Recent reports call for reformed education policies in Turkey in accordance with the need to develop students' knowledge and skills about STEM education and improving STEM workforce in the country. This research implemented an integrated out-of-school STEM education program for 6th grade students who come from disadvantaged areas in a large urban city in Turkey. The study investigated students' perceptions about the STEM activities implemented in the program. Forty 6th grade students (15 female) studying in public schools participated in the study. The data source used in this study was the activity evaluation forms completed by the students at the end of each activity. The evaluation forms were qualitatively analyzed to identify students' perceptions on the content and skills gained, the challenges and limitations faced and suggestions for improvement. The results present recommendations on the implementation of integrated out-of-school STEM education programs.

There is an increasing awareness of out-of-school program value in enhancing student interest and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study examined the impact of an out-of-school STEM education program on student attitudes toward STEM disciplines and STEM careers. A STEM education program implemented at a public research university was designed to integrate STEM disciplines with hands-on problem-based activities. Design features included authentic learning contexts, engineering design processes, and content integration. Data sources included an attitude survey and interviews conducted with forty sixth grade middle school student participants. The analysis revealed significant differences between pre and posttests on student attitudes toward personal and social implications of STEM, science and engineering learning, and their relationship to STEM. Findings showed that the program contributed to students' developing interest in STEM fields, and helped them make connections between schoolwork and daily lives. Recommendations for future research on out-of-school STEM education programs were discussed. K E Y W O R D Sattitudes, mixed methods, out-of-school, STEM careers, STEM education 224 | BARAN et Al.

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The goals of this study were to investigate technical and vocational education (TVET) teachers’ progress in their knowledge, perceptions, and competencies related to Industry 4.0 components and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) within the context of a professional development program. A case study design was followed to reveal in-depth information on teacher improvement. Data sources included the Teacher Knowledge Survey, Teacher Perceptions Survey, and Industry 4.0 and STEM Competencies Survey. Results indicated significant improvement in teachers’ Industry 4.0 competencies and their content knowledge of Industry 4.0 components and STEM. Teachers reported a culture of collaboration in their school, increased teacher and student motivation, and positive attitudes toward TVET with implementation of the STEM PD program. The results point to the need to help teachers in designing certain aspects of STEM lesson plans including the integration of mobile programming, robotic programming and virtual reality meaningfully into the lesson content. Further implications for research and practice are presented in light of the findings.

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