Determining the Effectiveness of STEM-Based Activities in Science Classes for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of STEM-based instructional activities in teaching the topic of "light propagation and reflection" to students with mild intellectual disabilities. A single-subject research model was used in this study, specifically the multiple probe design across participants. The participants were three fifth-grade students diagnosed with intellectual disabilities who received supplementary education at a special education and rehabilitation center. The study's findings indicated that the STEM-based instructional activities were effective in teaching the topic of "light propagation and reflection" to students with mild intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, the participants were able to generalize the topics they learned to different individuals and maintained their performance on these topics at 1, 3, and 5 weeks following the completion of instruction. The social validity findings obtained after the STEM-based instructional activities also indicated that the students with mild intellectual disabilities had positive perceptions of the study.