Scientific and Engineering Practices in Science Education: Twirly Activity

Abstract

All four content areas in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has been overviewed as a new approach in science teaching over the last few years. STEM education with the focus on the engineering design practices emphasizes integrated learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics’ knowledge and skills instead of learning as a seperate subject each of them. The study aims to discriminate science and engineering practices by using twirly activity. Twirly activity can provide students a context to understand about inquiry that a scientific investigation begins with a question and skills for doing a scientific investigation, such as generating a scientific question, controlling variables, repeating an investigation, and analyzing and presenting data. The outcomes of twirly activity with science and engineering practices converge with the vision and the goals of recently revised Science Teaching Curriculum in Turkey in 2013. The students who involve in the first hand science and engineering practices will develop better scientific understanding, skills, attitudes and values resulting in increasing interest to science and science related occupations as overlapped in the new program vision and goals to become a scientifically literate indivual.