Saudi Early Childhood Female Teachers' Perceptions of Children's Gender Stereotypes When Implementing STEM

Gender discrimination in education is rife around the globe, and girls and women are often left behind. To overcome inequality, the United Nations Development Program has proposed gender equality as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopting SDG gender equality, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia has developed several programs to enhance gender equality in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Further developing gender equality in Saudi ECE, the study explores female teachers' perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for girls and boys. A total of 396 Saudi female teachers in first and second grades in primary school agreed to participate in the survey. Results revealed that novice teachers with less teaching experience in STEM had gender-based misconceptions about educating boys and girls. Teachers had a lack of STEM training, which influenced their level of professional competence. The study's findings are significant not only for Saudi researchers and policymakers but also at the international level to consider professional development for the current ECE teachers and to develop ECE courses with an emphasis on gender equality in STEM education for future teachers.