Date of Defense
8-4-2025 3:00 PM
Location
H1-0067
Document Type
Dissertation Defense
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education
College
CEDU
Department
Special and Gifted Education
First Advisor
Dr. Ahmed Hassan Hamdan
Keywords
Gifted, STEM, enrichment, academic achievement, problem-solving skills, attitud
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of a STEM-based enrichment unit on gifted learners’ academic achievement, problem-solving skills, and attitudes towards STEM. The participants were 33 female sixth-grade students attending the Elite Stream at a public school in the United Arab Emirates. To collect the data, the study followed a triangulation mixed-methods research design where the qualitative data was collected from the researcher’s observations during the program implementation. Furthermore, the quantitative data was obtained from a content-based test that focused on problemsolving skills, a survey on students’ attitudes towards STEM, and the End-of-Term summative achievement exam scores in Mathematics, Sciences, and Design and Technology. The study utilized the paired sample t-test model in which the collected data was compared before and after an intervention.
The findings of the study showed that the enrichment unit had a positive impact on the sixth-grade gifted students’ academic achievement, problem-solving skills, and attitudes towards STEM.
THE EFFECT OF A STEM-BASED ENRICHMENT UNIT ON GIFTED SIXTH GRADERS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS STEM
H1-0067
This study aimed to examine the effect of a STEM-based enrichment unit on gifted learners’ academic achievement, problem-solving skills, and attitudes towards STEM. The participants were 33 female sixth-grade students attending the Elite Stream at a public school in the United Arab Emirates. To collect the data, the study followed a triangulation mixed-methods research design where the qualitative data was collected from the researcher’s observations during the program implementation. Furthermore, the quantitative data was obtained from a content-based test that focused on problemsolving skills, a survey on students’ attitudes towards STEM, and the End-of-Term summative achievement exam scores in Mathematics, Sciences, and Design and Technology. The study utilized the paired sample t-test model in which the collected data was compared before and after an intervention.
The findings of the study showed that the enrichment unit had a positive impact on the sixth-grade gifted students’ academic achievement, problem-solving skills, and attitudes towards STEM.
