The Effect of STEM Learning Experiences on STEM Semantic Awareness and 21st-Century Learner Skills of Prospective Primary School Teachers

Date

2026-09-01

Author

Akçay, Ahmet Oğuz
Bozan, Mehmet Arif
Karahan, Engin

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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STEM awareness and 21st-century skills are recognized as two interrelated dimensions critical for the modern pedagogical competencies of pre-service teachers. This study examines how STEM learning experiences affect pre-service primary school teachers’ STEM semantic awareness and 21st-century learner skills. STEM activities were implemented for six weeks with pre-service primary school teachers. The research was designed using a convergent mixed-methods approach. The study included 21 prospective primary school teachers who volunteered to participate. The “STEM Semantic Awareness Scale,” “21st-Century Learner Skills Use Scale,” participant journals, and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. The findings show that the total score on the “STEM Semantic Awareness Scale” and the science sub-dimension scores increased significantly following STEM implementations. Similarly, the total score and collaboration sub-dimension of the 21stcentury skills scale increased significantly, with qualitative data supporting these gains through improvements in science concepts and team-based problem-solving. It was also concluded that participants’ semantic awareness and 21st-century learner skills improved with STEM education. Overall, the study offers practical pedagogical insights for strengthening STEM-related competencies in pre-service teacher education.

URI

https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol51/iss3/3/
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/120784

Collections

Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Article