THE INFLUENCE OF PRACTICAL WORK AND THE USE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH METHODS ON THE INTEREST IN THE STEM FIELD OF NINE-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.3174152421053

• Palavras-chave: interest, nine-year-old, research activities, STEM

• Keywords: interest, nine-year-old, research activities, STEM

• Abstract: The project "With STEM Let's Grow " was developed by the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia for the period 2020-2022. Furthermore, it was developed by the "Science, Education, and Technology Strategy" of the Republic of Croatia in lifelong learning. It is necessary to provide children with many opportunities to participate in research activities that correspond to research carried out in science since through the processes of independent experimentation children acquire relevant skills and learn about the processes of science prevails over applied knowledge among children of younger school age. It is necessary to change the existing situation through frequent and continuous cooperation of the subject and class teacher, and by connecting the teaching of the subject nature and society with the teaching subjects of the STEM area. Intending to improve didactic work in the STEM field in elementary schools, the program "With STEM Let's Grow" was created, which was approved by the Ministry of Science and Education. The one-day version of the program was implemented in 24 schools during the 2021/2022 school year, and 1042 students participated (470 students were in the control group and 572 students were in the experimental group). Assessment of interest in the STEM field was conducted among students who have participated in the program and their peers in the same schools in the 2021/2022 school year who have not participated in it. These groups were compared in terms of their interest in the STEM field.