Effect of science camp for enhancing STEM skills of gifted young scientists

Abstract

Programs and educational practices that enable gifted students to conduct science activities and develop themselves in engineering fields are rapidly increasing in Malaysia. One of them is the science camp to improve STEM skills. This study investigates the effectiveness of science camp (Junior Science Camp) towards young children's understanding and knowledge about science. One hundred and three children aged four to six years old participated in the three-day camp. Mixed research model was used in this research. Data were collected by Junior Science Camp Scientist Test (JSCST) as pre and post-test, parent evaluation of the camp. Questions in the pre and post-test were on the content in the five camp modules: I am an engineer, I am a scientist, I am a chemist, I am a forensic scientist, and I am a natural scientist. Data from the open-ended question in the survey (parent evaluation) were used to triangulate the quantitative data from the pre and post-test. Findings showed that the camp was effective in enhancing the young children's (preschoolers') understanding about science and increasing their knowledge about science and STEM fields. Implications of this study are related to the design of future science camps and also the methodology and instruments of future research.

5. Sınıf Üstün Yetenekli ve Üstün Yetenekli Olmayan Öğrencilerin Girişimciliklerinin Karşılaştırılması

“…We found that there were significant differences between gifted students who took part in the scientific activity and those who did not (in favor of gifted students who participated in the scientific activity) in terms of self-confidence, leadership and leadership responsibility. According to a recent study, researchers examined the effectiveness of a science camp to increase young gifted children's capacity to comprehend and understand science and based on their findings, the camp was effective in increasing the young children's knowledge about STEM areas and their understanding about science (Mohd Zahidi et al, 2021). In the differentiated model of giftedness and talent, Gagné (2000) explained giftedness as the potential that places an individual in the top 10% of peers his or her own age in a specific domain, whereas he elaborated that for these skills to be developed into talents, formal and informal learning processes are required.…”

Exerting Inquiry Based Learning Method in Improving Gifted Students’ Music Recorder Skill

“…They do not need to be taught like other normal children but are given the opportunity to learn on their own. Gifted students are said to like to learn systematically, to focus fully while the teacher is teaching in the classroom as well as diligently doing the exercises given by the teacher (Zahidi et al, 2021). Into the bargain, they learn easily, quickly and have high curiosity and are interested in high learning and academic achievement (Lv et al, 2019).…”