Investigation of the effectiveness of STEM education program for preschoolers

This study aims to investigate the effect of a STEM program about aviation and aircrafts on preschoolers' scientific process skills and reflections of the implementation process of the program on children, families and the teacher. Thirty-nine preschoolers enrolled in Class A and B in a public primary school within Eskişehir Directory of National Education in 2018-2019 school year, families and teacher of children enrolled in Class A comprise the participants of the study. A mixed methods experimental design is used in the study. A scale is used to determine the effect of the STEM program on children's scientific process skills. Qualitative data collection techniques are used to investigate the reflections of the implementation on participants. The STEM program is implemented for 20 days in experimental group. In control group, activities designed by the clasroom teacher are implemented. The findings about the effect of the implementation on children's scientific process skills indicated significant difference between the groups in favor of experimental group. This difference is found persistent. Implementation of the STEM program is found to be contribute children's knowledge, skills, feelings and dispositions. For families, the implementation is found to be a process which has increased communication within the family and parent involvement, made family gain knowledge, expanded perceptions about children's potential, excited positive feelings. The implementation is found to be contribute the teacher's technological pedagogical content knowledge and dispositions, excite positive feelings. Results revealed that STEM education made a multi-faceted and positive contribution to all participants. Keywords: STEM education, early childhood education, science process skills, aviations and aircrafts, knowledge, skills, feelings, dispositions