Project development process based on STEM approach: A mixed methods action research

In today's world, there is an increasing need for individuals who seek for solutions to the problems they face by bringing different disciplines together. This has reflected on the processes of learning – teaching as well and students are expected to associate disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics with each other and solve real life problems using these associations. In this study, STEM based project development activities were carried out for students from a middle-school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area in their out of school time and the effect of these activities on the students' scientific process and engineering design skills and development of affective characteristics such as attitude, motivation and interest were analyzed. The study was carried out within a framework of concurrent quantitative + qualitative mixed methods action research. The study group of the study was determined through criterion sampling which is one of the purposeful sampling methods and consists of 20 students who continue a middle-school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area in a big city in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. Within the scope of the study, a 12 weeks action plan focusing on the engineering design process was implemented and STEM based project development activities were carried out within the scope of science fair activities. The quantitative data of the study were collected through an aptitude test, attitude, motivation and interest scales, whereas the qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus group interviews, journals kept by the students and the researcher, observation notes of the researcher, rating scales and portfolios. In order to be able to reflect the changes the students have gone through this process and the significance level of descriptive analysis and changes, the quantitative data of the study were analyzed through statistical analysis. The qualitative data were evaluated through content analysis and descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it was observed that the students actively participated in the engineering design process stages and engaged in learning through doing and experiencing in this process. It was determined that this had positive effects on the students' skills of doing research, problem solving, producing new ideas, thinking differently, decision making, cooperation, assuming responsibility, establishing communication and entrepreneurship. In addition, it was seen that the production, testing and redesigning stages had positive reflections on the development of the students' scientific process and engineering design skills and self-confidence during this process. It was determined that science fair activities in general provided the suitable environment to carry out STEM based project development activities designed for socioeconomically disadvantaged students and gave them the necessary support. Another finding obtained in the study is that the STEM based project development process contributed to the development of students' skills and their affective characteristics. It was seen that the activities carried out in the action process had positive effects on the students' attitude towards science and technology, motivation on learning science, scientific process skills, attitude towards STEM and interest in STEM occupations and that these effects were statistically significant. The research results show that the action process was highly effective in developing the students' skills and affective characteristics. These results are supported with the interviews done with the students, student journals, observation notes of the researcher and journal records as well. The results of the interviews done with the students within the scope of the study reflect that the students think that STEM based project development activities contributed to their engineering design skills, primarily skills such as product preparation, design and application of acquired knowledge. It was also found that the students think that the activities in this process contributed to their life skills in terms of entrepreneurship, social and personal development skills. In the light of the results obtained in the study, it is suggested to increase the number of supported science fairs, primarily in middle-schools and secondary education institutions in particular in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and to make it possible for the process to be implemented within the framework of out of school educational activities or lifelong learning.