STEM Teachers’ Perception of Barriers to Critical Thinking Abilities: Implementing an Integrated Approach in Pakistan’s STEM Education

Abstract The importance of critical thinking abilities (CTAs) in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has been widely studied in academia. However, STEM teachers’ perceptions of the barriers to CTAs have not been adequately discussed. This study highlights critical barriers to teachers’ perceptions that affect the adoption of CTAs in STEM education, including teaching skill defiance and a close-minded teaching mindset. The first task of this study was to develop a comprehensive methodology grounded in an inclusive review of the literature and to identify the key barriers to teachers’ perceptions. The Delphi method used to validate this study through experts’ reviews, the “Interpretive Structural Modeling” (ISM), and the “Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement” (MICMAC) methods were encouraged as a novel contribution in STEM education, especially in the Pakistani context. Theoretically, this study addressed key barriers affecting CTAs, identified their interrelationships, and determined their driver and dependency capabilities, providing a reproducible foundation for the STEM educational sector. The results provide pragmatic guidance for STEM teachers to develop effective strategies and for STEM practitioners to overcome significant adoption challenges. For future directions, the enablers can create tools to help STEM practitioners connect with the CTAs of STEM teachers.