Platform Development Using T-STEP to Elevate the Production Quality of Pre-service Teachers in the 21st Century

Abstract

This research aims to study the current state of driving STEM education-based learning management in schools, develop an integrated platform alongside the schools’ STEM education-based learning management processes, and examine the outcomes of utilizing this integrated platform. This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) methodology, dividing the operational procedure into four phases. The sample group consisted of 40 third-year students majoring in Digital Technology for Education during the second semester of the 2025 academic year, selected via purposive sampling. Additionally, key informants included teachers and educational personnel from 27 schools under the primary and secondary educational service area offices in Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, and Chai Nat. The research instruments included a survey on the current state of STEM education implementation administered via interviews, and an assessment form evaluating the outcomes of platform usage. Detailed outcome measurements were conducted by evaluating the quality of the STEM lesson plans and the integration of STEM education covering knowledge, activity management, and measurement and evaluation using mean ( ) and standard deviation (S.D.) statistics.
The findings revealed that regarding STEM integration in educational institutions, the majority of schools primarily supported STEM activities in the Science and Technology learning area (96.30%), followed by Mathematics (77.80%). The most prevalent format was within-subject integration (81.50%). Regarding the outcomes of piloting the platform across 14 collaborative network schools, the overall evaluation of the STEM lesson plans was at a high level ( = 3.93, S.D. = 0.74), and the evaluation of STEM integration was at the highest level ( = 2.97, S.D. = 0.76). In terms of practical implications, the study found that utilizing a virtual world platform to develop lesson plans helped create a highly interactive online space, effectively resolving constraints related to physical resource shortages in schools. Furthermore, it serves as a crucial mechanism for elevating learners’ 21st-century skills through Project-based and Problem-based learning. This aligns with the observation that most schools integrated STEM activities with Active Learning policies (48.10%) and 21st-century skill development (18.50%).
The distinguishing feature of the T-STEP platform lies in its transition from being a mere data repository to a digital “Virtual Community of Practice”. It serves as a centralized shortcut space that compels concrete cross-disciplinary learning design, breaking down the barriers of single-subject adherence prevalent in the physical world. Furthermore, the platform is highly significant in acting as a virtual laboratory and exhibition space, effectively compensating for disparities and resolving the network schools’ budgetary constraints in purchasing STEM equipment. In conclusion, the T-STEP virtual reality platform innovation is a vital mechanism that bridges the gap between university theory and actual classroom practice. It elevates the quality of modern pre-service teachers by equipping them with competencies in project-based and problem-based learning management, directly leading to the concrete development of learners’ 21st-century skills. For future research directions, studies should explore expanding the platform’s trial to pre-service teachers in other disciplines or schools with different contexts, conduct longitudinal follow-ups on learners’ 21st-century skill achievements, and investigate the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated evaluation systems into the platform for personalized learning design.