The effectiveness of STEM approach in science education: A meta analysis study

In this research, it is aimed to reveal the current situation regarding the STEM approach in science education in Turkey with meta-analysis method. In this direction, a meta-analysis study was conducted to examine the effect of STEM approach in science education on students' academic success, scientific process skills and attitudes towards science lesson compared to conventional methods. In the meta-analysis study, the studies included in the research are at the Master's and Doctorate level and these studies were taken from the Higher Education Council National Thesis Center database. In the study, a total of 147 studies carried out between 2010 and 2020 were examined and 46 Master's and 6 PhD studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The sample of a total of 52 studies consists of 2878 students, who are from 4th 5th 6th 7th and 8th grades, including the experimental and control groups. Analysis were made via statistics program Comprehensive Meta Analysis V2. The random effects model was used when the studies were analyzed and combined because the structure was heterogeneous. As a result of the research, the effect size of the STEM approach in science education on the academic success of the students was calculated as 1.420, the effect size on the scientific process skills was calculated as 1.457 and the effect size on the attitudes towards the science course was calculated as 0.526. According to the classification made, these values are at a large level according to the variable of academic success and scientific process skills, and at a medium level according to the variable of attitude. In this context, it has been concluded that the STEM approach in science education has a positive and moderate effect on increasing the academic success of students and improving their scientific process skills, and on their attitudes at a medium level. The effect size on academic success differed according to the grade level, and the highest effect was observed in studies at the 4th grade level. It is thought that this study, which examines the effects of the STEM approach in science education and is conducted to gather the studies examining the effect of the STEM approach on existing variables under a single roof and to reveal the trends in this research area, will enlighten on the studies to be done from now on.