Early childhood teachers' STEM education planning and implementation experiences

Abstract

In this study, the experiences of early childhood teachers in planning and implementing the STEM education process were examined. The participants of the research conducted with a qualitative case study consisted of five early childhood education teachers. In the study, data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed with content analysis. The teachers were given STEM education process planning training for children for 5 days by the researchers. In education, It focuses on the conceptual foundations of STEM education, disciplines in STEM education, engineering design process-based STEM education process, children's picture books in STEM education process planning, STEM education in the context of learning centers, family participation in the STEM education process, and evaluation techniques of STEM education process. The findings were explained in the context of two main themes: 1) teachers' experiences in planning the STEM education process and 2) teachers' experiences in implementing the STEM education process. Teachers emphasized that planning the education process and STEM education process for children enriches their pedagogical and content knowledge, the importance of the role of picture books in this process, and the importance of preparing analytical rubrics to evaluate the design process. In addition, teachers emphasized the importance of asking questions that support inquiry, organizing learning centers, and choosing STEM materials during the implementation phase of STEM education for children. The findings point to the importance of quality professional development programs for early childhood teachers. In this direction, it can be recommended to develop programs that can support the professional development of early childhood education teachers.