Enhancing Scientific Practices in primary education through a meteorology-oriented STEM education Program: a case study

Abstract

A STEM education program entitled Come rain or shine implemented in a primary rural school in southern Greece as part of the Diffusion of STEM (DI-STEM) project and the results of its implementation are presented in this paper. The educational program deepened in weather education and intended to develop primary students’ eight scientific practices proposed by the NGSS. Students’ pretest and posttest questionnaires revealed difficulties in adopting meteorological vocabulary and relative scientific practices through weather measurements in their local environment. Students’ answers indicate a variety in their conceptual progress depending on the scientific practice being investigated. They showed great progress in two of the scientific practices (analyzing & interpreting data, using mathematics), moderate progress in two scientific practices (developing & using models, evaluating & communicating data), limited progress in two scientific practices (asking questions & defining problems, planning & carrying out investigations) and a slight setback in the last two scientific practices (constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence). Possible explanations and relative teaching implications for successful STEM education in primary education are discussed.