The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science

Radu Bogdan Toma; Ileana M. Greca

doi:10.29333/ejmste/83676

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Radu Bogdan Toma ¹ ^* , Ileana M. Greca ¹

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¹ Departamento de Didácticas Específicas, Universidad de Burgos, SPAIN^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

An inquiry-based integrative STEM education approach was implemented in two fourth grade Elementary Education classes, in Spain, through a module on simple machines. The viability of this science education model in the official Spanish curriculum and its influence on students’ attitudes towards science and learning of STEM subjects has been studied through an adapted Test of Science Related Attitude scale, achievement tests, and teachers’ interviews. Students participating in the integrative STEM project reported significantly more favourable attitudes toward science than students from traditional classrooms. Although attitude scale and achievement test results seem to show that an integrative STEM education may be feasible in 4th grade of the Spanish elementary education, interviews revealed reluctance among teachers to use integrative STEM education and more directive instructions on implementing such an educational model are demanded. Implications for science education and future studies are discussed.

Keywords

integrative STEM
attitudes toward science
inquiry-based science education
TOSRA

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 14, Issue 4, April 2018, 1383-1395

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

Publication date: 21 Jan 2018

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Article Downloads: 7818

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How to cite this article

APA

Toma, R. B., & Greca, I. M. (2018). The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(4), 1383-1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

Vancouver

Toma RB, Greca IM. The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(4):1383-95. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

AMA

Toma RB, Greca IM. The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(4), 1383-1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

Chicago

Toma, Radu Bogdan, and Ileana M. Greca. "The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2018 14 no. 4 (2018): 1383-1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

Harvard

Toma, R. B., and Greca, I. M. (2018). The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(4), pp. 1383-1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676

MLA

Toma, Radu Bogdan et al. "The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 14, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1383-1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676