Mehmet Başaran | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (original) (raw)

Papers by Mehmet Başaran

Research on Education and Media, 2023

This study examines the relationship between teachers’ inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy and c... more This study examines the relationship between teachers’ inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy and computational thinking skills. The research was conducted in the survey model, which is the correlational model that reveals the relationship between two variables. The study sample comprised 369 teachers working in Gaziantep with different seniority and branches. Before the research, teachers were expected to receive a level of technology education that they could use in educational activities. The teachers who received technology training were given training on the computational thinking method. The conceptual states of computational thinking in education, the stages of computational thinking were given beforehand, and then, the teachers were expected to use the method with practical examples, where they could use their computational thinking skills. In this way, it was ensured that the teachers were aware of the computational thinking method and the target sample group was formed for this study. The data of the study were collected 1 month after this training. Data collection tools were the Inquiry-Based Teaching Self-efficacy scale and Computational Thinking Skills Scale. Correlation, regression, and multiple regression analyses were performed in the data analysis. Significant relationships were found between the scale’s subdimensions and total scores. When the relationship between the participants’ computing thinking skills scores and the inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy was examined, a moderate relationship was found between both variables.

Journal of Innovative Research in Teacher Education, 2022

his study examines the relationship between teachers’ inquiry-based self-efficacy for STEM+S and ... more his study examines the relationship between teachers’ inquiry-based self-efficacy for STEM+S and 21stCentury skills teaching and whether these two scales change regarding various teacher variables. The study’s sample, which is designed with relational design, consists of 407 teachers working in Gaziantep. The study includes teachers working in kindergarten, primary, secondary, and high school public and private schools. “Personal information form,” “Inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy scale for STEM+S,” and “21st-Century skills teaching scale” was used. The data obtained from the scales were analyzed using the SPSS program. As a result of the research, it is seen that the relationship between teacher 21stCentury skills teaching and inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy for STEM+S is moderate. The scores of the teachers’ self-efficacy and sub-dimensions of inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S showed statistically significant differences according to their 21st-Century skills training. There is a significant difference in asking questions, research, discussion/reflection, and overall scale according to the status of receiving STEM education. A statistically significant difference is detected when the 21st-Century skills and sub-factor scores are analyzed according to 21st-Century skills and STEM education. Inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S has been found to have a statistically predictive effect on 21st-Century skills teaching. It can be said that approximately 46% of the variance explained for 21st-Century skills teaching consists of inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S. When this situation is examined, it is stated that selfefficacy based on inquiry for STEM+S has an essential effect on teachers’ self-efficacy in explaining the teaching of 21st-Century skills.

Pedagogical Research, 2023

The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms o... more The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms of some variables. The research sample comprises 160 children aged five years studying in kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gaziantep city center in the 2021-2022 academic year. As a data collection tool in the research, the “personal information form,” which includes personal information about children and their parents, and “CodingTest 2”, the short form of “CodingTest” and “CodingTest,” developed by Kalyenci et al. (2022), were used to evaluate the coding skill levels of five-year-old children. Pearson correlation analysis, t-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze data. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, it was concluded that coding skills were not related to gender but were related to whether the children had coding education, the education level of parents, and their families’ income level

e-Kafkas Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi ARAŞTIRMA MAKALESİ, 2023

Educational philosophies direct the education of societies and, therefore, their future. Research... more Educational philosophies direct the education of societies and, therefore, their future. Research has been carried out to determine the educational philosophy of many educators worldwide and in Turkey. However, no research has been found that reveals Doğan Cüceloğlu’s philosophy of education, who recently passed away, one of the academicians of our country. This study aims to determine the educational philosophy of Turkish psychologist and academician Doğan Cüceloğlu, who has tried to make sense of education and psychology together throughout his life. The current research is a qualitatively conducted grounded theory study. Doğan Cüceloğlu’s speeches and writings on education were carried out in the light of the data collected by the document analysis method. Data were collected by examining the books, articles, interviews, conversations, social media accounts, speeches, and TV programs he wrote and analyzed by coding. Questions of “Why, what, and how to teach?” were answered by making inferences from Doğan Cüceloğlu’s sentences. As a result of the research, it was understood that in terms of the purpose of education, Doğan Cüceloğlu’s educational philosophy is existentialism; in terms of the content of education, it is existentialism; in terms of method of education, it is progressivism and existentialism. It has been determined that Doğan Cüceloğlu’s perspective on education generally reflects existential understanding.

Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2024

In the early years, it has become essential to support the acquisition of computational thinking,... more In the early years, it has become essential to support the acquisition of computational thinking, which is seen as a 21st-century skill and new literacy. A valid and reliable measurement tool is needed to develop and evaluate educational practices related to these skills. TechCheck is a validated unplugged assessment of computational thinking skills for young children. (Relkin & Bers in IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) in 2021 (pp. 1696–1702), 2021; Relkin et al. in Journal of Science Education and Technology 29(4):482–498, 2020). This study aims to adapt and characterize a Turkish version of TechCheck-K for children aged 5–6. Validity and reliability of the Turkish version were established through classical test theory and item response theory, as had been done for the original English language version. Based on classical test theory, the confirmatory factor analysis used A tetrachoric weighted matrix to test the instrument’s structure. The one-dimensional structure of the instrument was verified. The KR-20 reliability coefficient for the scale consisting of one dimension and 15 items was .87, which is considered an acceptable level of reliability. Rasch and 2PL models were compared with M2 statistics to determine the item and test parameters based on item response theory (IRT). The 2PL model was chosen as the best fit. Mean TechCheck scores differed based on gender, socio-economic status, past exposure to computers, and coding experience. These results indicate that the Turkish version of TechCheck-K has acceptable psychometric properties for measuring computational thinking skills in children between 5 and 6 years of age.

Education and Information Technologies , 2022

This research aims to develop a valid and reliable test to determine the coding skill levels of 5... more This research aims to develop a valid and reliable test to determine the coding skill levels of 5–7 years old children in early childhood. The study sample consists of children aged 5–7 who attend primary and pre-school education institutions affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Ağrı and Gaziantep city center in the 2020–2021 academic year. Data were obtained from 308 children, 101 of whom were five years old, 100 were six years old, and 107 were seven. As a data collection tool in research, the “Personal Information Form” containing personal information about children and their parents and the “Early Childhood Coding Skills Assessment Test” developed by the researcher to evaluate the coding skill levels of 5–7-year-old children were used. In the validity analysis to determine the test’s validity and reliability, content-structure validity, criterion-based validity analysis, similar scale compatibility validity, tetrachoric factor analysis, and item difficulty analysis; In the reliability analysis, KR-20 reliability analysis was used. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, the “Early Childhood Coding Skills Assessment Test” is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine the skill levels of 5–7-year-old children unplugged coding and robotic coding.

Interactive Learning Environments , 2023

This research aims to examine the effects of Kahoot, a technology-based gamification tool, on the... more This research aims to examine the effects of Kahoot, a technology-based gamification tool, on the learning process. The research design is qualitative and uses meta-thematic analysis to analyze data collected through document analysis and content analysis of 40 studies. The results show that Kahoot has positive impacts on students’ cognitive, affective, and social development. Kahoot helps students understand and learn subjects, as well as strengthening their memory and reflection skills. It is also intriguing, entertaining, motivating, and anxiety-relieving. Kahoot also supports collaborative learning, increases class participation, and has a unifying effect. While there are some limitations to using Kahoot in the learning process, the benefits outweigh these limitations, making it a recommended tool for use in the learning process.

Frontiers in Psychology, 2022

This study aims to reveal high school students’ perceptions of COVID-19 and schools in the pandem... more This study aims to reveal high school students’ perceptions of COVID-19 and schools in the pandemic process through metaphors. In the study, phenomenology research design based on the qualitative research method was used. The study was carried out with the participation of 134 students at all grade levels from high school. The data were analyzed by content analysis. The metaphors were categorized according to their similarities, and their frequency values were calculated. Seventy-six metaphors and eight categories about COVID-19 were reached, and “flu,” “prison,” and “snake” are the metaphors that have the highest frequency values. They explained the metaphors by making associations with the disease, fast-spreading and damaging things. In the COVID-19 process, 78 metaphors and eight categories were found out for the school. Based on the metaphors created by the students, suggestions were made depending on the research results. It was determined that students had negative perceptions about the COVID-19 pandemic and the school in this process, and it was suggested that this could be eliminated again with educational activities.

The Covid-19 pandemic that has affected every aspect of life worldwide and in Turkey is still hea... more The Covid-19 pandemic that has affected every aspect of life worldwide and in Turkey is still heavily taking effect. Formal education, one of the most affected fields, has become one of the most crucial issues of the daily life of the whole society, over 18 million students, their families, and the education community with the decision of the Ministry of National Education to suspend face-to-face education and switch to distance education in March 2020 within the scope of epidemic measures. This study aimed to examine the distance education experiences of Syrian students in line with the opinions of teachers who work at different education levels and have Syrian students in their classes. Data were collected from 16 teachers employing semi-structured interview forms. The research revealed the difficulties experienced by Syrian students under temporary protection during the distance education period from teachers' perspectives.

NFT technology such as the Metaverse, Virtual Reality, and Extended Reality will change how educa... more NFT technology such as the Metaverse, Virtual Reality, and Extended Reality will change how educators teach and how students learn. NFT technology will also affect Lifelong Education. The study aimed to develop a scale of 25 items to measure how NFTs create a perception among teachers, providing a new understanding of art. For this purpose of the study, data were collected from 310 teachers (135 teacher samples for exploration and 175 teacher samples for confirmatory factor analysis) teaching in various cities in Turkey. The principal component analysis of the varimax rotation was used to obtain evidence for the scale's validity. As a result of exploratory factor analysis, three items were excluded from the survey because their item loads were coincident, and as a result, the scale was reduced to 22 items, and three sub-dimensions emerged. It has been determined that the scale has a structure composed of three factors: "NFT's contribution to art and artists," "NFT's positive contribution to art," and "NFT's negative contribution to art." It was observed that the item test correlation of the scale changed between 0.44-0.88. At the same time, cross-validation analysis was performed to determine whether the scale would produce the same results. When it was applied to similar groups as a result of cross-validation, it was observed that the same result could be obtained when the scale was applied to the same group. Apart from this, to give evidence in terms of the scale's validity, the re-test and Crα reliabilities were calculated, and it was found to be 0.947.

Bu çalışmada 2000-2022 yılları arasında sosyal beceri eğitimine yönelik yapılmış çalışmaların dok... more Bu çalışmada 2000-2022 yılları arasında sosyal beceri eğitimine yönelik yapılmış çalışmaların doküman analizi ile incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Bu amaçla sosyal beceri eğitimine yönelik yapılmış makale, yüksek lisan tezi ve doktora tezleri incelenmiştir. Ulusal Tez Merkezi YÖKTEZ, Google Akademik, Science Direct ve Proquest tabanlarından ulaşılan 179 çalışma incelenmiştir. Bu çalışmalardan Türkiye'de yürütülenler kendi içinde ayrıca incelenmiştir. Çalışmalar amaç, yapıldığı yer, yayın yılı, yöntem, desen, yayın dili, uygulandığı popülasyon, örneklem büyüklüğü, uygulandığı kademe, türü, uygulama süresi ve ölçme araçları alt problemleri ile ele alınmıştır. Bu araştırma nitel araştırma modellerinden doküman incelemesi yöntemiyle yürütülmüştür. Bu yöntem ile elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. 179 çalışmaya ait veriler bir Excel dosyasında toplanmış, betimlenmiş, açıklanmış ve sonuçlar elde edilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın sonucunda daha çok program geliştirmek amacıyla yapıldığı, daha çok nicel yöntemin kullanıldığı, deneysel desen kullanıldığı, genellikle tipik gelişim gösteren bireylerle çalışıldığı, çalışmaların son yıllara doğru yoğunlaştığı, en çok okul öncesi kademesinde çalışma yapıldığı ve bu konuda en çok makale yayınlandığı sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır. Ayrıca Türkiye'de yürütülen çalışmaların büyük bir çoğunluğu Türkiye'nin üç büyük ilinde uygulandığı sonucuna varılmıştır.

Covid 19 salgını ile birlikte uzaktan eğitim ilkokul seviyesinde de verilmeye başlanmıştır. Yüz y... more Covid 19 salgını ile birlikte uzaktan eğitim ilkokul seviyesinde de verilmeye başlanmıştır. Yüz yüze eğitimde dahi sıkıntılı olan özellikle okuma-yazma öğrenme ve sonrasında diğer temel derslerin öğrenilmesi, bu dönemde daha sorunlu olmuştur. Salgın döneminde ödev yüklerinin arttığı düşünülmektedir. Bu anlamda bu araştırmada ilkokul seviyesinde öğrencileri olan velilerin ödevle ilgili görüşleri araştırılmıştır. Olgubilim deseninde gerçekleştirilen araştırmada yarı yapılandırılmış veri toplama aracı ile sorular sorulmuş ve on veli ile görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Araştırma Gaziantep ilinde kartopu örnekleme yöntemiyle 2020 güz döneminde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda veliler ödevlerin az ve öz olması gerektiğini, eğlenceli, oyun şeklinde ve gerçek yaşamdan örneklerle yapılması gerektiğini ifade etmişlerdir. Çocukların büyük çoğunluğunun ödevleri istemeyerek yaptıklarını, ama bu ödevlerin öğrencilerin sorumluluk duygularını geliştirdiğini ifade etmişlerdir. Çocukların ödev yapmamak için başım ağrıyor, acıktım, susadım, sonra yaparım gibi bahaneler ürettiklerini belirtmişlerdir. Aşırı fazla ödevin öğrencilerde kaygı, mutsuzluk, huzursuzluk, saldırganlık ve endişe gibi duygusal sorunlara yol açtığını ifade etmişlerdir.

This study aims to examine the attitudes of primary school teachers with refugee students in thei... more This study aims to examine the attitudes of primary school teachers with refugee students in their classes towards these students. The convergent parallel design, one of the mixed research designs, was used. The study data were obtained from 311 primary school teachers, 197 females and 114 males, working in the Şahinbey and Şehitkamil districts of Gaziantep. Ethics Committee approval was obtained from Gaziantep University (08.10.2021-E.96398). In the study, "Demographic Information Form," "Refugee Student Attitude Scale," and "Semi-structured Interview Form" prepared by the researchers were used as the data collection tools. The quantitative data obtained with the data collection tools were analyzed by SPSS program, and the qualitative data were analyzed by descriptive analysis. According to the results of the statistical analysis, it was determined that the overall scale and the proficiency sub-dimension differed in favor of male teachers in terms of gender variable, and the efficacy sub-dimension in terms of age variable in favor of the 51-60 age group. In terms of the years of service variable, it was found that the sub-dimension of proficiency differed significantly in favor of teachers who had served for 21 years or more, and the overall scale in terms of the number of refugee students in the teachers' classrooms, and favor of teachers with a refugee student in the sub-dimensions of adaptation and proficiency. The proficiency dimension favors teachers who served 21+ years in terms of years of service. In the content analysis of the interviews, it was revealed that the teachers had a language problem with their communication with the refugee students, and they tried to overcome this problem through Turkish-Arabic-speaking students or translators, which was a language problem in the adaptation of the refugee students and those parents had a negative view of co-education, that teachers planned activities and group games to overcome the adaptation problem. In addition, considering that the language problem and reading comprehension are the biggest problems in refugee education, the teachers underlined that there should be no discrimination and that language education should be provided to the refugee students and their parents as the key recommendations. The findings were discussed in the light of the literature, and the recommendations were made for the practitioners and researchers.

This study examines the relationship between teachers' inquiry-based self-efficacy for STEM+S and... more This study examines the relationship between teachers' inquiry-based self-efficacy for STEM+S and 21 st-Century skills teaching and whether these two scales change regarding various teacher variables. The study's sample, which is designed with relational design, consists of 407 teachers working in Gaziantep. The study includes teachers working in kindergarten, primary, secondary, and high school public and private schools. "Personal information form," "Inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy scale for STEM+S," and "21 st-Century skills teaching scale" was used. The data obtained from the scales were analyzed using the SPSS program. As a result of the research, it is seen that the relationship between teacher 21 st-Century skills teaching and inquiry-based teaching self-efficacy for STEM+S is moderate. The scores of the teachers' self-efficacy and sub-dimensions of inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S showed statistically significant differences according to their 21 st-Century skills training. There is a significant difference in asking questions, research, discussion/reflection, and overall scale according to the status of receiving STEM education. A statistically significant difference is detected when the 21 st-Century skills and sub-factor scores are analyzed according to 21 st-Century skills and STEM education. Inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S has been found to have a statistically predictive effect on 21 st-Century skills teaching. It can be said that approximately 46% of the variance explained for 21 st-Century skills teaching consists of inquiry-based teaching for STEM+S. When this situation is examined, it is stated that selfefficacy based on inquiry for STEM+S has an essential effect on teachers' self-efficacy in explaining the teaching of 21 st-Century skills.

The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms o... more The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms of some variables. The research sample comprises 160 children aged five years studying in kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gaziantep city center in the 2021-2022 academic year. As a data collection tool in the research, the "personal information form," which includes personal information about children and their parents, and "CodingTest 2", the short form of "CodingTest" and "CodingTest," developed by Kalyenci et al. (2022), were used to evaluate the coding skill levels of five-year-old children. Pearson correlation analysis, t-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze data. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, it was concluded that coding skills were not related to gender but were related to whether the children had coding education, the education level of parents, and their families' income level.

This study aims to develop a scale that can measure primary school students' inquiry skills for l... more This study aims to develop a scale that can measure primary school students' inquiry skills for life studies as valid and reliable. The research consisted of 511 primary school students studying in 15 different schools in the city center in a province in the south of Turkey in the February-May semesters of the 2021-2022 academic year. In the study, the participants were selected by chance, and each participant took part voluntarily. In the study, expert opinion was consulted for the scope and appearance validity of the scale, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis were applied for structure validity. As a result of EFA, a structure consisting of 26 items and four factors explains 40.903% of the total variance. The resulting factors are inquiry ability, asking questions, making sense of the answers to these questions, and recognizing the problem in the middle.

Erasmus+ exchange programs provide cultural exchange and mobility and benefit the participants in... more Erasmus+ exchange programs provide cultural exchange and mobility and benefit the participants in many ways. The research aims to examine and evaluate the effects of Erasmus+ projects carried out by the R&D units of the National Education Directorates on schools. The research was carried out with 12 teachers working in different Ankara, Gaziantep, Mersin, and Osmaniye provinces. The semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers was asked to the teachers. According to the answers obtained, codes and themes were extracted, and data analysis was carried out. A descriptive analysis technique was used to analyze the data in the research. In terms of validity and reliability, attention was paid to the issues in qualitative research, and the Miles & Huberman reliability formula was used. According to the results obtained, it has been revealed that the reliability is high. According to the results of the research, it has been seen those students and teacher participating in Erasmus + exchange programs make significant contributions to both their academic and personal development, increase the use of technology in the educational environment, and all participants want to take part in projects again when appropriate conditions are available.

The purpose of the study was to determine the reasons for teachers' enrollment in master’s degree... more The purpose of the study was to determine the reasons for teachers' enrollment in master’s degree programs and their problems during their education. The study group was determined by the maximum diversity sampling method. The study group was conducted on graduates of different branches, ages, and professional experience who are already teachers or waiting to be appointed as teachers. This research is a phenomenology study. The data collection tool consisted of the personal information protocol and the interview form consisting of 8 open-ended questions. As a result of the study, it was determined that the teachers with master’s degree stated that the reasons for wanting to study for a master's degree are personal development or self-improvement in the field of education, pursuing an academic career, professional development, having in-depth knowledge in the field. Considering the purpose of the teachers who have not completed a master's degree but want to pursue a master's degree, the aim of the teachers is to increase their knowledge in the field, but also to do academic studies, to specialize, to do their profession better. Economic conditions, insufficient time, interview and language barrier, and the institution-based reasons that prevent teachers who have not completed a master's degree, but who want to do a master's degree, come to the fore.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the Information Technologies and Software curriculu... more The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the Information Technologies and Software curriculum using the Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model introduced by Stufflebeam in line with the teachers' opinions. In this study, it was aimed to conduct a program evaluation study based on the CIPP model using an interview method from qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 25 Information Technology Teachers working in Ağrı, Aksaray, Eskişehir, İstanbul, Manisa, Şanlıurfa and Şırnak province determined by using maximum diversity sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods. Qualitive data were collected using a study a structured interview form based on the CIPP model developed by Stufflebeam. Descriptive analysis method was used in qualitive data analysis. According to the results of the study, while the teaching principal methods in the curriculum were found to be successful in measurement and evaluation, it was observed that they could not be put into practice due to deficiencies such as inadequate Computer infrastructure and hardware.

The study aims to determine middle school students' perceptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and how ... more The study aims to determine middle school students' perceptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and how they visualize their school perceptions during the Covid-19 pandemic period through metaphors. A phenomenology pattern was used in the research. The research study group consists of 100 secondary school students studying distance education in public schools in different provinces of Turkey in the first semester of the 2020-2021 academic year. The questionnaires were sent to the participants via google forms to collect the data because of social isolation. Content analysis was used in data analysis. The research findings showed that students produced 51 valid metaphors related to the concept of Covid- 19. According to the metaphors created, the categories of "disease and spread", "negative effect", "fatal", "hope", "uncertainty" were created. During the Covid-19 pandemic period, 48 valid metaphors were produced regarding the concept of school. According to the metaphors, the categories of "precaution", "distance education", "uncertainty", "negative effect", "emotional state" were created.

Research on Education and Media, 2023

Journal of Innovative Research in Teacher Education, 2022

Pedagogical Research, 2023

e-Kafkas Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi ARAŞTIRMA MAKALESİ, 2023

Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2024

Education and Information Technologies , 2022

Interactive Learning Environments , 2023

Frontiers in Psychology, 2022

The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms o... more The purpose of this research is to examine the coding skills of five-year-old children in terms of some variables. The research sample comprises 160 children aged five years studying in kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gaziantep city center in the 2021-2022 academic year. As a data collection tool in the research, the "personal information form," which includes personal information about children and their parents, and "CodingTest 2", the short form of "CodingTest" and "CodingTest," developed by Kalyenci et al. (2022), were used to evaluate the coding skill levels of five-year-old children. Pearson correlation analysis, t-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze data. As a result of the findings obtained from the research, it was concluded that coding skills were not related to gender but were related to whether the children had coding education, the education level of parents, and their families' income level.

Pegem Akademi, 2020

Kitapta öncelikle-birinci ve ikinci bölümlerde-etkili öğretimin en önemli unsuru ve etkili öğreti... more Kitapta öncelikle-birinci ve ikinci bölümlerde-etkili öğretimin en önemli unsuru ve etkili öğretim sürecini oluşturacak olan öğretmen kavramı merkeze alınarak, etkili bir öğretmenin sahip olması gereken özellikler ve öğretmenlik mesleğine ilk adım açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Diğer bölümlerde ise etkili öğretim merkeze alınarak, etkili bir öğretim süreci tasarlayabilmek için gerekli konular örnek uygulamalar çerçevesinde zengin bir içerikle sunulmuştur.

Nobel Yayıncılık, 2020

Endüstri 4.0 çağının artık yavaş yavaş gerisinde kaldığımız ve teknolojik gelişmelerin hızını tak... more Endüstri 4.0 çağının artık yavaş yavaş gerisinde kaldığımız ve teknolojik gelişmelerin hızını takip etmekte dahi zorlandığımız günümüz dünyasında erken çocukluk eğitimi gelişmiş devletler tarafından en önemli eğitim gündemlerinden biri olarak görülmektedir. 36-72 aylık süreci kapsayan okul öncesi çağı, çocukların algılarının ve yaratıcılık seviyelerinin oldukça yüksek olduğu ve çocukların zekâ gelişimleri için kritik bir dönemdir. Türkiye’de son yıllarda önemli ilerlemeler kaydedilen erken çocukluk eğitiminin temel eğitim bileşenleri arasına dâhil edilmesine yönelik girişimlerin 2018 yılı itibariyle ivme kazandığı görülmektedir. Bu durumun ortaya çıkmasında, temel eğitimde yapılacak yenilik çalışmalarının öğrencileri ileriki yaşamlarına daha iyi hazırlayacağı düşüncesi, bu iyi hazırlanmanın dolaylı veya doğrudan etkilerini ülke olarak göreceğimiz felsefesi yatmaktadır. Hiç kuşkusuz bu durumda temel eğitimde meydana getirilecek reform hareketlerinin öğrencileri hayata daha hazır hale getirmesi beklenmektedir. Bu doğrultuda 21. yüzyıl becerilerini geliştirmeyi hedefleyen STEM yaklaşımı giderek ön plana çıktığı ifade edilebilir. Bununla birlikte kaliteli bir erken çocukluk eğitimi ve edinilecek olan STEM (Fen-Teknoloji-Mühendislik-Matematik) becerileri, tüm çocuklar için nitelikli bir eğitim hayatına doğru ilerlemenin etkili yoludur. Ülkemizdeki STEM yaklaşımı noktasında farklı bakış açılarının olduğu göz önüne alındığında, bunu iyi yapabilmemiz için özellikle öğretmenlerin STEM yaklaşımını erken çocukluk eğitimi programlarına nasıl uyarlayacakları, etkinlik planlarını nasıl hazırlayacakları ve etkinlikleri nasıl tasarlayacakları konusunda profesyonel eğitimlere ihtiyaçları vardır. Çocuğun aktif katılımının sağlandığı, disiplinler arası ve uygulamaya yönelik STEM yaklaşımının, erken çocukluk döneminde yer alması düşüncesi kaçınılmazdır. Bu noktada bu düşüncelere açıklık getirmesi ve konunun anlaşılması adına STEM yaklaşımı ve 21. yüzyıl becerileri arasındaki ilişki, STEM yaklaşımının amacı, STEM yaklaşımları, STEM materyalleri hakkında bilgiler verildikten sonra örnek STEM etkinlik planları ve uygulamaları noktasında detaylar verilmiştir.