Evaluation of Teacher Candidates' Metaphorical Perceptions Regarding STEM Education Concepts

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the metaphorical perceptions of science teacher candidates regarding STEM education. Participants were given four-week STEM Application Training, which included STEM activities. In line with the answers given to the metaphor before and after the training, opinions about STEM education were determined and possible changes were examined. The method of the research was determined as a case study. In the study, it was determined that one-third of the participants had never heard of STEM education before. However, STEM education is mostly associated with metaphors such as "life, game, scientific game, invention, universe, imagination, machine, transition from abstract to concrete, science, puzzle, textbook, different perspective and dream". While 41 different metaphors were produced for STEM before the training, this number increased to 50 after the training. At the end of the training, participants' negative metaphors about STEM were replaced by positive ones, four of the categories remained the same and six categories changed. In the study, it was concluded that ideas about the purpose of STEM education were formed.