The Effectiveness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics based Education in Solar Energy Context on Attitude and Academic Achievement of Female Students

Abstract

The integrated approach of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has been introduced in order to create a new development in the effective teaching of science and its relationship with daily life in recent years. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of this approach on attitudes and academic achievement. The study population consisted of ninth grade female secondary school students in Qarchak city in the academic year 2020-2021 and the convenience sampling consisted of 143 people who were selected by random sampling in two groups of control and experimental. The Students in the experimental group were educated in solar energy for 7 sessions (each session: 35 minutes) with a STEM based approach. Covariance analysis and independent t-test showed that teaching science with the STEM based approach increased students' attitude in STEM and had a significant effect on their learning in science. Also, according to Pearson correlation test, there is a significant correlation between attitudes in STEM and academic achievement.

Keywords

• science education
• stem
• academic achievement
• attitude