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<p>Science-Technology-Engineering-Math provide a basis to multiple disciplines. Nowadays STEM is a popular approach that consist of teaching Science-Technology-Engineering-Math in an interdisciplinary way. This research is conducted to study the effects of the integration of STEM on the attitude and perception of 5th grade students. In this research the quasi-experimental design with a pretest - posttest was conducted. The study group of the study in consist of 5th grade students who receive education in Istanbul. The control group consisted of 27 students and experimental group 28 students. In the research ‘STEM Perception Test’ and ‘STEM Attitude Test’ were used a quantitative data collecting device. For the ‘STEM Perception Test’ in the reliability analysis it was designated that the Cronbach Alpha worths of the test’s sub-dimensions changed between 0,703 and 0,892. For ‘STEM Attitude Test’ in the reliability analysis it was designated that the Cronbach Alpha worths of the test’s sub-dimensions changed between 0,786 and 0,900. In the control group the activities based on inquiry activities in the science books of Ministry of National Education were practiced and in the experimental group in addition to these activities the STEM activities developed by the researchers were practiced. In the research it was concluded that STEM activities developed the students’ perceptions and attitudes in these area. In the research it is regarded being development especially on engineering, technology, career areas in the perception test; and on science, engineering-technology areas in the attitude test. According to this results practicing of the STEM training was proposed to the teachers, researchers and the program makers.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Özet</strong></p><p>Günümüzde öne çıkan STEM eğitimi, birçok disipline temel oluşturan Fen-Teknoloji-Mühendislik-Matematik alanlarının disiplinlerarası yaklaşımla öğretilmesi fikrine dayanmaktadır.<strong> </strong>Bu araştırmada Fen-Teknoloji-Mühendislik-Matematik entegrasyonunun (STEM) ortaokul 5. sınıf öğrencilerinin bu alanlarla ilgili algı ve tutumlarına etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada öntest-sontest kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen kullanılmıştır. Kontrol grubu 27, deney grubu ise 28 öğrenciden oluşmuştur. Araştırmada nicel veri toplama aracı olarak ‘STEM Algı Testi’ ve ‘STEM Tutum Testi’ kullanılmıştır. ‘STEM Algı Testi’ için yapılan güvenirlik analizinde  testin alt boyutlarının Cronbach Alpha değerlerinin 0,703 ile 0,892 arasında değiştiği belirlenmiştir. ‘STEM Tutum Testi’ yapılan güvenirlik analizinde testin alt boyutlarının Cronbach Alpha değerlerinin 0,786 ile 0,900 arasında değiştiği belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın uygulamasında kontrol grubunda MEB tarafından önerilen Fen Bilimleri ders kitabındaki sorgulamaya dayalı etkinlikler uygulanırken, deney grubunda ise bu etkinliklere ilave olarak araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen STEM etkinlikleri uygulanmıştır. Araştırmada STEM etkinliklerinin öğrencilerin bu alanlarla ilgili algı ve tutumlarını geliştirdiği sonucuna varılmıştır. Algı testinde özellikle mühendislik, teknoloji, kariyer; tutum testinde ise özellikle fen, mühendislik-teknoloji alanlarında gelişme olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuç ışığında STEM eğitiminin uygulanışı ile ilgili öğretmenler, araştırmacılar ve program hazırlayıcılara önerilerde bulunulmuştur.</p>

Critical thinking and STEM career perception are important in 21 th century and STEM education is necessary to promote middle school students' critical thinking skills and STEM perception. In this research we aim to research the effects of engineering design-based STEM education on the middle school students' critical thinking skills and STEM perceptions. In this case study, STEM activities were developed according the subjects of "Reflections in Mirror" and "Absorption of Light" and prepared activity booklet. The activities implemented with 30 seventh grade middle school students in Istanbul province for five weeks (20 course hours). While student solved the design problems in the housing estate and designed "Safe and Eco-Friendly House Estate", the teacher guided students in this process. To solve the problem/ground design challenge, they did five mini designs and five researches/experiments in six teams of five students. The quantitative data were performed California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) and STEM Perception Test as pre and post-test and analysed statically. Semi-structured interviews were performed to support quantitative data and analysed descriptively. STEM education developed students' critical thinking skills and STEM perceptions positively and also it had indirect effects on their career awareness.

-The aim of this research is to examine the perceptions of the fifth and seventh grade middle school students on engineers and scientists and to make comparisons according to class levels. This research in the survey model was realized at the end of the second semester of the 2015-2016 academic year. Study group of the research consisted of 131 fifth grade students and 103 seventh grade students who were studying in a middle school in Istanbul. Students were asked to draw engineers and scientists according to their imagination. The data related to the engineer perception showed that students generally imagined of a "civil engineer". The data related to the scientist perception showed that students generally imagined of scientists as "experimenter" while findings from the research revealed that the students had less knowledge about engineers. Moreover they perceived engineers and scientists as just "male". STEM education is proposed as a solution.

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