EXAMINING PROJECT-BASED STEM TRAINING IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This research primarily aims to examine project-based STEM training implemented in a state primary school in Turkey regarding teachers’ and students’ views. The phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was exclusively adopted in the study. The research sampling consisted of 18 students and 2 teachers working at a state primary school located in an Anatolian province during the 2017-2018 academic year. The research data were collected through interviews some of which were voice-recorded and analyzed through content analysis. Research findings revealed that successful implementation of STEM practices necessitates a systematic working plan consisting of preparation, implementation and evaluation stages. Besides, it was revealed that STEM training practices facilitate unearthing students’ talents and developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as manual dexterity. The research findings also suggested that these practices increase cooperation among students, help them develop a positive attitude towards the lesson and behave more carefully during the classes. Nonetheless, various problems such as inadequate space, teaching materials and group-work driven problems were observed during STEM practices. Based on the research findings, it is suggested that STEM training should be separately implemented without being included in a single discipline.