In Stem education, students integrate science and mathematics courses in the school with other courses. Students make engineering designs using technology. In these studies, students bring solutions to their daily problems in their lives. Through STEM education, students develop their problem-solving abilities.
1-INSTRODUCTİON
Our eTwinning project with the participation of 8 school teachers and students from 4 different countries within the scope of ‘Step By Step STEM eTwinning project’; 2020-2021 academic year; 64 primary school students (Turkey), 40 Elementary School student (Slovakia), 32 Elementary School student (Italy), 25 The primary school student (Romania) was given STEM education.
In the project, sustainability citizenship issues were integrated into the STEM education provided. These STEM activities designed by students, it consists of applications related to creating their own solutions to environmental problems.
In the schools participating in the project, it consists of applications for students to create awareness by designing solutions to daily life problems and to produce their own solutions to environmental problems.
2 – AIMS OF STEM EDUCATION
the requirements of the century have led countries to change their policies in areas such as science, technology, politics, economics and education. Countries now need qualified individuals who produce, question events from different windows. These individuals develop different educational approaches. It is very important that they integrate them into the country system. In fact, the STEM approach is one of the last examples of this worldwide (Karakaya, Avgin and Yilmaz, 2018A).
In other words, STEM is the focus of knowledge and skills belonging to the fields of Science-Technology-Engineering and mathematics on engineering design. It is an educational approach that aims to provide students with interdisciplinary cooperation, open communication, ethical values, problem solving skills using research, production and creativity. (Commandments and Korkmaz, 2016; Karakaya and others, 2018a).
The aim of this study is to raise awareness of the causes of environmental pollution by STEM activities of the students participating in the project. With this education; It is necessary to ensure that students both produce solutions to problems and to ensure that students regulate their lifestyle in order to reduce these problems in daily life.
3- METHOD
HOW CAN START STEM EDUCATION?
At the first stage, the teachers who participated in the project received seminars on STEM projects and Scientix projects from Dr. Tunç Erdal Akdur, the scientist Coordinator of Turkey. After the seminar, teachers formed STEM teams in their schools. Teachers designed learning scenarios for the project.
Students who participated in the project learned about the problem in the STEM script. In each learning scenario, a solution to an environmental problem is sought. Scenarios for achievements in countries ‘ curricula 21.built according to Century Skills.
Students watched videos and animations for the event. After the videos they watched, the students created solution suggestions. In this way, students were able to discover the factors that cause problems. Students designed solutions and inventions for the problems they identified. Students from different countries came together and designed various products to raise awareness about environmental pollution.
During the activities; students guided only within their needs; their products were evaluated. The STEM education process has been closely followed with the evaluations made.
Designed online webinars; students, engineers met. At the meeting, the engineers described their profession. Students asked what they were curious about the engineering professions. Thanks to the event, students became familiar with engineering professions.
The studies were added to the STEM School Label profiles of the schools. At the end of the studies, schools were eligible for the STEM School Label.
4. FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS
According to data obtained from 151 primary school students from 4 countries, students participating in the activities. In the project draft have created solutions to the problems they have identified within the framework of the activities they have determined about their wishes. In the activities, it was observed that the solutions and inventions of the students were original and creative.https://stepbystepstem.blogspot.com/
It has been observed that students ‘ imagination and problem-solving abilities develop in the right proportion with these activities. Thanks to the activities, it has enabled students to both provide solutions to problems and regulate their lifestyle to reduce these problems in daily life.
5. RESULTS
It has been observed that students explore environmental pollution problems with STEM education they attend. In addition, it has been observed that the education in which students receive suggestions for solutions to the problems they have identified and designs for inventions is at the level of analysis.
By providing STEM education during primary school, it will give students the opportunity to both provide solutions to problems and regulate their lifestyle to reduce these problems in daily life.
It has shown that; students are more easily transferred to their lifestyles by transferring them to practice rather than theory as thought for these trainings.https://padlet.com/dusanabuchtova/oimh2j4xm0e7ysh6
REFERENCES
eTwinning projects.: Nature Protectors
Karakaya, F., Avgin, P. S. and Yilmaz, m. (2018a). Interest of Secondary School students in the professions of fentechnologyengineering-mathematics (FeTeMM). Ihlara Journal Of Educational Research, 3 (1), 36-53.
Commandment, B. and he is not afraid, d. (2016). FeTeMM awareness scale (FFO): validity and reliability study. Turkish Journal Of Science Education, 13 (2),61-76.