty-one (181) males and one hundred and sixty-nine (169) females, selected from schools in the central region of Ghana, participated in the study. The proportional odds model of the ordinal logistic regression comprising a five-point Likert scale (i.e., highly not aware, not aware, neutral, aware, highly aware) dependent variable, and continuous and nominal predictor variables were used for the study. The results indicated that the significant predictors were math attitude, teacher competency in math, motivation, Asanti, Fanti, Ewe, Ashanti, Bono, Northern, Savannah, and Volta, P < .05. These variables either significantly decreased or increased the predicted log odds of falling at a higher level of the outcome variable while holding the other variables constant. The Exp(β) provides the odds ratio associated with each predictor, with a 95 % C. I. The adjusted odds ratio for Math attitude was 2.56, with a C.I of -.34-.32. The adjusted odds ratio for Teacher competency in Math was 1.08, with a C. I of -.17-.33, the adjusted odds ratio for Motivation was 2.25, with a C. I of -.56- -.02, the adjusted odds ratio for Fanti was 2.23, with a C. I of .08-1.31 and the adjusted odds ratio for Islam was 1.10, with a C.I of -1.41-1.22. The implication of the study is that the government could enact laws that would make it mandatory for all science and mathematics teachers to use a comprehensive integrative STEM curriculum for instruction. This integrative curriculum must have science, technology, engineering, and mathematics components appropriately selected. The study concludes that teachers should reorient their perspectives and understanding of their self-efficacy beliefs about STEM education. The government, municipal, and district education offices could organise periodic professional development programmes on STEM education for teachers to possess specific personal and professional characteristics.

Keywords: STEM, Odds ratio, self-efficacy, Likert scale, proportional odds model.

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