Development of an integrated thematic instruction stream module for preschool in Malaysia

This study aims to design and develop a preschool integrated-thematic-instruction STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) module to enhance teachers' skills. The Design and Development Research (DDR) approach was employed in this study, which consisted of three phases. The first phase analysed the need for developing the STREAM module for preschool. A survey method was conducted involving 40 early childhood educators and 40 pre-service early childhood educators as respondents. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. The findings from the needs analysis revealed that the development of the STREAM ITIPreschool module is necessary to enhance teachers' skills in STREAM ITI-Preschool education. The second phase focused on designing and developing the STREAM ITIPreschool module, which involved consensus among ten experts on the module's main components through two rounds. Thematic analysis was conducted in the first round, where emerging themes included the need for the STREAM ITI-Preschool module, effective criteria for the module, and trends in teaching strategies and learning topics. The second round employed the Fuzzy Delphi method. The findings indicated that all items recorded a threshold value d_0.2d_0.2, demonstrating agreement among experts with a consensus percentage exceeding 75%. The third phase evaluated the usability of the module based on prospective and pedagogical aspects. Focus group interviews and trainer workshops involving six early childhood educators were conducted to assess the usability of the STREAM ITI-Preschool module. The findings showed that this module can be used by preschool educators due to its thematic and integrated activities that captivate children's interest. In conclusion, the development of the STREAM ITIPreschool integrated instructional teaching module supports preschool children's learning and the professional development of preschool educators to achieve quality education. The implications of the STREAM ITI-Preschool module highlight its potential to help educators foster preschool children's interest in STREAM learning.