IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i24p16416-d997094.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Instructional Efficiency of STEM Approach in Biology Teaching in Primary School in Serbia

Author

Listed:
  • Vera Županec

    (Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Branka Radulović

    (Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Tihomir Lazarević

    (Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

Abstract

Initiatives by numerous American associations and various European projects constantly remind of the importance of linking science, technology, engineering and mathematics into a holistic approach to teaching and learning, known as the STEM approach. Comprehensive STEM education research mostly focuses on the effects of this approach on students’ performance and their attitudes towards the approach, whereas a significantly smaller number of studies have examined the instructional efficiency of the STEM approach in science teaching by assessing students’ performance, the mental effort invested in solving tasks and their involvement in STEM classes. With the intention to address the mentioned gap, the aim of this study is to determine the instructional efficiency of and students’ involvement in the STEM approach in biology teaching in primary school, compared to the non-STEM approach. The study employed quantitative research methodology and a true experimental design using pretest-posttest experimental and control groups. The results show that the STEM approach in biology teaching increases students’ performance and involvement and also contributes to the reduction of students’ mental effort. Based on the research results, we conclude that biology teachers should apply the STEM approach in presenting scientific concepts, as this contributes both to the quality of the acquired knowledge and its maintenance.

Suggested Citation

  • Vera Županec & Branka Radulović & Tihomir Lazarević, 2022. "Instructional Efficiency of STEM Approach in Biology Teaching in Primary School in Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16416-:d:997094
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16416/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/24/16416/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ljiljana Knežević & Vera Županec & Branka Radulović, 2020. "Flipping the Classroom to Enhance Academic Vocabulary Learning in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Course," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, September.
    2. Louis S. Nadelson & Anne L. Seifert, 2017. "Integrated STEM defined: Contexts, challenges, and the future," The Journal of Educational Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 110(3), pages 221-223, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Salbiah Mohamad Hasim & Roslinda Rosli & Lilia Halim & Mary Margaret Capraro & Robert M. Capraro, 2022. "STEM Professional Development Activities and Their Impact on Teacher Knowledge and Instructional Practices," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, March.
    2. NGUYEN Thi To Khuyen & NGUYEN Van Bien & Pei-Ling Lin & Jing Lin & Chun-Yen Chang, 2020. "Measuring Teachers’ Perceptions to Sustain STEM Education Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:24:p:16416-:d:997094. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.