Developing a digital game-supported STEM teaching module about recycling and examining its impact

In this research, it was aimed to develop a teaching module with a digital game- supported STEM approach on the teaching of the subject of 'Domestic wastes and recycling' at the 7th grade level in the science course curriculum, and to determine the effect of this teaching module on the states of students on recycling, their attitudes towards science and their attitudes towards STEM. In addition, it is aimed to determine the impact of students on their views on digital game-supported STEM education. The research was carried out in accordance with the embedded pattern, which is one of the mixed method research patterns, and a single group of pre-test-final test experimental pattern was used for the quantitative dimension of the research, and a case study was used for the qualitative dimension. The sample of the research, which was carried out in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, consists 15 participants who are 7th grade students. In order to collect quantitative data in the research, the attitude scale for science, the recycling scale for secondary school students and the attitude scale for STEM were used. In addition, semi-structured interviews, student diaries and student worksheets were used to reveal students' views on digital game-supported STEM education. The accessed data were analyzed by combining quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. As a result of the research, it was seen that there was a significant difference in the states of the students in recycling. There was no significant difference in their attitudes towards the science and their attitudes towards STEM. In addition, after the application was carried out, the results were reached that the students had positive opinions about digital game-supported STEM education.