T.R.

MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

THE VIEWS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS

AND STUDENTS IN TURKEY AND GHANA ON SCIENCE
EDUCATION AND STEM ACTIVITIES

MOHAMMED IBRAHIM

MASTER'S THESIS

MARCH, 2020
MUGLA
 ABSTRACT

THE VIEWS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS AND

STUDENTS IN TURKEY AND GHANA ON SCIENCE EDUCATION AND
STEM ACTIVITIES

MOHAMMED IBRAHIM

Master’s Thesis, Department of Educational Sciences

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Hasan ŞEKER

March 2020, 139 pages

This study is aimed at revealing the attitudes, orientations and the views of junior high
school science teachers and students in Turkey and Ghana towards science in the context
of STEM and towards STEM activities. For this study, while relational screening method
was used to investigate the attitudes of the students, both Phenomenology research
method and the relational screening were used to examine the teachers' orientations and
opinions.
In order to reveal the attitudes of the students towards science and STEM activities, a
STEM Attitude Scale consisting of 37 items under 4 sub-dimensions: mathematics,
science, engineering-technology, and 21st century skills which was developed by Faber
et al. (2013) at North Carolina State University was used. The research was conducted to
974 grade 7 & 8 junior high school science students (480 from Turkey-Mugla Province
and 494 from Ghana-Accra Province) during the spring semester of 2018-2019 academic
year. In the study, the Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficients of the sub-factors of the
scale was computed as between 0.82 to 0.89, and the Cronbach Alpha reliability
coefficient for the whole scale was revealed as 0.91. SPSS 25 program was used to
analyse the data. Descriptive statistics such as arithmetic means, standard deviations, and
Mann-Whitney U-Tests were used in the data analysis. The students' attitudes towards
STEM were “positive”. While there were no significant relationships between students'
attitudes towards STEM and their gender, and grade levels, there was a significant
difference between their attitudes and the place where their schools were located.
Also, in order examine the orientations of the teachers towards science and STEM,
“STEM education orientation” scale, developed by Lin and William (2015) was used.
However, in conformity with this research the scale was adapted by the researcher, thus,
a 4-question sub-dimension was added to the 5 sub-dimensions to make it a scale of 5
Likert and 6 sub-dimensions consisting of 35 items. These dimensions were: knowledge,
value, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behaviour and orientation, and views on
STEM activities. The research was conducted to a total of 46 junior high school science
teachers (22 from Turkey-Mugla Province and 24 from Ghana-Accra Province). The
Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient calculated for the whole scale was .82. SPSS 25
program was used to analyse the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics such as arithmetic
means, standard deviations and Independent T-Tests were used in the analysis of the data.
It was revealed that the teachers' orientations were generally positive in terms of
knowledge, attitude, value, subjective criterion, perceived behaviour control, behaviour
orientation and their opinion towards STEM activities. Furthermore, it was disclosed that
no significant difference was shown between teachers’ orientations towards STEM and
their gender, their levels, and the place where the schools were located. Based on the
findings, various suggestions were made for the development of STEM education for
science teachers.
Finally, the Phenomenology research method was used to examine the views of the
teachers on science education and STEM activities. The research was conducted to a total
of 25 junior high school science teachers (11 from Turkey-Mugla Province and 14 from
Ghana-Accra Province). The data of this study were collected through structured
interviews and content analysis and descriptive analysis were used in the analysis of the
data. Moreover, the teachers views on STEM education as to; what it is, how satisfied
they were with its implementation, how competent they see themselves in applying this
educational approach, how it can be applied in their lessons, the benefits, limitations and
their opinions on how to support and disseminate the STEM approach were investigated.
Keywords: Science education, STEM education, STEM activities, Ghana, views,
student, teacher, attitude, Turkey, orientation.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………...........v
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………vii
FOREWORD …………………………………………………………………………. ix
TABLES ………………………………………………………………………………xiv
SHAPES ……………………………………………………………………………… xvi
ABBREVIATIONS …………………………………………………………………. xvii
ANNEXES ………………………………………………………………………….. xviii

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

General Aims and Sub-Aims …………………………………………………………… 2

The Importance of The Research ………………………………………………………...3
Assumptions of the research ……………………………………………………………. 5
Limitations of The Research ……………………………………………………………. 6
Definitions ……………………………………………………………………………… 6
Abbreviations …………………………………………………………………………... 7

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND RELATED RESEARCH

2.1. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………………………………. 9

2.1.1. The General Overview of Education in Turkey and Ghana ……………... 9
2.1.2. The General Overview of Science Education in Turkey and Ghana ……. 14
2.1.3. What is STEM Education? ……………………………………………… 18
2.1.4. The General Overview of STEM Education in Turkey and Ghana ………21
2.1.5. STEM Teacher Training in Turkey and Ghana …………………………. 24
2.1.6. Interdisciplinary Integration of The STEM Program …………………… 27
 2.1.7. STEM Activities and Programs ………………………………………… 29
2.1.8. Projects Supporting STEM Education in Turkey and Ghana …………… 32
2.1.9. 21st Century Skills ………………………………………………………. 34
2.2. Related Publications and Research ………………...……………………... 37
2.2.1. Related Overseas Research …………………………………...………… 37
2.2.2. Related Domestic Research (Turkey and Ghana) ………………………. 40

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

3.1. Research Model ……………………………………………………………………44

3.2. Universe and Sample ………………………………………………………………45
3.3. Data Collection …………………………………………………………………….47
3.3.1. Collection of The Quantitative Data ……………………………………..47
3.3.2. Collection of The Qualitative Data ………………………………………48
3.4. Data Collection Tools ……………………………………………………………...49
3.4.1. Interview Form for Teachers on STEM Education ………………………49
3.5. Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………...50
3.5.1. Analysis of The Quantitative Data ……………………………………….50
3.5.2. Analysis of The Qualitative Data ………………………………………...50
3.5.3. Normality Tests of The Data ……………………………………………..51
3.5.3.1. Normality test of the scale for the attitude of the students towards
STEM (S-STEM) ………………………...…………………………….51
3.5.3.2. Normality test of integrated STEM teaching orientation scale for
teachers………………………………………………………………....52
3.5.3. Validity and Reliability …………………………………………………53

CHAPTER IV
FIDINGS
4.1. Findings on Middle School Students' Attitudes Towards STEM (S-STEM) ………55
4.1.1. What are the Attitude Levels of Middle School Grade 7 and 8 Students
towards STEM? ...………………………………………………………………55
4.1.2. Do Middle School Grade 7 and 8 Students' Attitude Levels Towards STEM
Differ According to Gender? …………………………………………………..56
4.1.3. Do the Attitude Levels of Middle School Grade 7 and 8 Students towards
STEM Differ according to class level variable? ………………………………..57
4.1.4. Do the Attitude Levels of Middle School Grade 7 and 8 Students towards
STEM Differ according to the Country in which the School is located? ………..59
4.2. Findings of Integrated the STEM Teaching Orientation Scale for Teachers ……….60
4.2.1. What are the Views and Orientations of Science Teachers on STEM
Teaching? ………………………………………………………………………60
4.2.2. Do the Orientations of Science Teachers Toward STEM Teaching Differ
According their Gender?………………...……………………………………...61
4.2.3. Do the Orientations of Science Teachers Toward STEM Teaching Differ
According to Teacher Level? …………...………………………………………62
4.2.4. Do the Orientations of Science Teachers Toward STEM Teaching Differ
According to the Country Variable of the School? ……………………………63
4.3. Findings of the Interview Form for Teacher on STEM Education …………………64
4.3.1. What is the Basic Understanding of STEM Education by Science Teachers?
………………………………………………………………………………….65
4.3.2. How is the Field and Pedagogical Knowledge of Science Teachers on
STEM Applications? ………………………………………………………….. 66
4.3.3. What are the Levels of Satisfaction of Science Teachers with STEM
Application? …………...……………………………………………………….67
4.3.4. How Do Science Teachers Think STEM Education Can Be Applied in the
Classroom? ……………………………………………………………………..68
4.3.5. What are the Benefits and Limitations of STEM Education According to
Science Teachers? …………………...…………………………………………70
4.3.6. What are the Projects Supporting or Have the tendency of Supporting
STEM in Both Countries? …………………………………………………….. 72
4.3.7. The Science Teachers' Opinions on STEM Education and STEM Activities
………………………………………………………………………………….73

PART V
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Discussion …………………………………………………………………………76
5.1.1. Discussion of The Findings In relation to The Middle School Students
Toward STEM (S-STEM) …...…………………………………………………76
5.1.1.1. Discussion of the findings related to the first sub-aim ………….76
5.1.1.2. Discussion of the findings related to the second sub-aim ………77
5.1.1.3. Discussion of the findings related to the third sub-aim …………78
5.1.1.4. Discussion of the findings related to the fourth sub-aim ……… 79
5.1.2. Discussion of The Findings in Relation to the Integrated STEM Teaching
Orientation Scale for the Teachers ……………………………………………...80
5.1.2.1. Discussion of the findings related to the fifth sub-aim …………80
5.1.2.2. Discussion of the findings related to the sixth sub-aim ………...81
5.1.2.3. Discussion of the findings related to the seventh sub-aim …….82
5.1.2.4. Discussion of the findings related to the eighth sub-aim ………83
5.1.3. Discussion of the Findings in relation to the Interview Form for Teachers’
views on STEM Education …..………………………………….……………...84
5.1.3.1. Discussion of findings related to the ninth sub-goal ……………84
5.2. Conclusions and Recommendations ……………………………………………….89
5.2.1. Conclusions ……………………………………………………………...89
5.2.1. Recommendations ……………………………………………………….90
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………...93
ATTACHMENTS …………………………………………………………………….107
CV …………………………………………………………………………………….120