A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2020

STEM education provides an interdisciplinary approach to solve realistic problems existing in schools, in community and at work by applying knowledge and skills related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Using STEM education to introduce circular economy can be an effective way to educate students, the future citizens, to be knowledgeable, skillful and responsible in operating sustainable economic systems. Therefore, this research was performed to study high school STEM teachers{u2019} perceptions and intentional behaviors regarding incorporating circular economy into STEM education in the case of Vietnam. The research was designed through a conceptual framework grounded on the Theory of Planned Behavior. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 238 STEM teachers who participated in the project 2Training Education Managers and Teachers in Designing STEM Education Topics in Secondary Education3 provided by Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training. It was followed by interviews with a subgroup of 54 teachers. The research results showed that between 70% and around 90% of surveyed teachers understood most core principles of circular economy. These teachers showed relatively high interest and strong subjective norms regarding incorporating circular economy into STEM education. However, their confidence in performing the behavior was only at moderate level. Ultimately, about 80% of respondents intended to incorporate circular economy into STEM education and suggested their colleagues to do the same. Overall, teachers expressed positive response to the movement toward education for sustainable development. The findings about the relationships between teachers{u2019} knowledge, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and intentions confirm the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting teachers{u2019} intention. Moreover, it is suggested that teachers{u2019} attitudes, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms had different effects on their intentions depending on the type of intention. Policy implications were made to improve teachers{u2019} confidence and enhance support for them in incorporating circular economy into STEM education