The Effect of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics-Stem Educational Practices on Students’ Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis Study

ABSTRACT

In the study, a meta-analysis study was conducted in order to determine the effects of STEM educational practices on the learning outcomes of the students in the education-training process. The articles were made in national and international context with statistical data that could be included in the meta-analysis study in accordance with the research problem between 2010-2017, literature review was conducted using Turkish and English key words. As a result of the survey, 23 articles on the effect of STEM educational practices on the learning products of students and 2 postgraduate theses meta-analyses were included and a total of 58 effect size values were obtained. A total of 6535 students in the experimental groups and a total of 6373 students in the control groups were included in the meta-analysis included studies. As a result of the study, it was determined  that the effects of STEM educational practices on students' academic achievement were 0.442, the attitude effect was 0.620 and the effect on scientific process skills was 0.820. These results are middle effect on students' academic achievement and attitude towards the course according to the effect size classification and a large level of effects on scientific process skills. Of the 58 effect size values obtained in the study, 56 have a positive effect and 2 have a negative effect. Moderator analyses were carried out according to the researches examined, the academic achievement of the learning outcomes, the attitude towards the course and the scientific process skills subscale, the lesson types in which the research was conducted, and the learning levels of the students participating in the research.