Designing Stem Learning Activities In Basic Secondary Schools Mathematics Classrooms In Nigeria
Usman Galadima, Muhammad Nasiru Hassan, & Bashar Umar Binji
Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Sokoto State University
Abstract
Many stakeholders in education believe that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strategy is an effective pedagogy that provides the learners with creativity, innovative and higher-order thinking skills needed in designing STEM learning activities. The STEM learning activities provide opportunities for the learners to have the exposure that requires them to become scientists, technicians, engineers, and mathematicians in solving real-world problems. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide STEM stakeholders in basic secondary education with valuable information for designing STEM learning activities in Nigeria and to determine the participants excitement and interest in STEM activities. The participants were purposively chosen as an intact class with a view to engage them in STEM learning activities and also the STEM challenges. This study was based on the construction of paper planes, bridges, the making of towers, and catapults. At the end of the activities, the opinion form was used to gather the participants’ views about the activities using an open-ended STEM Activities Evaluation Questionnaire (STEMAEQ). The data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. The results of the study show that the participants found the activities interesting, exciting and fun, as well as conducive to learning STEM fields and higher-order thinking skills. It is believed that this study will provide practical and theoretical contributions to the fields of STEM activities.
Keywords
STEM, STEM Learning Activities, Mathematics Classroom
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