STEM-Based NOS Teaching on 7th Grade Students' NOS Views

Abstract

The aim of the study is to improve students’ nature of science understandings while integrating nature of science aspects into appropriate science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) activities. In this study, four STEM-based contextualized nature of science activities are developed during the 4 weeks study. The sample of this study consists of eighteen 7th grade students. The data are collected the views of nature of science questionnaires (VNOS-D), follow-up interviews, and classroom observations. All data are analyzed holistically to create a profile of students’ views for the targeted aspects of nature of science with using content analysis. The analysis showed that 7th grade students have generally naive views of the targeted nature of science aspects before participating in the 4-week study. After STEM-based nature of science teaching, all students improved their views of nature of science. STEM-based explicit-reflective nature of science teaching may be an alternative approach to improve students’ nature of science views, and it is recommended to use this approach in the future studies.