The Effect of STEM Training with Educational Robotics Applications Designed for Classroom Teachers on the STEM Awareness and Attitudes of Teachers

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

The labor market’s evolving needs alongside rapid technological development have increased demand for STEM-trained individuals, making it a priority to strengthen teachers’ STEM skills and awareness. This one-group pretest–posttest study designed STEM training using educational robotics applications for classroom teachers, combining expert-led theoretical and practical instruction with next-generation robotic kits. The program enabled teachers to design STEM activities aligned with the elementary curriculum. Results show increased STEM awareness and more positive STEM attitudes after training, with participants supporting inclusion of STEM activities in the curriculum.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

1. Introduction

1.1 Studies on STEM Education in Turkey

The Effect of STEM Training with Educational Robotics Applications Designed for Classroom Teachers on the STEM Awareness and Attitudes of Teachers Fatma KESKINKILIÇ [fatma@ahievran.edu.tr](fatma@ahievran.edu.tr) Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, Türkiye DOI: 10.21585/ijcses.v6i3 .169 Abstract In today's conditions, the needs of the labor market are changing in parallel with technological developments and the need for individuals trained in STEM is increasing. For this reason, it is a priority to increase the skills and awareness of teachers who will guide individuals trained in the field of STEM. In this study, a STEM training with educational robotics applications was designed for classroom teachers. The education included theoretical and practical STEM instruction conducted by expert academicians, utilizing next-generation educational robotic kits to facilitate sample STEM activities. The primary aim was to equip teachers with skills aligned with the elementary school curriculum, emphasizing a focus on STEM learning outcomes. As a result of the training, teachers were able to develop their own STEM activities. The study, which was modeled with a one-group pretest-posttest research design, examined the changes in the attitudes towards STEM and STEM awareness of the participants asa result of the STEM education they received. In conclusion, it is observed that the participants' attitudes towards STEM education and their awareness of STEM have increased by the end of the education. Additionally, the participants believe that STEM educational activities should be included in the curriculum Keywords: STEM, classroom teachers, educational robotics, STEM awareness, STEM attitude 1. Introduction In today's conditions, where technological innovations largely determine the economic development of countries, it is more important than ever to educate the engineers and science experts of the future and to promote science and technology literacy (Miaoulis, 2009). For many years, preschool and primary education curricula have focused on basic literacy and numeracy literacy (Zigler & Bishop-Josef, 2006) . However, changing living conditions due to technology requires different skills for today's individuals and these skills are expected to be acquired through an interdisciplinary approach. The STEM education movement, which has been popular all over the world in recent years, is thought to meet this expectation. STEM is based on the idea of teaching students in four disciplines; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, with an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Instead of teaching these four disciplines separately, STEM refers to a coherent learning approach based on real-world applications and into curriculum. The National Science Foundation of the United States has used the acronym STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, to describe this approach, and many educators working in this field have not gone further than using this acronym when defining the STEM education movement, and have defined STEM education only with the subjects belonging to the disciplines that are the basis of this education. While these definitions are well-known usual and/or established descriptive terms for STEM fields, STEM is more than that (White, 2014) . STEM education defines teaching and curriculum in a holistic approach, where the boundaries between the disciplines that make up STEM are removed and STEM is taught asa course (Morrison & Bartlett, 2009; as cited in Roberts, 2012) . Looking at the history of STEM education, it is stated that the purpose of its emergence is to provide critical thinking skills to all learners, make them creative problem solvers, and make them more valuable for today's business world (White, 2014) . STEM education and research in this field are increasingly accepted globally as the foundation for national development, productivity, economic competitiveness

FAQs

What was the main goal of the STEM training in the study?

The training aimed to increase classroom teachers’ STEM awareness and develop skills aligned with the elementary school curriculum and STEM learning outcomes.

How was the training delivered?

It included both theoretical and practical STEM instruction led by expert academicians, using next-generation educational robotic kits for sample STEM activities.

What research design was used to evaluate the effect of the training?

The study used a one-group pretest–posttest design to examine changes in participants’ STEM attitudes and STEM awareness after the education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya