Impact of Secondary School Science Teachers’ Instructional Preparedness for STEM on their Students’ Attitude towards Science

Abstract

This quantitative, descriptive study examined how secondary school teachers’ instructional preparedness for STEM relates to students’ attitudes toward science in Skardu. The analytic sample comprised 400 respondents from twelve secondary schools. Students’ attitudes were measured using the Urdu version of the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA), and teachers’ preparedness was assessed with a 41-item questionnaire covering ten instructional domains. Data underwent reliability checks and expert review before analysis. Descriptive statistics summarized attitudes and practices; Pearson correlations evaluated associations between teacher practices and student attitudes; and ANOVA and t-tests examined demographic effects. Results show broadly positive student attitudes: high agreement that science lessons are interesting and a strong preference for experimentation. Moderate-to-strong positive correlations were found between student attitudes and teacher planning (r = 0.61), emphasis on scientific language (r = 0.63), and capacity to attract students to STEM activities (r = 0.58). Teacher experience and qualifications had significant effects on preparedness (F = 4.12; F = 3.97), and a small gender difference in attitudes was observed (t = −2.58, p < .01). Findings suggest that strengthening teacher practice through sustained professional development and improving access to appropriate technology can enhance student engagement in STEM in remote contexts.