The Role of Mathematical Modeling in STEM Integration and Education

With the rapidly developing technology, the labor force of the society has changed direction, and in the age of informatics, creative engineering applications have come to the forefront. Accordingly, the education levels of the labor force were also changed. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education model in most countries aims to teach science, mathematics, technology, and engineering in relation to primary, secondary, high school, and higher education. STEM education, which has an impact in our country in recent years, has an important role in acquiring new skills, supporting creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, gaining the ability to transition between professions and adapting to new occupations. Nowadays, technology is expected to have different skills from individuals who will work in different fields with rapid development. Also, different teaching strategies play a major role in STEM integration and training. One of them, mathematical modeling, is the process of analyzing real-life or realistic situation using mathematical methods in the most general sense. The idea that mathematical modeling cycles should be used in STEM education at all levels from primary to tertiary education has gained importance in recent years, since it increases the students' motivation towards the lesson and they learn better by concentrating their attention.