Developing and Applying Primary Students’ Scientific Method Skills through a STEM Intervention: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This study examined the development of scientific method skills in fifth- and sixth-grade primary school students within the context of a STEM-based instructional intervention. A convergent mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, with a sample of 110 students aged 10-12. The results showed that students were able to recognize key scientific processes at high rates, particularly those related to hands-on activities, such as observation, experimentation, and measurement. However, their ability to recall and apply these processes independently was more limited. Students performed better in more practical processes (observation, measurements), while they experienced difficulties in processes that required thinking, such as formulating hypotheses, experimental design, and drawing conclusions. In addition, students evaluated hands-on processes as more helpful for understanding scientific concepts, while processes involving reasoning and interpretation were perceived as less influential. Several misconceptions were also identified, including confusion between observation and measurement and difficulties in evidence-based reasoning. Overall, the findings suggest that students have developed a functional but not yet fully consolidated understanding of scientific method.