Abstract
Several international institutions emphasize the need to develop a comprehensive education in STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to improve learning, competences and student perception of these subjects. The general objective of this study was to analyze the teaching effectiveness, from a cognitive and emotional perspective, of a STEM workshop versus an academic-expositional methodology in the science classroom in primary education. The research design was quasi-experimental with a control group, an experimental group, a pre-test and two post-tests. By means of a randomized probabilistic sampling, 256 students between 10 and 12 years old participated. Cognitive, emotional, attitudinal and gender variables were analyzed according to two teaching methodologies, an expository academic methodology for the control group and an active methodology based on the development of a practical STEM workshop for the experimental group. The results reveal that both methodologies are equally effective in short-term learning, but statistically significant differences are found in long-term learning, in favor of STEM workshops. Likewise, the STEM workshop mainly generates positive emotions and attitudes in the students compared to the transmission-reception methodology applied with the control group.
Highlights
The new educational perspectives focused on scientific literacy seem to agree on the importance of science and technology teaching to consider conceptual content as educational objectives
These results reveal that both didactic interventions have been effective, since the students in both groups obtain average grades higher than those shown in the initial level of knowledge
In order to validate the long-term teaching effectiveness of the STEM workshops compared to the academic-expositional methodology, the students participating in the study carried out a third questionnaire several months after the intervention, since the didactic validity of both methodologies in the short-term was demonstrated with the results shown in the previous section
Summary
The new educational perspectives focused on scientific literacy seem to agree on the importance of science and technology teaching to consider conceptual content as educational objectives. The lack of practical work-based teaching strategies in primary schools does not contribute effectively to the acquisition of scientific or technological skills, which is reflected in students moving on to secondary education [6,7,8]. This leads to a decline in students’ scientific vocations, since according to some authors [9], there is a strong positive relationship between students’ experiences with science in school and their choice of future studies in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
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