English abstract
This study aimed to identify the perceptions of teachers and students about STEM
OMAN program. The study used a descriptive research approach. The sample of the study
consisted of (51) male and female teachers and (1012) students from grade 10 selected
from those who participated in the program. They were selected using a convenience
sampling method during the academic year 2019/2020.
To achieve the aims of the study, two questionnaires were developed: one for
teachers and the other for students. Also, individual interviews were conducted for a
sample of teachers and a focus group interview for a sample of students. The validity of
the questionnaires and the interviews were verified by a group of specialized judges. The
reliability of the two questionnaires was examined through the internal consistency (Alpha
Cronbach), which was found to be (0.86) for the teachers' questionnaire as a whole and
(0.77) for the students' questionnaire as a whole.
The results of the study showed that the teachers and the students had positive
perceptions about the design of the STEM OMAN program as well as its implementation
and impact. Also, the results revealed that the participants perceived moderate difficulties
in the implementation of the program, most notably the weakness of the Internet in the
school and the insufficient time allocated to implement the activities of the program.
The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in
teachers' perceptions about the program due to gender, years of teaching experience and
years of supervision. However, there were statistically significant gender differences in
students' perceptions about the "design and implementation of the program" favoring
females as well as in the "difficulties in implementing the program" favoring males.
In light of the previous results, the study recommends allocating fixed classes in
the school schedule for the program, preparing an evaluation form to follow the student's
progress in the program, conducting continuous training for teachers to raise their
competence in teaching program activities, and considering the possibility of starting to
implement the program from the first cycle of the Basic education to the 12th grade. The
study suggests conducting a comparative study between students participating in the
program and non-participants, in terms of possessing the skills of the twenty-first century,
skills of science operations, students 'attitudes toward science, and conducting a study on
the impact of the program on developing scientific research skills and problem solving for
students.
