The effect of integrated science and art activities on creative thinking and problem solving skills

The common point of science and art is the human being. People trying to understand and recognize the world need science and art. In the literature it is noticeable that there are hardly any activities that integrate science and art, and that this integration is perceived only in the form of bringing two courses together. For this reason, it was important to integrate science and art in a holistic perspective. This research on what students' perceptions and awareness of art and science are, what can help raise their awareness of art, and what the gains in higher-order thinking skills can be through the integration of art and science considers all Turkish, math, life science, and science courses within the framework of science, and visual arts and music courses within the framework of art. The activity research method is used in the research. In compliance with the structure of action research, qualitative and quantitative data are collected and used together in this research. The research is carried through two experimental groups and two control groups. The researcher conducts four different but 'Integrated Science and Art Activities in the experimental group. 'Scenarios' and 'Observation Forms Related to Science and Art Activities are used to gather the research's quantitative data. The analysis of the Scenarios are done by using Independent Sample t-Testi. The information gathered from the observation forms is displayed with frequency and percentage values. Focus group interviews with the third-class teachers of all students in the school, as well as the students in the experimental and control groups, are used to gather qualitative data. The analysis of interviews with students and teachers is done through descriptive analysis. The Science and Art Practices fulfilled in the experimental group significantly improves creative thinking and problem solving skills. There is not significant change in terms of these skills in the control group. The findings also revealed that the written expression skills of the students in the experimental group improved. It has been concluded that increasing the number of applications that integrate science and art disciplines, ensuring that the necessary materials are provided by the MEB, and providing teachers with training on integrated applications and how they can be structured can contribute to the development of creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Keywords: science and art, integrated science and art, science and art activities, interdisciplinary teaching, creative thinking, problem solving skills