EXAMINING TEACHERS' VIEWS ON STEM EDUCATION

Authors

  • Ayten Pınar Bal Faculty of Education, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey orcid.org/0000-0003-1695-9876
  • Sümeyye Güner Bedir Mathematics Teacher, Hatay, Turkey orcid.org/0000-0002-2090-0044

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v8i3.3650

Keywords:

STEM, STEM education, STEM-based activities, semi-structured interview

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of teachers who apply STEM education in science and mathematics lessons about this education. The research is designed according to a case study of qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of four STEM educated teachers. Semi-structured interview form was used as data collection tool in the study. The data were analysed by content analysis. Within the scope of the validity and reliability of the data obtained from the research, participant confirmation and expert control strategies were used. As a result of the research, the teachers stated that STEM education is related to the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and technology. They stated that STEM is a necessity of our age and includes basic skills. In addition, regarding the in-class implementation of STEM-based activities, the participants emphasized that STEM practice increase student success, improve students' sense of self-confidence, make learning easier and permanent, associate lessons with daily life, conduct lessons with fun, and ensure collaborative learning. However, during the implementation of these activities, teachers stated that they mostly experienced problems with classroom management, implementation of the activities and lack of equipment.

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Author Biographies

  • Ayten Pınar Bal, Faculty of Education, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey orcid.org/0000-0003-1695-9876
    Ayten Pınar Bal is an associate professor at Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey. His areas of Mathematics Education. She conducts research on teacher training and assessment and evaluation.
  • Sümeyye Güner Bedir, Mathematics Teacher, Hatay, Turkey orcid.org/0000-0002-2090-0044
    Sümeyye Güner Bedir is mathematics teacher in Hatay, Turkey. She has completed her master's degree in mathematics education at Çukurova University in 2020. She works on STEM education and problem solving.

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Published

2021-03-26

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2021)

Section

Articles

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