The Effect of STEM Activities on Primary School Students' Attitudes towards STEM

Neslihan Açıkay, Mehmet Akif Bircan & Hamdi Karakaş

doi:https://doi.org/10.29329/ijrte.2023.566.2

Original article | International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 2023, Vol. 14(2) 19-35

The Effect of STEM Activities on Primary School Students' Attitudes towards STEM

Neslihan Açıkay, Mehmet Akif Bircan & Hamdi Karakaş

pp. 19 - 35 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijrte.2023.566.2 | Manu. Number: MANU-2304-14-0005.R1

Published online: June 27, 2023 | Number of Views: 42 | Number of Download: 190

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Abstract

This study aimed to find out the effect of STEM activities on primary school students' attitudes towards STEM by using a pretest-posttest, experimental-control group quasi-experimental design. The research was conducted with 39 primary school students in the experimental (Nexperimental=21) and control group (Ncontrol=18) who were studying in the fourth grade of a school located in a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye in the 2021-2022 academic year. The STEM Attitude Scale was administered as a pretest and posttest to measure the changes in primary school students' attitudes towards STEM before and after the STEM activities. The intervention step included nine different STEM activities prepared for primary school students. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and dependent groups t-test, and the effect size (e-square [ή2]) was calculated according to the variances between the scores. Based on the results, it was concluded that STEM activities foster the positive STEM attitudes of primary school students participating in these activities with a significantly wider effect than the primary school students who do not participate in such activities. The effect of engaging in STEM activities on primary school students' attitude towards STEM sub-dimensions was also examined, which indicated significant improvements in all sub-dimensions compared to the primary school students who did not take part in these activities. Including STEM-based activities in primary schools is highly recommended because STEM activities are design-oriented, enable the use of technology, and involve skills such as creativity, problem solving, communication, and cooperation.

Keywords: STEM activities, STEM attitude, primary school students

How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Acikay, N., Bircan, M.A. & Karakas, H. (2023). The Effect of STEM Activities on Primary School Students' Attitudes towards STEM . International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 14(2), 19-35. doi: 10.29329/ijrte.2023.566.2

Harvard
Acikay, N., Bircan, M. and Karakas, H. (2023). The Effect of STEM Activities on Primary School Students' Attitudes towards STEM . International Journal of Research in Teacher Education, 14(2), pp. 19-35.

Chicago 16th edition
Acikay, Neslihan, Mehmet Akif Bircan and Hamdi Karakas (2023). "The Effect of STEM Activities on Primary School Students' Attitudes towards STEM ". International Journal of Research in Teacher Education 14 (2):19-35. doi:10.29329/ijrte.2023.566.2.

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