Kindergarten Teachers' Readiness for STEM Education: An Analysis of Technical Competencies

Nowadays, the importance of STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is increasingly emphasised already at the kindergarten level. For its efficient implementation in early childhood education, it is essential that teachers possess specific competencies. These competencies include expert knowledge in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, pedagogical skills, the ability to design and implement interactive learning activities, and developing children's critical thinking skills. The study aims to validate teachers' readiness for STEM concepts. The relationship between teachers' technical competencies and factors such as educational attainment is examined, as well as years of experience, school type, and region. The results indicate relative homogeneity in teachers' ratings of several competencies. However, statistical results confirmed that teachers' personal characteristics impact some competencies, suggesting the need to develop teachers' technical skills, mainly through further education. At the same time, the study confirmed the need for a deeper investigation of the factors that influence the development of teachers' STEM competencies in the Slovak education system.