STEM EDUCATION IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE TEACHER EDUCATORS AS A SUBJECT OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article analyzes STEM education in the professional training of future teachers as a subject of contemporary scientific discourse. The essence of STEM education is revealed as an integrative educational approach that combines natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics with the aim of forming the professional competencies of a new generation of teachers. The views of domestic and foreign scholars on the role of STEM education in the modernization of teacher education in response to the challenges of digitalization, innovative development, and labor market demands are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary nature of STEM education and its potential to develop critical thinking, research skills, creativity, and the ability to solve complex problems among future teachers. Scientific approaches to the implementation of STEM-oriented methodologies in the system of professional pedagogical education are analyzed, including project-based learning, problem-based learning, and the use of digital technologies. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between STEM education and social and emotional learning as a factor in creating a safe and supportive educational environment in the process of training future teachers. It is determined that STEM education serves not only as a tool for integrating academic disciplines but also as an important means of forming the professional identity of teachers who are ready for innovative activity and continuous professional development. The article concludes that further scientific reflection on STEM education as a strategic direction for the development of professional training of future teachers in the context of global educational trends is necessary. At the same time, the analysis of scientific sources indicates that the issue of STEM education in the professional training of future teachers of natural science disciplines requires further generalization in the context of contemporary educational reforms and the requirements for pedagogical activity. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical understanding of STEM education in the professional training of future teachers as a subject of contemporary scientific discourse and to determine its role in the preparation of natural science teachers under conditions of educational reforms and societal transformations. The objectives of the study are to analyze the approaches of domestic and foreign scholars to the interpretation of STEM education, to reveal the essence of the concept of “STEM education” in the context of professional teacher training, to determine the role of STEM education in the formation of professional competencies of future natural science teachers, and to outline the significance of STEM education in the implementation of modern educational reforms.