Learning With STEM Is Not Difficult At All!

Abstract

The aim of this study is to teach how to design a circuit using simple electrical circuit elements with a STEM activity conducted with 4 students with learning difficulties studying at a primary school located in the southern region of Anatolia. The research was carried out in the form of extracurricular activities focused on science lessons on the subject of simple electrical circuits for 8 class hours over a period of 2 weeks.After the quantitative stage of the study, which was designed as a mixed method design, the qualitative stage was begun. In the study, a STEM process rubric was used as the quantitative data collection tool, while an observation form and interview form were used as the qualitative data collection tools. At the end of the study, it was determined through interviews that the STEM activities made a significant academic contribution to the participants, that they had a lot of fun while learning, and that they did not easily forget what they had learned. The participants, who stated that the activities benefited them academically in science and mathematics, also reported that they used the knowledge about science and mathematics they gained here in other subjects as well.

The impact of STEAM (STEM + arts) activities on learning outcomes in students with specific learning disabilities

“…It is a fact that in an affective sense of teaching, positive emotions increase academic achievement. In the literature, it is reported that STEM education positively impacts affective characteristics such as interest and attitude towards the subject of science in students with mild intellectual disability as well as in students with typical development (Aydın et al., 2017; Çevik et al., 2023).…”