Physics pre-service teachers’ views on STEM activities http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v17

In this section, the results obtained from the research questions and the answers of the pre-service teachers were listed.

The compatibility of pre-service teachers' expectations with studies conducted within RPFE

The codes related to pre-service teachers’ expectations with studies conducted within RPFE course are presented in Table I.

Table I. Pre-service teachers’ expectations and studies conducted within RPFE

Code	Frequency	Pre-service teacher
Doing a research about physics education	8	PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4, PT5, PT6, PT7, PT8
Exactly compatible with my expectations	6	PT1, PT2, PT3, PT5, PT6, PT7
Beyond my expectations	2	PT8, PT4

Pre-service teachers stated that they had expectations of doing a research about physics education, and conducting a project. Besides doing a research they were pleased to implement a new education method. As seen from Table I, while six participants stated that the studies conducted in the scope of the course were exactly compatible with their expectations, two participants stated that the studies were beyond their expectations. Consequently, the STEM education project conducted in the scope of the course is mostly compatible with participants’ expectations. Some answers of participants are given below:

PT5: “I thought we were going to study on a simple project at the beginning of the course. But, after research and discussions we decided to organize a festival. And so, the project course met my expectations.”

PT6: “I thought to bring a good product out. I was expecting something like that at the end of the process.”

PT8: “I thought that we were going to do a research about how we could make physics more loveable. The project we conducted was beyond my expectation.”

The Effects of STEM Activities on Pre-service Teachers’ Motivations

The codes related to participants’ motivation during preparing STEM activities are presented in Table II.

Table II. Pre-service teachers’ motivation during the course process

Code	Frequency	Pre-service Teacher
It motivated us in a good way	5	PT4, PT5, PT6, PT7, PT8
It was an enjoyable process	2	PT1, PT2
It was a very good process	1	PT3

As seen from Table II, five participants stated that STEM activities motivated them in a good way in their studies. While two of them stated that it was an enjoyable process, only one participant stated that it was a very good process. The views of some participants’ are given below:

PT7: “It motivated me in a positive way. Especially, my interest to course rose. It was good to do and present something.”

PT4: “It was really motivated us and relaxed us. It was not like ordinary lessons; the learning environment was like a game place.”

Opinions of Pre-service Teachers’ on STEM Activities

In this subsection, the results related to the views of the pre-service teachers’ on STEM education and STEM activities are given. The codes related to their views are presented in Table III.

Table III. Pre-service teachers’ views about STEM education and STEM activities

Codes	Frequency	Pre-service Teacher
Making lessons more understandable	6	PT2, PT3, PT1, PT7, PT5, PT8
Making lessons more fun	5	PT2, PT3, PT8, PT5
Making lessons more remarkable	3	PT3, PT2, PT6
Providing permanent learning	4	PT4, PT6, PT8, PT7
Providing more perceptible lessons	2	PT5, PT6
Encouraging active participation	5	PT1, PT2, PT5, PT6, PT7
Providing discoveries during learning	3	PT1, PT4, PT6
Being interdisciplinary approach	3	PT2, PT4, PT5

As seen in Table 3, the most repeated codes by participants are ‘more understandable (6)’, ‘fun (6)’, ‘more permanent learning (6)’, ‘active participation (5)’, and ‘remarkable (5)’, ‘discovery learning (3)’, ‘interdisciplinary approach (3)’, and ‘more perceptible (2)’. Some views of participants are given below:

PT4: “I think there are more advantages of STEM activities than other learning approaches. It provides more permanent learning for students.”

PT2: “Lessons using STEM activities are more remarkable. I think that it provides more participation.”

PT6: “Students learnt by doing and living. I think that it provides more permanent learning. The activities we used were fun and more remarkable.”

PT5: “Activities were fun, perceptible and enjoyable. We can learn subjects from different fields with STEM activities.”

PT7: “I can say that it provides more permanent learning.”

Pre-service Teachers’ Views about Preparing STEM Activities

The codes related to preparing STEM activities are presented in Table IV.

Table IV. Pre-service teachers’ views about preparing STEM activities

Code	Frequency	Pre-service Teacher
Concern for success	2	PT2, PT8
No any challenge	5	PT1, PT3, PT4, PT6, PT7
Not be able to dominate each activity	1	PT5

As seen in Table IV, five participants stated that they did not have any challenges; two participants stated that they had concern for success; and one participant stated that it was hard to be able to dominate every activity. Thus, it can be said that participants did not have any challenges during preparing STEM activities. Some views of participants are given below:

PT1 & PT6: “I was not forced.”

PT4: “I did not have any challenges. The activities were quite understandable and easy.”

PT7: “The activities did not force me.”

PT2: “I had no idea what we were going to do in the first place, but I was worrying about how to accomplish this job.”

PT5: “Working for activities to be more understandable, and not being dominant on each activity forced me. To come over these challenges one should frequently prepare and implement STEM activities.”

Pre-Service Teachers’ Willingness for Implementing STEM Activities in Their Future Classes

The related codes related to participants willingness for implementing STEM activities in their future classes are presented in Table V.

Table V. Participants’ willingness for implementing STEM activities in the future and their reason to do so.

Code	Frequency	Pre-service Teacher
I want to implement	8	PT1, PT2, PT3, PT4, PT5, PT6, PT7, PT8
Provides more permanent learning	3	PT1, PT6, PT7
Provides active participation	1	PT2,
More understandable	3	PT3, PT5, PT6
Fun	5	PT3, PT4, PT5, PT6, PT8

All participants are willing to implement STEM activities in their future classes. They pointed out some advantages of STEM activities such as providing more permanent learning and active participation, and making lessons more understandable and fun. Some participants’ views are given below:

PT5: “I absolutely want to implement them. The reason is that activities are more remarkable to students and they are more understandable.”

PT2: “Yes, I want. STEM activities increase participation and improve sense of production.”

PT1: “Yes, I want. Learning by doing and inquiring will be more permanent.”

PT8: “I want to use STEM activities as far as possible. Because, I think lessons will be fun for both teachers and students.”