Examining the STEM Course Plan Preparation Skills and Opinions of Preservice Science Teachers on STEM Applications

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the findings of science teachers' STEM lesson plan preparation skills and self-assessment forms and to examine their views on STEM applications. STEM education is an effort based on the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to help individuals gain economic strength, enabling them to find solutions to real-life problems using the steps of scientific process. In the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year, science teaching at a public university in Ankara was carried out with 18 preservice science teachers (17 females, 1 male) who were studying in the 4th grade. Case study method was used from qualitative research methods within the scope of the study. The preservice science teachers who formed the study group primarily received basic STEM education and studied STEM studies. Preservice science teachers were asked individually to prepare STEM lesson plans that included environmental issues in the secondary school science curriculum. In the study, it is seen that most preservice teacher do not receive STEM education. Preservice teacher who are practitioners of the STEM approach can be provided with STEM education with courses to be given during the undergraduate period. In this study, when the views of teachers and preservice teacher are examined, it is understood that there should be projects and studies supporting STEM education activities in their university life.