@article{article_1661500, title={Investigating the Impact of Toy Design on 6th Grade Students’ Analogical Reasoning, Problem-Solving, and Engineering Design Skills: The Case of Support and Movement Systems}, journal={IBAD Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi}, pages={237–266}, year={2025}, DOI={10.21733/ibad.1661500}, author={Göktuna, Ecem and Şahin, Fatma}, keywords={STEM, Analojik Akıl Yürütme Becerileri, Problem Çözme Becerileri, Mühendislik Tasarım Becerileri}, abstract={Toys are commonly used as educational tools for children. Beyond supporting their pedagogical development, children also explore and make sense of their environment through play and toys. The use of toys in education has become increasingly widespread over time, as they help foster skills such as exploration, inquiry, collaboration, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships. Activities like toy-making further contribute to the development of engineering-related skills in children, which are integral to the widely adopted STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) approach. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a STEM-based instructional approach supported by toy design on 6th-grade students’ analogical reasoning, problem-solving, and engineering design skills within the context of support and movement systems. The study group consisted of 28 6th-grade middle school students. The topic was selected based on the 2018 Turkish Science Curriculum. A mixed-methods research design was employed. The quantitative phase utilized a one-group pre-test/post-test experimental design, while the qualitative phase involved content analysis of students’ design products. Data were collected using the Analogical Reasoning Test, the Problem-Solving Skills Questionnaire, and the Engineering Design Rubric. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were applied. The findings showed that toy design activities related to support and movement systems significantly improved students’ analogical reasoning, problem-solving abilities, and engineering design skills.}, number={18}, publisher={Hayrullah KAHYA}