USING STEM TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING OPTICAL PHENOMENA: IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING OUTCOMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47526/3107-3123.341Keywords:
STEM education, STEM kit, physics teaching, optical phenomena, students’ interest, learning outcomes, experiment.Abstract
In the modern era of rapid scientific and technological development, one of the pressing issues in education is the systematic formation and development of students’ interest in science. However, in recent years, many countries have witnessed a decline in young people’s interest in scientific activities. This trend may lead not only to a shortage of scientific and technical specialists in the future but also to negative consequences for the country’s economic development. Therefore, one of the effective ways to address this problem is the integration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) technologies into the educational process. The main objective of this study is to identify the impact of teaching optical phenomena using specially designed STEM-based learning tools on students’ academic performance. The research was conducted among second-year physics students at Khoja Akhmet Yassawi Kazakh-Turkish University. A total of 47 students were divided into control and experimental groups. During the 15-week training program, practical lessons were organized in the experimental group using optical STEM devices created with the LightBurn software and CNC technology. To assess students’ initial and final levels of knowledge, Pre-tests and Post-tests were conducted, and the collected data were analyzed using Jamovi 2.4 statistical software. Statistical analysis with paired samples t-test and ANCOVA revealed that the average pre-test score was 12.7, while the post-test result increased to 14.6. According to the paired t-test results, t(46) = -10.7, p < .001, confirming the statistical significance of the teaching effectiveness. Moreover, the ANCOVA analysis showed
F(1,44) = 85.4, p < .001, indicating a strong influence of the teaching method on academic achievement, cognitive activity, and students’ interest in the subject. The findings demonstrate that the use of STEM kits enhances students’ deeper understanding of optical phenomena, active participation in lessons, and increased motivation to learn physics. The STEM kit developed by the authors is presented as an adaptable and accessible model for modern physics teaching practice.
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