The Relationships Between Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Fostering Pre-School Children’s Creativity Through STEAM Activities in Kuala Lumpur

Wong, Poh Yi (2026) The Relationships Between Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Fostering Pre-School Children’s Creativity Through STEAM Activities in Kuala Lumpur. Children's Creativity Through STEAM Activity. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, is an integrated educational approach that promotes children’s creativity by encouraging exploration, imagination and innovative problem-solving through hands-on and interdisciplinary learning experiences. This study aimed to 1) examine teachers’ beliefs and practices in fostering pre-school children's creativity through STEAM activities and 2) determine the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices in fostering pre-school children's creativity through STEAM activities. This research involved 50 pre-school teachers (44 females and 6 males) from private pre-school in Kuala Lumpur. This study employed a quantitative correlational research design. The primary instrument used for the data collection was an adapted version of the Beliefs About Teaching Creativity Scale (BATCS), and the Creativity-Fostering Teacher Behaviour Index (CFTI). A rating scales was also used to document each teacher’s beliefs and practices regarding STEAM activities in preschool settings will influence children’s creativity. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 31. The results revealed that teachers generally demonstrated high levels of positive beliefs (M = 4.22) and practices (M = 4.15) in fostering children’s creativity. A significant positive correlation was found between teachers’ beliefs and practices (r = .473, p < .001), indicating that strong beliefs in creativity are associated with more effective classroom practices. These findings highlight the potential of nurturing positive teacher beliefs alongside effective pedagogical strategies to create meaningful STEAM learning environments that support and enhance children’s creative development.