STEM ACTİVİTİES MADE WİTH 3D PRİNTER; THE EFFECT ON AWARENESS OF TEACHER CANDİDATES REGARDİNG ITS USE İN SCİENCE LESSONS

The inclusion of integrated structures and interdisciplinary relations in education and inclusion in course curricula in the world has become even more important with the prominence of STEM education in the world. STEM means the inclusion of project-based applications in education within an integrated structure with science, technology, mathematics and engineering activities. Motivation/Background: It is noted that the majority of STEM research in our country is focused on science education. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 3D printing STEM activities on teacher candidates ' awareness of their use in science course. Method: 37 science teacher candidates participated in the 7 week study. Qualitative research method was used in this study. Qualitative data was taken from the field notes and semi-structured interview. Results: Thanks to 3D STEM activities, teacher candidates achieved to create a realistic product by using their knowledge in different disciplines such as science, mathematics, technology, and engineering and 21st century skills. Conclusions: According to the results of the research, the usage of 3D printer in a science course creates awareness in teacher candidates in terms of three-dimensional thinking and learning experience.