The effect of STEM-based activities on 7th grade students’ academic achievement in force and energy unit and students’ opinions about these activities

Abstract

In this research, it was aimed to investigate the effect of using STEM-based activities on 7th grade students’ academic achievement and their opinions about these activities in the teaching of force and energy unit. The study was conducted with 52 students randomly selected from the 7th graders who were being educated in classrooms 7-D and 7-E in a middle school located in Kastamonu Province in 2016-2017 academic year. There were 26 students in experimental and control groups. This research utilized a mixed-methods design in which both quantitative and qualitative research designs are used together is used. A semi-experimental model with pre-test/post-test control group was used from the experimental models to determine to the students’ academic achievement of STEM-based activities. The results of data analysis showed that attending lessons supported by STEM-based activities resulted in significantly greater academic achievement for the experimental group compared to that of the control group. In addition, content analysis of the data obtained from STEM Opinion Form (SOF) applied only to the experimental group students was made and the STEM-based activities were integrated according to the findings to reach the conclusion that the lesson was fun and active, the interest and motivation of the lesson increased for students of experimental group. Also, the subjects were better understood by experimental group students.