The Effect of Montessori Approach Based STEM Activities on Pre-School Teacher Candidates’ Critical Thinking Tendencies

This study was conducted to determine whether Montessori approach-based STEM activities influenced the critical thinking tendencies of pre-school candidate teachers. In addition, the aim of this study is to teach teachers of Montessori and STEM trainings and to train teachers who are experts in these areas in the future. In this research quantitative and qualitative analyzes used together in a way which was called a mixed method. The sample of the study consisted of pre-service teachers in the Education Faculty of a middle-sized province of Eastern Anatolia in the 2017-2018 academic year. To determine the change in the critical thinking tendencies of pre-school teacher candidates in the research a single group pre-test post-test design of the pre-experimental design was formed. The analysis of the quantitative data obtained during the research was done by statistical methods. The analysis of the qualitative data of the research was done by content analysis. “Critical Thinking Disposition” scale was used to obtain quantitative data and to obtain qualitative data a “semi-structured interview form” was used. The qualitative data supporting the quantitative data consist of 7 open- ended semi-structured interview forms. In this study Montessori approach-based STEM was conducted for 14 weeks for pre-school teachers. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of critical thinking tendencies. According to this difference it can be said that Montessori approach-based STEM activities which are applied to pre-school teacher candidates have developed positive thinking tendencies of teacher candidates. High level thinking skills of pre-school teacher candidates have also been identified as positive development.