The impact of STEM activities based on experiential learning on scientific process and problem solving skills of preschool children

STEM education plays a significant role in establishing the foundation for preschool children's acquisition of skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as contributing to the development of basic competencies. Activities designed based on children's experiences offer valuable opportunities for their developmental growth. From this standpoint, the impact STEM activities based on experiential learning principles on preschool children's scientific process skills and problem-solving abilities was investigated. This study employed a quasi-experimental design. Data were collected from 62 preschool children aged 60–72 months attending educational institutions in the central district of Tokat during the 2023–2024 academic year. An educational program comprising experiential STEM activities, developed by the researcher and refined through expert opinions, was implemented by the researcher across 16 sessions over eight weeks, with two sessions per week. To evaluate the program's effectiveness, scores obtained from the Scientific Process Skills Test (SPST) and Problem-Solving Skills Scale (PSSS) were analyzed using independent t-tests, dependent (paired) t-tests and ANCOVA. Results indicated that children in the experimental group scored significantly higher on measures of scientific process and problem-solving skills compared to children in the control group.