Full STEAM ahead: Creating informal teaching opportunities for pre-service teachers

摘要

This project involves creating informal community spaces for pre-service teachers to have an opportunity to teach either STEM or STEAM workshops with children. By giving pre-service teachers informal teaching experiences in these areas it will assist with the pre-service teachers gaining confidence in teaching in the STEM area. Pre-service teachers reported a gain in confidence by conducting the workshops which they were then able to build on or use in their final practicum. Pre-service teachers also reported greater confidence in teaching STEM or STEAM and the children involved in the workshops evidently had a good time. An unintended outcome was parental involvement in the workshops and the quality parent/child relationship building that was evident among many of the children.