A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies on STEM Education

Abstract

This research systematically examines the experimental articles on STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education). In this direction, experimental articles with the Social Sciences Citation Index on the Web of Science were analyzed within the scope of research questions, taking into account the guidelines of PRISMA. The research was carried out using the systematic review method. In the first search made in this line, the results listed 17,482 studies. Then, this number was reduced to 34 by applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, the studies were examined in detail, and 12 articles that were not suitable were excluded from the scope. Thus, this research was carried out on 22 articles. In line with research problems, articles were categorized by publication year, country, method, study group and number, data collection tools, data analysis methods, topics covered, and experimental methods. The research results infer that the number of articles increases every year, and Turkey and China are the pioneering countries in this sense. It is noteworthy that mixed methods and quasi-experimental methods are generally preferred in the literature. Contrary to the literature, another result obtained from the research is that teachers are preferred in variable numbers as the study group. Scales, tests, and interviews are the most frequently used measurement tools by researchers. Besides, t-tests and content analysis are used in data analysis. Additionally, various topics are covered in the articles. One of the results obtained from the research is that the effect of STEM education on various skills and achievements is examined more. In line with these results, some suggestions were made by discussing the studies in the literature.

The Impact of a Sustainable Progressive STEAM Program on Primary School Students’ Critical Thinking Dispositions and Mathematics Achievements

“…For the last decade, there has been an increase in experimental researches in relation to the influences and impacts of the SP-STEAM oriented education, except for the period encompassing the pandemic. Consideration in this context reveals that the findings of many studies displayed parallelism with this study [11,24,26,27], which emphasizes the validity and reliability of the current research.…”

“…Teachers have been considered as the most crucial part of STEAM education. A very recent study which systematically reviewed experimental studies regarding STEAM applications worldwide reported that 95% of experiments have first concentrated on training teachers prior to any treatment application, and summarized that any application without training of teachers would not be effective [11]. While studies report that experimental studies regarding STEAM education will mostly fail without in-service teacher training, the question arises as to why teachers are found to be inadequate in application of STEAM in classrooms.…”

Design and Effectiveness Evaluation of a Smart Greenhouse Virtual Reality Curriculum Based on STEAM Education

“…This laboratory facilitates the visualization, contextualization, and perception of STEAM theory and practices through interactive teaching projects. The experiment confirms that the laboratory is practical and can enhance learners' comprehensive and practical innovation capabilities [13].…”

“…However, there are limitations and challenges that need to be considered when implementing VR in STEAM education, such as the availability of VR equipment and cost [2,6,13]. Nonetheless, with proper planning and integration, VR can be a valuable tool for enhancing STEAM education and preparing students for the digital age.…”

“…It can also teach design concepts and enable learners to create and test prototypes in a virtual environment. Overall, incorporating VR into the STEAM education curriculum can enhance learners' understanding and mastery of STEAM concepts and skills [12,13].…”