The Effects of Preschool STEM Applications on Scientific Process Skills, Conceptual Development, and Creative Design

Abstract

This research aims to examine the effects of structured STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activities at the preschool education level on children's scientific process skills, conceptual development, and socio-emotional aspects. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods design. A single-group pre-test–post-test design was used for the quantitative aspect; data obtained from observation forms, student products, and opinion forms were evaluated using content analysis for the qualitative aspect. The sample consisted of 69 five-year-old students attending a kindergarten in Kastamonu province. Seven original STEM activities, developed for the five-year-old level, were implemented during the research process. The activities were designed within the framework of guided inquiry-based learning, the constructivist approach, and the engineering design cycle. Quantitative findings revealed that students showed significant improvement in their scientific process skills. Furthermore, no significant difference was found based on gender. Qualitative findings showed that students understood science concepts through experiential methods, transformed misconceptions, actively participated in creative design processes, and developed environmental awareness. Student products and descriptions reveal that this learning sometimes extends to the family environment. The results show that STEM activities implemented in early childhood contribute multifacetedly to both cognitive and socio-emotional development. In this context, it is recommended that STEM applications be given more prominence in preschool curricula.

Keywords

• STEM
• preschool
• guided inquiry
• scientific process skills
• environmental awareness.

Okul Öncesi STEM Uygulamalarının Bilimsel Süreç Becerileri, Kavramsal Gelişim ve Yaratıcı Tasarım Üzerindeki Etkileri

Öz

Bu araştırma; okul öncesi eğitim düzeyinde yapılandırılmış STEM (Fen, Teknoloji, Mühendislik, Matematik) etkinliklerinin çocukların bilimsel süreç becerilerine, kavramsal gelişimlerine ve sosyal-duyuşsal yönlerine etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, karma yöntem desenine dayalı olarak yürütülmüştür. Nicel boyutta tek grup ön test–son test deseni; nitel boyutta ise gözlem formları, öğrenci ürünleri ve görüş formlarından elde edilen veriler içerik analiziyle değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini Kastamonu ilinde yer alan bir anaokulunda öğrenim gören beş yaş grubundaki 69 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sürecinde 5 yaş düzeyine uygun olarak geliştirilen yedi özgün STEM etkinliği uygulanmıştır. Etkinlikler; yönlendirmeli sorgulama temelli öğrenme, yapılandırmacı yaklaşım ve mühendislik tasarım döngüsü çerçevesinde tasarlanmıştır. Nicel bulgular, öğrencilerin bilimsel süreç becerilerinde anlamlı düzeyde gelişim gösterdiğini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca cinsiyet değişkenine göre anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır. Nitel bulgular; öğrencilerin fen kavramlarını deneyimsel yollarla anlamlandırdığını, kavram yanılgılarını dönüştürdüğünü, yaratıcı tasarım süreçlerine aktif katılım sağladığını ve çevresel duyarlılık geliştirdiğini göstermektedir. Öğrenci ürünleri ve açıklamaları, bu öğrenmelerin bazı durumlarda aile ortamına da taşındığını ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuçlar, erken çocukluk döneminde uygulanan STEM etkinliklerinin hem bilişsel hem de sosyal-duyuşsal gelişim üzerinde çok yönlü katkılar sağladığını göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda okul öncesi öğretim programlarında STEM uygulamalarına daha fazla yer verilmesi önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• STEM
• okul öncesi
• yönlendirmeli sorgulama
• bilimsel süreç becerileri
• Çevre farkındalığı

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