The effect of stem approach based electrical circuit elements teaching on the academic achievement of 5th-grade students with specific learning disabilities

One of the main aims of science education is to educate individuals in science literacy. Becoming a science literate and attaining 21st-century skills are also important for the students who need specific education. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of 5th-grade electrical circuit elements on the academic achievement of students with teaching based on STEM approach developed in support training rooms and developed for students with specific learning difficulties. From this point of view, the success of teaching by using instructional models was tested for students with specific learning difficulties in science education. It is aimed to be useful to academicians, teachers, instructional model development experts and other stakeholders of the related issue. For this purpose, in the 2017-2018 academic year, the primary practice was conducted with 1 student pilot and 3 students attending 5th grade in a state secondary school in Adana. For the application, an instructional module was prepared by using the STEM approach and the application was made in the support training room. This study was carried out from experimental research using a single subject research method. In this study, a multiple-start-level model was used among subjects with multiple baseline levels of single-subject studies. Specific learning disability observation form, specific learning disability teacher opinion questionnaire, electrical circuit elements conceptual understanding test, electrical circuit elements academic achievement test and data registration form were used as data collection tools. The data was analyzed using graphs as it was a single subject study. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, it was determined that science teaching in the support education room was effective for the students with specific learning difficulties with the teaching module planned for the 5th-grade electrical circuit elements using STEM approach. In this study, we made suggestions based on the results of the research, the researchers who will work on the related subject, the instructors who will conduct the teaching and the suggestions regarding the education.