ERIC Number: EJ1250884
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2149-214X
EISSN: N/A
Preschool Children's Science Motivation and Process Skills during Inquiry-Based STEM Activities
Dilek, Hasan; Tasdemir, Adem; Konca, Ahmet Sami; Baltaci, Serdal
Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health, v6 n2 p92-104 2020
STEM is an educational practice to integrate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology within the formal and informal context and it provides practical opportunities for the child to make sense of the world holistically. Moreover, the most important benefit of STEM activities for children, including engineering design, is to improve or support children's science and mathematics skills and social-emotional development. In this study, therefore, it was aimed to investigate children's science motivation as well as their usage of scientific process skills during inquiry-based STEM activities including engineering designs. Fourteen 5/6-years-old children included in the study and classroom observations, pre and post interviews were conducted to collect rich data. The findings revealed that children frequently engaged in STEM activities by employing at least one of the science process skills and they used engineering thinking apart from the science process skills. Moreover, following inquiry-based STEM activities, children have recognized science as an area of activity, and there have been positive changes in their motivation towards science.
Descriptors: Preschool Children, Active Learning, Inquiry, STEM Education, Science Activities, Science Process Skills, Student Motivation, Engineering, Design, Foreign Countries, Public Schools, Cooperative Learning, Family Environment, Preschool Education, Scientific Attitudes
Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health. Necmettin Erbakan University, Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty, Meram, Konya 42090, Turkey. e-mail: jeseh.info@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.jeseh.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A