The effect of project-based STEM education on students' academic achievements and problem solving skills

This study was conducted to determine the impact of project-based STEM activities on students' academic achievements and problem-solving skills. The research group, consisting of 64 students in the 7th grade of a state school in the Mediterranean Region, was formed using a mixed research method. The researcher utilized the Science Academic Achievement Test, developed by the researcher, to collect quantitative data and the Problem-Solving Scale to measure students' problem-solving skills. Qualitative data were gathered through a semi-structured interview form, researcher observation notes, and product evaluation forms. The research spanned 9 weeks, including 3 weeks of pilot implementation and 6 weeks of project-based STEM activities. Parametric and nonparametric tests were employed for the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Based on the results obtained from the research, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant increase in students' science achievements in the experimental group, which underwent project-based STEM activities in science education. However, another finding suggested that project-based STEM activities did not have a significant impact on students' problem-solving skills. When examining the sub-dimensions of the scale, statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group were found in the first and second sub-dimensions, namely, what needs to be done before solving a difficult problem and what needs to be done while working on the problem. Upon analyzing students' opinions, it was determined that project-based STEM activities were effective in providing solutions to real-life problems and contributed to the development of students' problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the research results suggested that STEM activities increased students' sense of group responsibility, facilitated enjoyable learning experiences, and improved effective communication with group peers. Based on the research findings, it is recommended to encourage students to prepare, implement, and showcase STEM projects in science education classes and end of year activities. Additionally, STEM classrooms where students can conduct STEM related studies within the school environment can be constituted. Keywords: Science Education; STEM; Project-Based Learning Model; Problem-Solving Skills.