Article Gold Open Access 2025

Utilization of government grants for funding: insights into STEM education teachers in Taiwan

Cogent Education
Journal · Vol. 12 · Issue 1 · Art. 2530904
Abstract

Over the past three years, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has established 1300 classrooms for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education nationwide, providing unprecedented budgetary support for the procurement of STEM equipment in junior high schools. This study examines how STEM teachers utilize government grants for equipment procurement and classroom setup, with a particular focus on the key factors that influence their decision-making processes. This study employs descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and multiple-choice analysis of data obtained through surveys of 75 science and technology teachers and expert opinions. The results reveal that teachers have adopted a cautious approach emphasizing simplicity and safey, prioritizing convenience, practicality, and versatility in terms of equipment choices. The logistic regression results indicated a significant correlation between perceived importance and purchasing decisions (ratio = 3.654, explained variance = 23.7%). Multiple-choice analysis found a skewed emphasis on curriculum indicators. The study develops a benchmark table for facilities and equipment, offering insights into resource optimization, educational equality, interdisciplinary integration, and teacher training. Acknowledging the limitations, including sample size constraints and potential biases, the findings serve as a valuable reference for educators and encourage budget adjustments aligned with curriculum guidelines. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Secondary schools quality education STEM education Theories of learning teaching aids teachers & teacher education hands-on learning Education Policy & Politics equipment procurement

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Industrial Technology Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Department of Early Childhood Education, National Pingtung University, Pingtung, Pingtung, Taiwan
Department of Creative Design, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliou, Yunlin, Taiwan
Funding & Acknowledgements
Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, MOST
Grant: 109-2511-H-017-005
The work done for this study was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under project No. MOST 109-2511-H-017-005. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the school participants in the study.
Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, MOST
The work done for this study was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan under project No. MOST 109-2511-H-017-005. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the school participants in the study.
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