The Effects of Instructional Design Based on the STEM Approach on the Teaching Process of Training of Gifted Secondary School Students

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of an instructional design developed in compliance with the STEM approach, which can be used to educate gifted students on the teaching process. The pattern used in the research is the embedded experimental model which is among the mixed-method research patterns. Within the study, it has been worked with 41 gifted students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades in which the experimental group included 9 female, 12 male students; and the control group had 8 female and 12 male students and these students were selected based on typical case sampling. In the experimental group, the instructional design according to the STEM approach has been applied and in the control group, the standard SAC (Science and Art Center) activities have been used. The quantitative data have been gathered with the Context-Based Scientific Creativity Test (CBSCT) and have been analyzed via Two-Way ANOVA Test for Repeated Measures by using SPSS 22 Package Program. The qualitative data have been gathered by observation and interview forms and analyzed by the Nvivo 11 program. As a result of the instruction design application based on the STEM approach, there has been a statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. Instructional design based on the STEM approach has enabled students' scientific creativity to develop. The qualitative findings have shown that during the process engineering skills and scientific process skills have been utilized and developed more in the experimental group compared to the control group. Based on results, it can be suggested to enrich SAC (Science and Art Center) activity books by using these kinds of STEM activities more.