Ozgun Uyanik Aktulun

Work place: Department of Early Childhood Education, Afyon Kocatepe University, Turkey

E-mail: ozgunuyanik@hotmail.com

Website: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9456-6379

Research Interests:

Biography

Özgün Uyanık Aktulun is currently teaching at the Department of Early Childhood Eduation at Afyon Kocatepe University as an associate professor. She completed her doctoral studies at Gazi University in 2013 and she has remarkable studies and projects in the field of early literacy and math skills of young learners while she also has researched STEAM for children and curriculum development. She has been serving as the chair of the department since 2018.

Author Articles
Igniting Curiosity: The Role of STEAM Education in Enhancing Early Academic, Language Skills and Motivation for Science

By Ozgun Uyanik Aktulun Umit Unsal Kaya Ali Ibrahim Can Gozum Michail Kalogiannakis Stamatios Papadakis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.05.01, Pub. Date: 8 Oct. 2024

The "Igniting Curiosity: A STEAM Journey for Young Minds" (IC-SJYM) program integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) into early childhood education to enhance linguistic and scientific engagement among 5 to 6-year-olds. This study uses a mixed-methods design to evaluate the program's effectiveness, utilizing the Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills (K-SEALS) and the Teacher Rating Scale of Children's Motivation for Science (TRS-CMS), alongside qualitative feedback from educators. Results show that the experimental group, following the IC-SJYM program, demonstrated significant improvements in academic performance and motivation towards science compared to a control group with a traditional curriculum. Additionally, qualitative analyses highlight the program's positive impact on expressive language skills, innovative thinking, and a sustained interest in scientific inquiry. These findings suggest that an integrative STEAM curriculum can significantly enhance early learning experiences, advocating for its broader adoption. The IC-SJYM program's success in fostering intellectual curiosity and academic excellence underscores the critical role of STEAM in early childhood education and calls for further research into its potential to revolutionize educational paradigms for young learners.

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