Qualitative analysis of experience, beliefs, and attitudes of primary school children towards a STEM intervention programme: how to understand outcome and plan future STEM intervention

Abstract

There is an increasing number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interventions within the education system, and the question of their effectiveness as well as the optimal ways to determine their effectiveness are a growing subject of interest. This study qualitatively evaluates a two-year STEM intervention programme to gain a deeper insight into the students’ perception and understanding of a STEM intervention. The second aim was to provide some recommendations for planning future interventions in STEM, understanding a provided reason behind students’ satisfaction. Four focus group discussions were conducted with students in 4th through 6th grades ( N = 24) in 2016 and four focus groups with students in the 5th through 7th grades ( N = 34) in 2017. The use of a qualitative approach in the evaluation of the STEM intervention programme proved to be a good choice. The outcome of the analysis shows that such a STEM programme could be effective if we maintain the recency effect and interest in the activity, provide as many hands-on activities as possible, increase the sense of autonomy in students, develop collaborative learning, and put emphasis on robot-assisted learning and learning through play. Also, it is important to carry out early STEM interventions, emphasizing the importance and usefulness of the activities for everyday lives of students, and that, during the course of the programme, materials and resources are provided for out-of-school STEM activities (especially for students of lower SES)