Kindergarten Directors' Perceptions and Implementation of STEM Education

Early childhood STEM education (EC-STEM) is drawing increasing attention worldwide. Administrators are often regarded as "learning architects" in early childhood settings, and play a critical role in facilitating EC-STEM. However, little is known about how administrators perceive EC-STEM and create opportunities for providing STEM learning experiences for children. With an aim to elevate early childhood leaders' voice and highlight the intricacy of their involvement in EC-STEM, the present study analyzes and interprets data from interviews with 15 directors in China's kindergartens through the perspective of early childhood curriculum leadership. The findings of the study demonstrate that early childhood leaders generally have positive attitudes towards and strong beliefs in STEM, and are very likely to implement STEM in favorable conditions. The results identify a number of factors, such as institution's vision and goals, teacher competencies, critical resources including curricula, space, and material, and early childhood policy and curriculum structure, which are most relevant to the incorporation and implementation of STEM in early childhood settings.