Building Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive STEM Communities: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in STEM Learning

Year 2022, Volume: 41 Issue: 2, 455 - 492, 30.12.2022

Emine Erden Mustafa Serdar Koksal

Abstract

The number of studies focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has increased and included students from kindergarten to high school along with educational reforms in the last 20 years. However, teaching social-communication and functional skills is still the focus of attention for students with disabilities. In developed countries, it is now mandated for students with disabilities to fully participate and be evaluated in academic programs. Accordingly, in an era where STEM practices are expanded to kindergarten classrooms, it is advocated that STEM foundational skills can be taught to younger children starting at early years of life. For building diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the STEM communities, very young children (0-3 years) with disabilities should also actively be involved in STEM learning process and examples of such implementations with concrete steps to follow should be offered to those parents and professionals in the early intervention field. With this conceptual study, it is intended to help parents of young children with disabilities, early intervention practitioners, special education teachers through provision of practical examples which may later be tested with empirical research.

Keywords

Scientific literacy, teaching academic skills in special education, STEM, inclusive practices

Bireysel Çeşitliliğin Var Olduğu, Eşitlikçi ve Kapsayıcı STEM Topluluğu İnşa Etmek: Özel Gereksinimli Küçük Çocuklarda STEM Öğrenimini Desteklemek

Abstract

Son 20 yılda eğitim alanında yapılan reformlar ile bilim, teknoloji, mühendislik ve matematik (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, [STEM]) eğitimi alanlarındaki çalışmaların desteklenmesi önemli bir ivme kazanmıştır ve ilgili düzenlemeler anaokulundan liseye kadar bütün öğrencileri kapsayacak biçimde genişletilmiştir. Ancak sıra özel gereksinimi olan öğrencilerin eğitimine geldiğinde, STEM alanlarındaki eğitim yerine çoğunlukla sosyal beceriler, iletişim becerileri, işlevsel beceriler ve yaşam becerileri odaklı eğitimlere yoğunlaşılmıştır. Özel gereksinimli öğrencilerin de akademik eğitim programına bütünüyle katılıp, değerlendirilmeye alınmaları gelişmiş ülkelerde artık yasal bir zorunluluktur. STEM’e ait uygulamaların anasınıflarına kadar indirildiği bir dönemde ilgili temellerin aslında 0-3 yaş arasında atılabileceği savunulmaktadır. Bireysel çeşitliliğin var olduğu, eşitlikçi ve kapsayıcı STEM topluluğu inşa edebilmek için küçük yaştaki özel gereksinimli çocuklar da sürece dahil edilmeli ve buna yönelik somut uygulamalı adımlar atılarak, ebeveynlerin ve alandaki eğitimcilerin kullanımına sunulacak pratik öneriler verilmelidir. Bu kavramsal çalışmada sunulan örneklerin, ileride deneysel çalışmalarla test edilerek alanda çalışan erken müdahale uzmanlarına, özel eğitim öğretmenlerine ve özel gereksinimli küçük çocukları olan ebeveynlere somut öğretim süreci açısından yol gösterici olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Bilimsel Okuryazarlık, Özel Eğitimde Akademik Beceri Öğretimi, STEM, Kaynaştırma Uygulamaları

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