Pre-Service Science Teachers Views on STEM Materials and STEM Competition in Instructional Technologies and Material Development Course

Ali Cetin,Nuri Balta

doi:10.12973/eu-jer.6.3.279

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify">This qualitative study was designed to introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activities to pre-service science teachers and identify their views about STEM materials. In this context, a competition was organized with 42 pre-service science teachers (13 male- 29 female) who took Instructional Technologies and Material Development course in Elementary Science Education Department in Siirt University. The competition consisted of 5 categories: balloon powered car, mousetrap car, water rocket, spaghetti bridge 1 (durability) and spaghetti bridge 2 (visuality). Structured interview form developed by researchers was used as data collection instrument. The results were analyzed with the conventional content analysis. Results indicated that participants (especially females) are more willing to use STEM materials in their future teaching life. Participants mostly believe that STEM materials facilitate learning, enhance retention and increase self-confidence. However, there are also pre-service science teachers who believe that preparation of STEM materials is difficult, takes too much time and not appropriate to students’ levels.</p>

Highlights

There are pre-service science teachers who believe that preparation of STEM materials is difficult, takes too much time and not appropriate to students’ levels
STEM acronym refers to the four distinct fields that we know as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
While educational reforms on technology education have focused on technological design, the science education has focused on inquiry

Summary

Introduction

STEM acronym refers to the four distinct fields that we know as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM education should not be separated from the disciplines of social studies, arts, and humanities (Sanders, 2009). Students’ interest and learning in STEM disciplines is critical to the long-lasting economic health of the countries. The countries that have more qualified STEM professionals are globally more competitive (Lennon, Moriarty, & Zivkovic, 2014). For the competition among the countries, reforms on technology education developed. While educational reforms on technology education have focused on technological design, the science education has focused on inquiry. Inquiry based teaching rarely occurs in technology education, while technological design hardly occurs in science classrooms(Sanders, 2009)

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Results