Probleme dayalı öğrenme (PDÖ) yoluyla STEM eğitiminin öğrencilerin üst düzey düşünme becerileri (ÜDDB) üzerindeki etkileri

The 21st century requires students to have critical, creative, and problem-solving skills to address complex real-world challenges. Mathematics education is key to developing these higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), yet in countries like T¨urkiye, standardized testing pressures often hinder their growth. Despite curriculum reforms, T¨urkiye continues to show lower scores in PISA and TIMSS, highlighting the need for instructional innovation. Integrating STEM education with problem-based learning (PBL) offers a student-centered approach that links to real-world problems, fostering critical and creative thinking (Rehmat, 2015; Asghar et al., 2012). This study used a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test control group design with 123 fifth-grade students from a private school in Türkiye to examine the effects of STEM-PBL on HOTS in critical thinking, mathematical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The experimental group was taught through STEM-PBL lessons, while the control group received non-STEM-PBL lessons. Findings showed a significant difference in critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the experimental group. However, no statistically significant difference in mathematical thinking, possibly due to initial performance differences and younger students' limited metacognitive awareness (Zimmerman, 2002). This study adds to the literature by offering evidence that STEM-PBL can effectively support the development of students' HOTS. It calls for a re-evaluation of educational methods, the need for interdisciplinary, real-world learning environments.