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The Effect of STEM Activities on Students’ Academic Achievement and

Problem Solving Skills: Matter and Heat Unit

Article in e-Kafkas Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi · November 2021

DOI: 10.30900/kafkasegt.964063

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 The Effect of STEM Activities on Students’ Academic Achievement and Problem
Solving Skills: Matter and Heat Unit1

Müberra Nağaç 2 Serpil Kalaycı 3

To cite this article: Nağaç, M. & Kalaycı, S. (2021). The effect of STEM activities on students’
academic achievement and problem solving skills: Matter and heat unit. e- Kafkas Eğitim
Araştırmaları Dergisi, 8, 480-498. doi:10.30900/kafkasegt.964063

Research article Received:07.07.2021 Accepted:16.11.2021

Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of instructional design applications prepared in
accordance with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) approach based on
the 5E model in the subject of “Matter and Heat” unit on the academic achievement and problem-
solving skills of sixth grade students. The research was carried out with a mixed research design. In
the quantitative dimension of the study, quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group
was used. The study group consists of sixth grade students in a secondary school located in the district
center of a metropolitan city in the Mediterranean region. The “Matter and Heat” unit was explained
through the STEM education course plan integrated in 5E learning model in the experimental group
and through the current course plans as required by the curriculum in the control group. As a data
collection tool, the “Matter and Heat Achievement Test” and the “Problem Solving Inventory” were
applied to both groups before and after STEM education. In order to support the qualitative dimension
of the mixed research, the “Semi-Structured Interview Form” was filled in to get the opinions of the
students in the experimental group about STEM education and it was analyzed using descriptive
statistics. As a result, it was determined that STEM education did not make a statistical difference in
students’ academic performance and problem-solving skills. However, the opinions of the students
revealed that STEM education increased student engagement in the course that classes were more fun
with STEM education, and that using this education in classes would be better for student learning.
Keywords: STEM, matter and heat unit, academic performance, problem solving inventory

1
This research is derived from the master thesis study accepted by Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Institute of
Natural and Applied Sciences.
2
Graduate Master Student, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Instutate of Natural and Applied Sciences,
Turkey
3
Corresponding Author, Assistant Professor, [email protected], Hatay Mustafa Kemal University,
Faculty of Education, Turkey

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STEM Etkinliklerinin Öğrencilerin Akademik Başarı ve Problem Çözme Becerilerine

Etkisi: Madde ve Isı Ünitesi 1

Müberra Nağaç 2 Serpil Kalaycı 3

Atıf: Nağaç, M. & Kalaycı, S. (2021). The effect of STEM activities on students’ academic
achievement and problem solving skills: Matter and heat unit. e- Kafkas Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi,
8, 480-498. doi:10.30900/kafkasegt.964063

Araştırma Makalesi Geliş Tarihi:07.07.2021 Kabul Tarihi: 16.11.2021

Öz
Bu çalışmanın amacı, Fen bilimleri dersi Madde ve Isı ünitesinin öğretiminde 5E modeli ile
temellendirilmiş Bilim, Teknoloji, Mühendislik ve Matematik (STEM) yaklaşımına göre hazırlanan
öğretim tasarımı uygulamalarının 6. sınıf öğrencilerinin akademik başarılarına ve problem çözme
becerilerine etkisinin incelenmesidir. Araştırma karma araştırma deseni ile gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Araştırmanın nicel boyutunda ön-test son-test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen kullanılmıştır.
Çalışma grubu Akdeniz bölgesinde yer alan bir büyükşehirin ilçe merkezine bağlı bir ortaokulun
altıncı sınıf öğrencilerinden oluşmaktadır. Madde ve Isı ünitesi deney grubunda 5E öğrenme modeline
entegre edilmiş STEM eğitimi ders planıyla, kontrol grubuna ise mevcut öğretim programının
öngördüğü yöntem ve planlarla ders işlenmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak STEM eğitimi öncesinde ve
sonrasında her iki gruba da “Madde ve Isı Kazanımı Testi” ve “Problem Çözme Envanteri”
uygulanmıştır. Karma araştırmanın nitel boyutunu desteklemek amacıyla deney grubundaki
öğrencilerin STEM eğitimine ilişkin görüşlerini almak üzere “Yarı yapılandırılmış Görüşme Formu”
doldurtulmuş ve betimsel istatistikler kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, STEM eğitiminin
öğrencilerin akademik performanslarında ve problem çözme becerilerinde istatistiksel bir fark
yaratmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ancak öğrencilerin görüşleri, STEM eğitiminin öğrenci katılımını
artırdığını, STEM eğitimi ile derslerin daha eğlenceli olduğunu, bu eğitimi sınıflarda kullanmanın
öğrencilerin feni öğrenmesi için daha iyi olacağını ve başka derslerde de kullanılabileceğini ortaya
koymuştur.
Anahtar Sözcükler: STEM, madde ve ısı ünitesi, akademik başarı, problem çözme envanteri

1
Bu çalışma Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü tarafından kabul edilen yüksek lisans tez
çalışmasından türetilmiştir.
2
Mezun Yüksek Lisans Öğrencisi, Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Türkiye
3
Sorumlu Yazar, Doktor Öğretim Üyesi, [email protected], Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi, Eğitim
Fakültesi, Türkiye

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Introduction
In today’s conditions, the factor that enables the economic development and progress of
countries is innovation in technology. For this reason, it is a great importance to train the next
generation as science and technology literate and to make engineering common (Miaoulis, 2009).
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)education; In terms of enabling the
transformation of theoretical knowledge in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics into applications and products (Akgündüz et al., 2015a; Çorlu, Adıgüzel, Ayar, Çorlu &
Özel, 2012) and in terms of its contribution to the advancement and development of science and
technology as well as its sustainability, researches reveal that STEM education is very important
(Akgündüz et al., 2015a; Akgündüz, Ertepınar, Ger, Kaplan Sayı, & Türk, 2015b; TUSIAD, 2014).
STEM; is an educational approach based on the idea of educating students in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics with an interdisciplinary approach. STEM provides
interdisciplinary interaction by emphasizing activity-based learning (Akgündüz et al., 2015b; Bybee,
2010). STEM aims to raise individuals who have high self-confidence and strong communication
skills, can think creatively, solve problems, and know how to use tools, understand mechanisms, and
come up with original ideas (Bybee, 2010). In STEM education it has been stated that STEM improves
students’ rational, creative, and inquisitive thinking skills and enables them to use their knowledge and
skills more effectively (Morrison, 2006). STEM education applied to start from the kindergarten
improves students’ creative thinking skills, helping them to come out with new ideas and products,
stimulates their curiosity, and increases their interest in science and technology (Altun & Yıldırım,
2015). The student can direct his/her imagination in line with the knowledge he/she has acquired as
well as obtain the ability to solve problems with his/her creative skills (Roberts, 2012). Özdemir
(2016), who advocated that STEM will affect the personality traits of the individual thanks to the
products created in the cognitive development process, stated that characteristics such as
entrepreneurial spirit and respecting oneself, others, and the environment would develop in the
individual. Özdemir (2016) also stated that students who were grown up with STEM education could
easily overcome the difficulties they encounter in order to achieve their dreams.
According to Koştur (2017), the individual has drawn a road map for himself in line with the
needs of every age. Table 1shows that the skills required by the current century are almost parallel to
each other in Table 1, as there is not much difference between the skills required to be gained in
STEM education and the skills gained in science education in our country.
Table 1.
The Relationship between 21st Century Skills, STEM Education and Science
Education in Turkey
21st century skills STEM Education Science Education in Turkey
Information literacy Communication Research-inquiry
Critical thinking To decide Learning to access information
Entrepreneurship Reasoning Critical thinking
Communication Confidence Effective decision making
Cooperation Self-management Science and career awareness
To decide Problem solving Entrepreneurship
Leadership Systems thinking Communication
Curiosity and imagination Social skills Cooperation
Learning to learn Technology literate Curiosity
Problem solving Adapt Confidence
Responsibility Creativity Problem solving
Adapt Being innovative Responsibility
Creativity Creative thinking
Life and career information Life skills
Lifelong learning
As seen in Table 1, creativity, critical thinking, collaborative work and problem solving are
among the 21st century skills. These gains, which seem simple but are the sparks of inter-country
competition, have a universal character (Akgündüz et al., 2015a). The implementation of STEM

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education from kindergarten to university education will improve students’ problem-solving skills and
ability to use their imagination (Bybee, 2010).
The literature review yielded several studies related to STEM. Fortus, Dershimer, Krajcik,
Marx and Mamlok Naaman (2004), concluded that STEM education increases high school 10th- and
11th-grade students’ interest in science classes and improves their performance and learning levels in
this course. Doppelt, Mehalik, Schunn, Silk and Krysinski (2008) determined that STEM education
increases eighth grade students’ interest in science and boosts their performance in this course. Ceylan
(2014) demonstrated that STEM increases students’ academic success, creativity, and problem-solving
skills on the subject of “Acids and Bases”. In a study that investigated the success of students who
switched to schools providing STEM education, Şahin, Ayar and Adıgüzel, (2014) found that
extracurricular STEM education increase student engagement, improve their group work skills, and
have an impact on their choice of profession. Yamak, Bulut and Dündar (2014), concluded that STEM
education lead to improvements in students’ scientific process skills and help them develop positive
attitudes towards science. Altun and Yıldırım (2015) determined that the Science laboratory course
using the STEM increased prospective teachers’ academic success. In a study with seventh grade
students, Yıldırım and Selvi (2016) reported that STEM and mastery learning positively affected
students’ academic success and motivation for science classes but did not lead to a statistically
significant difference in students’ attitudes towards STEM. Irkıçatal (2016) concluded that
extracurricular STEM education positively affected seventh grade students’ academic performance in
the subject of “Simple Machines”. Saçan (2018) found that the STEM-based curriculum improves the
scientific process skills of seventh grade students, increases their motivation towards STEM, and
positively affects their attitudes towards socio-scientific issues. Toma and Greca (2018) observed that
the integrative STEM learning model based on inquiry helped students to develop positive attitudes
towards science and increased their academic success. In a study investigating prospective science
teachers’ opinions about STEM. Aslan and Bektaş (2019) stated that STEM has some positive aspects
as well as financial and infrastructural problems. Ergün and Balçın (2019) concluded that learning the
“Force-Motion” unit with problem-based STEM education increased students’ academic success.
When the studies on STEM education are examined, no research has been found in which success and
problem solving skills are examined together. For this reason, it is thought that the research will be a
source for academicians, educators and teachers who will work in this field.
The present study aims to investigate the effects of STEM education used in the learning of
the “Matter and Heat” unit included in the science curriculum of sixth grade on the academic
performance and problem-solving skills of students. The aim was to find out whether students can
learn and apply interdisciplinary content, question the accuracy of the information they acquire,
develop communication skills, work in collaboration, reason, and improve the competence to use
technology. When the courses are taught with STEM education in accordance with the 5E model, it is
thought that students can relate the unit and subjects with daily life and, collaborative working,
productivity and design skills will be learned better and problem solving skills will develop. In this
respect, the present study is expected to fill this gap in the literature by revealing the effects of STEM
education on students’ problem-solving skills.
Method
In this research, mixed research method and explanatory sequential design as design were
used. In this design, firstly, the quantitative method is used. Then, qualitative methods are used to
examine the results in depth (Creswell, 2019). A quasi-experimental design, which is a quantitative
analysis method, was used in the research. The main purpose of this pattern is to test the cause-effect
relationship between the variables. For this, the researcher needs to make random assignments to the
study groups, which are the levels of the independent variable, in order to manipulate the independent
variable and control the external variables (Borg & Gall, 1989; Büyüköztürk, 2016; Hovardaoğlu,
2000; Kerlinger, 1973). Fraenkel, Wallen and Hyun (2012, p. 266), on the other hand, argue that the
basic idea behind experimental research is to “Try something and systematically observe what
happens”. In the qualitative aspect of the research, a semi-structured interview form was applied to the
experimental group students in order to determine their views on STEM applications.

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Participants
44 sixth grade students who are studying in a secondary school located in the district center of
a metropolitan city in the Mediterranean region participated in the study. The group of the study was
randomly divided into two groups as the experiment and the control. Of the 24 students in the
experimental group, 13 (%54) were girls and 11(%46) were boys. Of the 20 students in the control
group, 5 (%25) were girls and 15 (%75) were boys.
Data Collection Tool
Matter and Heat Achievement Test (MHAT), Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) and semi-
structured interview form were used as data collection tools in the study.
Matter and heat achievement test (MHAT)
The questions in the readiness test prepared by considering the “Matter and Heat” unit
acquisitions were created based on various test books and the school textbook. There are a total of
seven acquisitions related to the “Matter and Heat” unit. Attention has been paid to include questions
about each acquisition. Each question aims to measure the acquisitions in the unit. The questions were
written entirely by the researcher, as a four-way multiple choice. The test which consists of 30
questions, was examined its suitability for students by two experts in science education and
acquisitions was examined. It has been examined by one language experts for its compliance with
Turkish grammar rules. The test was administered to 188 seventh grade students. After the item
analysis of the test, items 2, 5, 6, 13, 22 and 23 were excluded from the test. Thus, the test was reduced
to 24 questions and rearranged. Later, opinions were taken by experts in their field and the success test
was finalized. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the MHAT was .70 and the average item
discrimination was calculated .56. Two sample questions of MHAT are presented below in Figure 1;

Figure 1. Sample Questions of MHAT

Problem solving inventory (PSI)
The Problem Solving Inventory applied in the study was developed by Heppner and Peterson
(1982) and adapted to Turkish by Şahin, Şahin and Heppner (1993). The Cronbach Alpha reliability
coefficient was calculated as .90, and this inventory consists of 35 items and it was aimed to evaluate
students themselves about their problem solving skills. Students can get a minimum of 32 and a
maximum of 192 points on this scale. The scoring of the items of the scale, which is scored between 1
and 6; 1: Totally Agree, 2: Partly Agree, 3: Slightly Agree, 4: Slightly Disagree, 5: Partially Disagree,
6: Not Agree. While scoring items 9, 22 and 29 were not scored, items 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 21,
25, 26, 30 and 34 were scored in reverse. It is assumed that the items that are not scored do not
measure the problem solving skills sufficiently.

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Semi-Structured Interview Form

To reveal the students’ views about STEM education, the semi-structured interview form, which
was developed by the researcher, was applied to the students in the experimental group after the
STEM education. The extent to which the interview form represents the opinions of middle school
sixth grade students on STEM applications was determined by consulting an expert’s opinion, the
content and appearance validity were checked and the final form was formed after the necessary
arrangements were made. The interview form included the following questions regarding STEM
education;
1-Did you find the activities you did within the scope of STEM education useful in the
Science course? Explain why.
2-Which of the STEM activities in the course did you like the most? Explain why.
3- Do you think that STEM education contributes to your math and engineering skills?
Explain why.
4- Did you find the STEM activities useful? Explain why.
5- Do you think your STEM education should be only in math and science course s? Can it be
effective in other course, as well? Please explain with reasons.
Context of the Study
Students were informed about STEM education. The students were divided into 5 groups
heterogeneously. Three weeks period is defined in the science course annual plan of the 2016-2017
academic year for the matter and heat unit to be taught in the courses. Since the application lasted for 4
weeks (16 hours), an application was included every week and the worksheets that each student was
asked to fill in after the applications were created. STEM education was applied in blending with 5E
model. The students were asked about the content of the acquisition at the engagement stage, and they
were made to focus their attention. The exploration stage was completed by watching visuals and
videos on the subject that they wanted to associate with daily life. In the exploration stage, the subject
was conveyed to the students in detail. In the meantime, the students were asked questions about the
subject and the subject was understood. In elaboration stage, the design application related to the
acquisitions were distributed to the groups and they were asked to be completed within two course
hours. The products revealed at the evaluate stage were evaluated and intergroup evaluations were
made. After the design process was completed, the worksheets prepared were distributed to the
students and they were asked to be filled in, and feedbacks were made (Appendix). During the
application, smart board applications as well as the EBA and Vitamin platform were used (Figure 2).
The topics were carried out in the planned time. The applications used in the study are given below
(Table 2, 3, 4 and 5).
Table 2.
The First Application
Name of the Application: We are designing colorful cups.
Purpose of the Application: To determine that the thermal conductivity of the substances are
different from each other.
Required Materials: Pet bottle, can of coke, cardboard, candle, lighter, hot water and paint.
Preparation of the Application: The same amount of hot water is put into handled glasses
designed from different materials and the earliest heated glass is determined. It is discussed
whether differences such as the width of the glass, the type of material used, and the length
of its handle have any effect on the thermal conductivity.
Conclusion: The students in the groups made comments on which glass the hot water they
put in the glasses they designed would be delivered faster. In order to understand which of
the five glasses prepared was heating faster, they tried to understand the temperatures by
touching the glasses. They inferred which glass was warmer and why and discussed in class
and made general explanations.

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Table 3.
The Second Application
Name of the Application: We are designing colorful houses.
Purpose of the Application: To determine how important thermal insulation is in buildings.
Required Materials: Styrofoam, glass wool, wood, cardboard, colored paints, glue, scissors
and various decorations.
Preparation of the Application: House models are prepared in the same size using different
insulation materials. Then a thermometer is placed inside the models and the models are
kept in sunlight for an equal time. By looking at the values on the thermometer, it is decided
whether there is a difference or not. If it is different, why it is different is discussed in class.
Conclusion: They learned what thermal insulation is, what it is for, and the materials used in
thermal insulation and its properties. At the same time, information was obtained on how the
contribution of heat insulation to the family and country economy.
Table 4.
The Third Application
Name of the Application: We are making kerosene lamps.
Purpose of the Application: Classifying fuels as solid, liquid and gas and to illustrate them.
Required Materials: Cologne, lighter, glass bottle with metal cap, rope.
Preparation of the Application: A hole is made in the metal cap of the glass bottle. A piece
of cologne is put into the bottle by cutting a thick rope slightly more than the length of the
bottle, passing it through the hole and closing the cap. The rope coming out of the cover is
burned with a lighter.
Conclusion: By learning how to classify solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, they have learned
about the usage areas of energy obtained from fuels.
Table 5.
The Fourth Application
Name of the Application: How about making a storyboard?
Purpose of the Application: To determine the effects of fuels on the environment and to
learn how to take precautions against stove poisoning.
Required Materials: Cardboard, craft paper, glue, scissors and cotton.
Preparation of the Application: Based on the events that occur in our environment, it is
decided what effects the fuel has on the environment in the consumption. Separating the
impact it creates in our environment into minutes, what events may occur every minute is
transferred to the cardboard by considering them. The same effectiveness is adapted to
measures to be taken against stove poisoning or to a family suffering from stove poisoning.
Conclusion: In this study conducted by the students, it was thought about what could happen
at each stage by dividing an event into stages and it was tried to develop anticipation ability.
In addition, the students were encouraged to find out what kind of solutions to produce in
the problem situations they may encounter in daily life.

Figure 2. Smart board applications

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The subject was taught to the students in the control group using the current lesson plans as
required by the curriculum. The teacher in-formed the students about the unit in order to enter the
lesson, asked various questions and gathered the students' attention. The textbook determined by the
Ministry of National Education was used as a source, the relevant subject was tried to be conveyed
verbally in detail and important parts were written on the board. In the meantime, students were asked
to write the notes on the board in their notebooks. The teacher made the necessary explanation by
asking the students whether there is an incomprehensible part at the end of the subject or sub-topic. In
the last part of the course, a general summary was repeated and the homework was made from the
textbook.
Analysis of the Data
SPSS 20.00 package program was used to analyze the collected data. In this study, Shapiro-
Wilk Test results and skewness-kurtosis values were examined in order to determine whether the data
obtained from MHAT and PSI were suitable for normal distribution. It was determined that the data
obtained showed normal distribution, and parametric tests were applied in the analysis of the data
obtained from the experimental and control groups. The data obtained from the semi-structured
interview questions were subjected to descriptive analysis. According to this analysis, the collected
data are organized and interpreted in themes. In this analysis, direct quotations are included in order to
reflect the views of the participants in a striking way (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2017). The frequency values
of the data obtained from the interview forms were calculated. The data obtained from the interview
form were evaluated separately by the researcher and 1 expert, and themes were formed. For an
analysis free from individual effects, it is important to determine the similarity ratio of the results
obtained from different encoders (Fidan & Öztürk, 2015). In order to determine the reliability and
internal consistency of this research, the formula Δ= C ÷ (C + ∂)×100 proposed by Miles and
Huberman (1994) was used. (Δ: Confidence coefficient, C: Number of concepts/terms with consensus,
∂: Number of concepts/terms with no consensus). According to this formula, which shows internal
consistency, it is recommended that the consensus among coders should be at least 80% (Patton,
2002). As a result of the research, the consensus was found to be 89%.
Results
Whether STEM affects students’ academic success was tested. Also, the effect of STEM
education on students’ problem solving skills was investigated. In order to support the quantitative
data obtained from the research, a semi-structured interview form was distributed to the students and
they were asked to fill in open-ended questions. The obtained data were divided into themes and their
frequencies were calculated.
Findings Related to the Pretest Achievement Scores of the Students in the Experimental and
Control Groups
Findings regarding the pretest achievement scores of the experimental and control group
students are presented in Table 6.
Table 6.
“T-test” Results Related to the Pretest Achievement Scores of Experiment and Control
Groups
Groups N S t p Kurtosis Skewness
Experimental 24 4.8 3.4 .346 .351* .621 .531
group
Control group 20 5.9 4.3 -.896 .231
As it can be inferred from Table 6, the t-test was conducted to determine whether there is a
difference between the experimental and control groups. The t value was found to be .346. Since p>
.05, there was no significant difference between the pretest scores of the two groups. Since the
Kurtosis and Skewness coefficient values in the table are between +1 and -1, the data are suitable for
normal distribution.
Findings Related to the Posttest Achievement Scores of the Students in the Experimental and
Control Groups

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In the study, a posttest was applied to the experimental and control groups to measure their
success levels after the STEM education (Table 7).
Table 7.
“T-test” Results Related to the Posttest Achievement Scores of Experiment and
Control Groups
Groups N S t p Kurtosis Skewness
Experimental group 24 12.7 5.8 .317 .944* -.920 -.601
Control group 20 10.9 6.1 -.481 -.274
*p> .05
The mean of the posttest scores of the students in the experimental group was 12.7, with a
standard deviation of 5.8, whereas the mean of the posttest scores of the students in the control group
was 10.9, with a standard deviation of 6.1. As a result of calculations, t value was found .317. Since p>
.05, there was no statistically significant difference between the posttest scores of the two groups.
Findings Related to the PSI’ Pretest of the Students in the Experimental and Control Groups
Findings regarding the PSI’ pretest scores of the experimental and control group students are
presented in Table 8.
Table 8.
“T-test” Results Related to the Pretest PSI’ Scores of Experiment and Control Groups
Groups N S t p Kurtosis Skewness
Experimental group 24 132.5 22.8 .799 .222* -.610 .545
Control group 20 130.9 18.9 -.673 -.219
*p> 0.05
As can be inferred from Table 8, the mean of the PSI pretest scores of the students in the
experimental group was 132.5, with a standard deviation of 22.8, while that of the students in the
control group was 130.9, with a standard deviation of 18.9. Since p>.05, we can say they have equal
variances. Therefore, there is no statistically significant difference between the PSI pretest scores of
the two groups.
Findings Related to the PSI’ Posttest of the Students in the Experimental and Control Groups
In the study, the PSI was applied to the experiment and control groups to measure their
problem solving skills after STEM education. The results obtained are given below (Table 9).
Table 9.
Results Related to Posttest PSI’ Scores of Experiment and Control Groups
Groups N S t p Kurtosis Skewness
Experimental group 24 134.5 21.4 .387 .218* -.869 . 470
Control group 20 139.8 18.1 .363 -.763
*p>.05
As can be inferred from Table 9, the mean of the PSI posttest scores of the students in the
experimental group was 134.5, with a standard deviation of 21.4, while that of the students in the
control group was 139.8, with a standard deviation of 18.1. As a result of calculations, the t value was
found to be .387. Since p>.05, it was seen that the variances of the two groups were homogeneous and
there was no statistically significant difference between the PSI posttest scores of the groups.
As the third sub problem of the study, answers were sought to the question of “What are the
views of the students in the experimental group regarding STEM education?”. The students’ answers
given to the questions in the form were analyzed, and their frequency values were determined.
Frequency values were calculated for the first question (Did you find the activities you did within the
scope of STEM education useful in the Science course? Explain why.) in the interview form (Table
10).

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Table 10.
Frequency Values for the First Question
Themes Frequency
STEM events are very fun. I always want to do such an application in our 11
science class.
I have trouble remembering the information. Because we were not doing 9
applications in science class.
Nine students believed that when they memorize for the course, they easily forget or have
difficulty remembering what they learn. Two excerpts from the interview forms related to this
question are as follows:
“Before STEM education, we used to have traditional classes, and I had difficulty
remembering, I had to memorize (S2)” and “The applications we do in the science class are
useful for me. Because if we learn the course by turning it into a game, we can remember better
what we have learned and the course becomes more fun (S5).”
Frequency values were calculated for the second question (Which of the STEM activities in the
course did you like most? Explain why.) in the interview form (Table 11).
Table 11.
Frequency Values for the Second Question
Themes Frequency
I loved the application of designing colorful cups. 6
I liked the design of a heat insulated house more. 5
I liked the application about stove poisoning more. 2

Six students stated that their favorite application was “designing colorful cups,” five students
stated that it was “heat-insulated house model,” and two students stated that it was “the slow-motion
about carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood-burning stove.” One of the excerpts from the
interview forms related to this question is as follows:
“I most liked the slow-motion about carbon monoxide poisoning from a wood-burning stove.
Because, to me, it was the most meaningful application. Since we animated carbon monoxide
poisoning, everyone understood very well what to do. Some of us didn’t even know anything
about poisoning from a stove. But they learned it. I think it was a very fun application (S6).”
Frequency values were calculated for the third question (Do you think that STEM education
contribute to your math and engineering skills? Explain why.) in the interview form (Table 12).
Table 12.
Frequency Values for the Third Question
Themes Frequency
I think it has contributed to the engineering field. 12
He contributed to our knowledge of mathematics and engineering. 11
I think I improved myself with what I learned. 8
My dexterity has improved. 6
I do not think it has contributed much to the field of mathematics. 1
It was found that twelve students believed that STEM education made classes more fun, the
applications were useful, and STEM education contributed to their engineering design process. The
student with code S8 wrote the following statements related to this:
“We made a house model for engineering and (this application) was very effective. We took
measurements (for the house model), attached (cardboards) together, and had a lot of fun. I
think it has improved our engineering skills.”
Eleven students stated that STEM education contributed to their both mathematics and
engineering knowledge and helped them develop positive attitudes towards science classes. For
example, S5 stated,
“The applications improved both our math and engineering skills. In the applications, we
measured, cut, and, by doing so, improved our math skills. We learned what is used in heat-

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insulated houses. This, in turn, improved our engineering skills. I believe that these
applications will contribute to both mathematics and engineering skills.”
Eight students believed that what they learned through the STEM education helped them
improve themselves:
“I improved myself in science classes, and this affected me significantly. These applications
are very important to us. These applications can even cause changes in our lives. Take the
example of poisoning from a stove. Maybe, one of our families will experience this one day.
Since we have learned what to do in case of poisoning from a stove, maybe we can save that
family (S4).”
Frequency values were calculated for the fourth question (Did you find the STEM activities
useful? Explain why.) in the interview form (Table 13).
Table 13.
Frequency Values for the Fourth Question
Themes Frequency
The applications were very nice and fun. 12
I find the applications we do very useful 12
It increased my interest in the course. 10
Performance has increased in written exams. 8
I understand it easily. 5
My perspective on science has changed. 4
I apply what I learned to life. 3
My interaction with my friends got stronger during the event. 3
My imagination improved. 2
Ten students believed that STEM education increased their interest in the course. For example,
S4 stated,
“Using such applications in future classes will certainly increase my interest in the class.”
Similarly, with regards to the effects of STEM education on written exams, S1 stated,
“With these applications, I understood the subjects I had not understood before and I could
answer the questions in the written exam which I could not answer before. I wouldn’t have
been able to answer them if we had not learned the course in this way.” Also, S4 stated,
“(STEM applications) help us to understand the subjects well and to perform well in exams.”
Three students believed that STEM education helped them apply their learnings to daily life.
A sample excerpt related to this is as follows:
“I find STEM useful. Because they help people learn new things and apply them to daily life
(S10).”
Three students reported that their interaction with their friends got stronger, 16% reported that
their imagination improved. For example, S2 stated,
“Thanks to these applications, I improved my relationships with my friends. I couldn’t imagine
these things before. I can now imagine thanks to STEM.”
Frequency values were calculated for the fifth question (Do you think your STEM education
should be only in math and science courses? Can it be effective in other courses, as well? Please
explain with reasons.) in the interview form (Table 14).
Table 14.
Frequency Values for the Fifth Question
Themes Frequency
STEM should be adapted to all courses. 11
STEM should be adapted to Turkish course. 3
It should be adapted to the social studies course. 3
STEM should be applied not only to one subject but to all subjects of science 2
course.
STEM should be in science only. 1

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Eleven students agreed on the adaptation of STEM education to all courses. For example, S8
stated,
“Before these applications, we used textbooks in courses and we didn’t do many applications.
That’s why I had difficulty understanding the subject properly. But STEM helped us learn by
doing.” Also, S4 stated, “Such applications will increase our motivation and interest in other
courses, as well.”
Three students stated that STEM education should be adapted to Turkish courses, one student
stated that they should be used only in science classes, and three students stated that they should be
adapted to social studies classes. For example, S8 stated,
“These applications can be used in Turkish classes. Because I’m having trouble with subjects
such as haplology or consonantal effects in Turkish classes. I can understand these subjects
better through applications.”
Another student stated,
“STEM applications should be used only in science classes. If we use them in other classes, we
may be confused. It would be good to use them only in one course (S11).”
On the other hand, S7 stated,
“I am good at math and science courses, but not so good at social studies. So these applications
should be used in social studies classes, as well.”
Two students stated that STEM education should be adapted to all subjects, not a single
subject, in science classes, and one student said that STEM education did not contribute to the
mathematics field. For example, S7 stated,
“Actually, I do not think STEM have contributed much to the mathematics field. Because we
didn’t do much math’s in these applications. But I think they have many contributions to the
engineering field.”
Discussion and Conclusion
The aim of this study is to examine the effects of STEM education on sixth grade students of
academic achievement and problem solving skills in “Matter and Heat” unit. At the same time,
quantitative data were tried to be supported by semi-structured interviews with students after the
application.
While teaching the “Matter and Heat” unit in the science course, studies on STEM Education
were carried out and it was concluded that these studies made a difference on students’ achievement,
but this difference was not statistically significant. However, considering the post-test results, an
increase was observed in favor of the experimental group. This shows that STEM activities are still
successful in increasing academic achievement. When the literature is examined, it is seen that STEM
education generally increases the academic success of students (Altun & Yıldırım, 2015; Ceylan,
2014; Doppelt et al., 2008; Erdoğan, Çorlu & Capraro, 2013; Marulcu & Höbek 2014; Satchwell &
Loepp 2002; Wendell & Lee, 2010; Yıldırım & Selvi, 2016; Zeynegiller, 2006). In this respect,
research results differ from other studies. It is thought that teachers and students have difficulties in
getting used to a new education model as the traces of traditional education continue. This may have
limited the impact of STEM education. According to the results obtained from the qualitative data, it
was seen that the students found STEM activities nice, fun and useful, their interest in the course
increased, and their imaginations developed.
In the engineering design process, it was observed that students could not generate original
models or ideas by using their imagination and they needed a sample model to take as an example.
During the group works, it was observed that the students could not cooperate efficiently with each
other and that only a few students fulfilled their responsibilities. As the engineering design phase is
time consuming, sometimes insufficient time allocated may have triggered this situation. Also, it is
thought that since traditional learning methods have deep traces on students, they had difficulty
adapting to a new learning model. Marulcu and Höbek (2014) think that the teacher who performs the

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application will not have any problems in time management when familiar with the engineering design
method.
In the two-stage achievement test applied to the students, it was found that most students could
not write any “Reasons for choosing this option,” which they were asked to write for every question.
On the other hand, those who wrote reasons could not provide sufficient information. Due to certain
requirements of our education system, more emphasis is put on multiple choice questions or tests in
schools or courses. Therefore, when open-ended questions are asked to students or when students are
asked to express their views, they have difficulties expressing themselves or writing in an effective
way what they think. In the second stage of the test, some of the students said, “I just cannot write
anything, can I please be excused from writing?” “Because this is how we learned in the class,” or “I
opted for this option because I felt it is true.”
The effect of STEM education on problem solving skills was also examined and it was
concluded that STEM education did not contribute to the problem solving skills of the students. Unlike
the results of this study, Parno et al., (2020) found that Project Based Learning-Science Technology
Engineering and Mathematics (PjBL-STEM) application increased students’ problem solving skills.
Similarly, Yamak et al., (2014) reported that STEM education improved students’ scientific process
skills such as identifying and defining a problem, researching, questioning, and solving problems and
that the designs made by students in the classroom helped them develop a positive attitude towards
science classes. Strong (2013) observed that the engineering design process applied to elementary
school students improved their scientific process skills. The present study and the studies in the
literature do not support each other. It was seen that the students expected guidance from outside
instead of producing practical solutions to the events they encountered in daily life. It is thought that
this situation limits students’ problem solving skills.
When the students’ answers to the questions in the interview form are examined, most think
that STEM education was generally useful, made classes more fun, helped them develop positive
attitudes towards science classes, and increased their interest in and motivation for science classes.
Yamak et al. (2014) reported that the designs and activities in science classes contributed to fifth
graders’ science process skills and helped them develop positive attitudes towards science classes.
This result also supports other research in the literature (Çavaş, Bulut, Holbrook & Rannikmae, 2013;
Doppelt et. al., 2008; Harkema, Jadrich & Bruxvoort, 2009; Moore, Stohlmann, Wang, Tank &
Roehrig, 2013). The present study found that STEM education improved students’ engineering skills,
helped them build better relationships with their classmates, and contributed to the development of
creative thinking skills. Besides, 50% of the students stated that their manual skills improved and 92%
of them said that their mathematics and engineering skills improved. This result is consistent with
some studies in the literature. In a TUBITAK supported project with the participation of sixth grade
students studying in disadvantaged areas, Baran, Canbazoglu Bilici, Mesutoglu and Ocak (2016)
aimed to change and improve the students’ attitudes towards science classes. In the research, 13
different modules related to the STEM were applied. At the end of the study, it was observed that
students’ scientific process skills, manual skills, mathematics, engineering, science, and design skills
improved.
Since science, technology, mathematics, and engineering are integrated disciplines and they
appear in many areas in our everyday life, it has become a necessity to integrate them all into the
curriculum with an interdisciplinary approach (Moore et. al., 2013). Therefore, the science curriculum
should be strengthened with STEM education. At the same time, the desired objectives can be
achieved by making arrangements in the content of the textbooks, increasing the number of science
classes, or putting more emphasis on extracurricular activities. As factors that prevent the
implementation of STEM education. Akgündüz et al., (2015b) addressed factors such as lack of
necessary infrastructure, insufficient resources allocated to education, and the fact that radical changes
to be made in the curriculum will take a long time. By eliminating these factors, it will be possible to
raise individuals who are more successful in science and who can integrate their engineering and
mathematics knowledge into science subjects.

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The science curriculum should be put into practice by making a strong integration with STEM
Education. At the same time, it is thought that the desired goals will be achieved through regulations
such as arranging the content of the textbooks, increasing the course hours or allowing time for after-
school activities. Schools can be provided with the necessary equipment for experiments and
activities, which can be conducted to achieve learning in students. It is thought that permanent
learning can be realized by increasing the experiments and activities to be done together with the
supply of the necessary tools and equipment to the schools. For the science course, laboratory classes
related to the engineering field can be held. Many experiments can be carried out by having a small
science laboratory in each school and providing basic materials.
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Ticari 4.0 Uluslararası Lisansı ile lisanslanmıştır.
Copyrights
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Etik Beyannamesi
Bu çalışmada “Yükseköğretim Kurumları Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Yönergesi”
kapsamında belirtilen kurallara uyulduğunu ve “Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiğine Aykırı
Eylemler” başlığı altında belirtilen eylemlerden hiçbirini gerçekleştirmediğimizi beyan ederiz.
Aynı zamanda yazarlar arasında çıkar çatışmasının olmadığını, tüm yazarların çalışmaya katkı
sağladığını ve her türlü etik ihlalinde sorumluluğun makale yazarlarına ait olduğunu bildiririz.
Etik Kurul İzin Bilgileri
Etik kurul adı: Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi
Etik kurul karar tarihi: 05.03.2020
Etik kurul belgesi sayı numarası: :21817443-050.99

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