Integration of Media Design Processes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Abstract

Problem Statement :Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education aims at improving students’ knowledge and skills in science and math, and thus their attitudes and career choices intheseareas. The ultimate goal in STEM education is to create scientifically literate individuals whocan survive in the global economy. The identification of new learning outcomes, curriculum programs, and teaching practices needs to be clarified by the STEM education community. Media design processes are a potential teaching method in STEM education that requires learners to designdigital media artifacts using a variety of technological tools. Purpose of the Study : This study investigatesthe impactof science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integrated media design processes on 8th grade students’ attitudes towardscience and technology classes, as well as their views about these design processes in after-school science activities. In addition, it demonstratesthe opinions of the classroom teacher regardingthe integration of media design processes in science classes. Method : Using anaction research design, 21 secondary students from a public school participated in this 14-week study. The quantitative data that was collected from the student attitude survey for science and technology classes was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, while the qualitative data (student artifacts, PSA forms, semi-structured interviews, and field notes) was analyzed through open coding and thematic analysis respectively. Findings and Results: The findings indicated that STEM-integrated media design processes positively impacted the participating students’ attitudes toward science and media design activities. In addition, students were more motivated and engaged in the media design processes, which improved their learning ofscience content and participation in class discussions. Conclusion and Recommendations: The literature in STEM education calls for new curricular activities and teaching practices as well as the integration of art in STEM. In addition, the visual technology industry in this century creates a job market for the STEM-literate people who are able to apply their knowledge of STEM fields in visual technologies and art. In response to these demands, the positive outcomes of media design processes used in this study offer an encouragingpremise in meeting the objectives of STEM education. Keywords: science, technology, engineering, andmathematics (STEM) education, media design, public service announcements (PSAs), action research, after-school activities