MOOCs in STEM Education: Teacher Preparation and Views

Abstract

This study investigated teachers’ views of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The sample consisted of 30 teachers recruited from different cities of Turkey using criteria sampling. Phenomenology was the research method of choice. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. Participants use MOOCs because they are free of charge and have good content and high quality. MOOCs help them learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, gain professional knowledge, and develop skills, and positive attitudes and values. Most participants are interested in integrating MOOCs in their classes; however, they face various problems during MOOCs, such as loss of motivation and Internet connection issues. It is recommended that MOOCs be designed in such a way that they increase participants’ motivation and allow for feedback.

Teachers’ Perceptions and Stem Teaching Activities: Online Teacher Professional Development and Employment

“…They came up with solutions to problems regarding training, content, environment, and conditions. Although Internet access and infrastructure are critical for effective OTPDPs (Heap et al, 2020;Polly & Martin, 2020), online learning is imbued with connection or technical issues (Hodges et al, 2016;Sukhbaatar et al, 2018;Yıldırım, 2020a;Zhao, 2003). The fourth part of the first research question looked into what teachers thought about group work within the scope of the OTPDP.…”

“…Criterion sampling was used to select participants (Patton, 2002). It is a non-probability purposive sampling method that allows the researcher to recruit people who satisfy certain criteria (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2011). It is a time-and cost-effective and objective-focused method (Platton, 2002).…”

“…Advances in science and technology have paved the way for integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) into education (Yıldırım, 2020a). This integration has also changed the way the business world operates and the qualities companies seek in their employees.…”

The Integration of a Lesson Study Model into Distance STEM Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Teachers’ Views and Practice

“…The fourth category referred to transfer and raising awareness, while the fifth category involved drawing attention, developing a different perspective, self-confidence, and dispelling prejudices. Research also shows that STEM education helps students develop 21st-century skills (Karakaya, & Avgın, 2016 ; Kim, 2019 ; Kim & Choi, 2012 ; Özcan & Koca, 2019 ) and acquire more knowledge, resulting in high academic performance (Çevik, 2018 ; Roehrig et al, 2012 ; Yıldırım, 2020 ; Yıldırım, & Selvi, 2017 ). In short, our results are consistent with the literature.…”

Improving students’ metacognitive abilities and creative thinking skills through STEM-based in online learning

“…According to English (2016); Groshans et al (2019); and Tan et al (2019), there are several benefits of using STEM in education, namely, honing critical and creative thinking, logical, innovative, and productive skills; instilling the spirit of cooperation in solving problems; introducing the perspective of the working world and preparing for it; using technology to create and communicate innovative solutions; and a medium to cultivate the ability to find problems and solve problems. In addition, STEM also plays a role in addressing the gender gap (Groshans et al, 2019), improving teacher preparation in teaching (Ryu et al, 2019;Yıldırım, 2022), overcoming gaps in success or achievement between learners (English, 2016), making subjects more meaningful for students (Pluta et al, 2013), seeing the relationship between subjects and integrating different methods and analytical frameworks of various disciplines in studying a theme, issue, question, or topic (Tan et al, 2019;Teo et al, 2021).…”