Using structural equation modelling for understanding relationships influencing the middle school technology teacher’s attitudes toward STEAM education in Korea

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural relationship between technology teachers’ attitudes toward STEAM education and the cooperation of instructional resources collaboration, school educational change receptivity, and instructional expertise and instructional efficacy. The population comprised about 3500 technology teachers working in middle schools in Korea, and the sample size was set at 650. Data were collected in parallel with postal surveys and online surveys. A total of 650 copies were distributed, of which 409 were recovered, and 283 copies were used for analysis after data cleaning. The Mplus 7 program was used for data analysis, and the significance level was set at 5%. First, we found that the suitability of the structural model established to clarify technology teachers’ attitudes toward STEAM education, instructional resource collaboration, school educational change receptivity, instructional expertise, and instructional efficacy was generally good, so the relationship between the variables was reasonably confirmed. Second, school educational change receptivity and instructional efficacy were found to have a direct effect on attitudes toward STEAM education. Third, the teachers’ instructional resources collaboration was confirmed to influence their attitudes toward STEAM education by mediating the school educational change receptivity and instructional efficacy, and their instructional expertise mediated their instructional efficacy. Fourth, school educational change receptivity was confirmed to influence attitudes toward STEAM education through the dual media of instructional expertise and instructional efficacy. Finally, instructional resource collaboration was confirmed to influence attitudes toward STEAM education through school educational change receptivity, instructional expertise, and instructional efficacy.