Perceived Ability and Value of Integrated English and STEM Disciplines: A Perspective from Primary Learners in Serbia

Abstract

The study aimed to measure primary learners’ perceived ability and value of integrated English and STEM, drawing
from their experience in STEM Day activities. Being an innovative approach that integrates content from four
disciplines in inquiry-based, learner-centred, collaborative, meaningful and purposeful classroom activities, STEM
lends itself perfectly to integration with English as a foreign language. Studies show that learners’ attitudes affect the
effectiveness of the approach, and that age may be a significant factor for its success. To determine how participation
in STEM Day activities was viewed by learners in terms of perceived ability and value for STEM and English integrated
learning, the purposive sample of 40 primary school learners (distributed into two age groups: AG1, 11-year-olds;
AG2: 13-year-olds) from a state school in Serbia was asked to rate their experience on a five-point attitude scale
with 20 closed items and 5 open-ended questions. The results showed that perceived ability and value varied across
disciplines and learner ages. Both age groups rated their self-confidence higher than their skills for English and STEM
disciplines, but younger learners expressed consistently positive attitudes in terms of perceived ability and value,
while the older age group regarded the experience valuable only for developing their English and science skills,
seeing no value for engineering, technology and mathematics. It is concluded that STEM and English integration
should be more explicit and supported for the learners, and should begin early in primary education. The implications
for STEM curriculum and teacher professional development are suggested.