Research
My research focused on the effects of STEM instructional methods in the classroom compared to traditional instructional methods. My research began after I tried a few STEM units with my advanced students and I saw the way their faces lit up with excitement when they solved a problem or a challenge. I could see that they were loving what they were doing, which was LEARNING! I decided to put some research into action and compare test scores of students who learned via STEM instruction and students who learned via traditional instruction. The students in two different classes completed a 10 day unit dealing with Earth’s Waters. At the end of the unit, each class took the same assessment with questions from the Next Generation Science Standards.
Results
The results from my study indicated that the STEM group scored higher on the assessment than the traditional instruction group. My data suggested that the STEM instruction had a positive impact on student learning. The students in the test group scored an average of 86.67% on the test, while the control group scored an average of 78.11% On average, the students scored about 8% higher in the STEM group.
Future
The impact of this research was to help myself determine if the STEM units were really helping the student performance, or if they were just having fun. I plan to continue creating and using STEM units in my classroom with all grade levels that I teach. I would like to continue my research with other units that I have created and possibly with a larger group of students. I hope to continue to see the positive results. The enthusiasm and excitement for learning that the students display throughout the units is a breath of fresh air when it comes to being a teacher.