Pedagogical Purposes of Using Open Educational Resources in STEM Education: A Case Study in a STEM High School in Egypt

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools in less advanced countries are challenged to maintain students’ motivation and interest in STEM fields mainly due to a lack of suitable materials and teacher competence. In a context where STEM teachers generally lack the capacity to design and develop good instructional materials, utilizing existing quality open educational resources (OER) as instructional materials can be an effective way to support STEM education at little or no additional cost. This study explored how and why STEM teachers in a less advanced country, where teaching and learning materials are lacking and the students’ interest in STEM is generally low, utilize OER. Qualitative research particularly, a case study, was conducted through interviews with six (6) teachers and nine (9) students in a STEM high school in Egypt, and through class observations and syllabi analysis. The analysis revealed that STEM teachers utilized a variety of OER predominantly for three pedagogical purposes, namely: promoting and maintaining students’ interest in STEM fields, seeking information needed for learning, and developing student competencies required in the STEM workforce. Findings suggest that OER can be effectively employed, for promoting student motivation and providing subject content in less advanced countries. OER plays an important role as a substitute for textbooks, positively impacting students’ active learning and competency building.