Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics project-based learning for physics learning from...

Area of Science:

• Educational Neuroscience
• Physics Education
• STEM Education

Background:

• Physics is often perceived as abstract and difficult by students.
• Traditional teaching methods may not effectively engage students or foster positive attitudes towards physics.
• Educational neuroscience principles offer potential insights for improving learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of an integrated STEM Projects Based Learning (STEM-PjBL) module in improving secondary students' beliefs about physics.
• To compare the impact of STEM-PjBL with traditional teaching methods on student attitudes.
• To explore the role of neuroscience principles in enhancing physics learning.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an integrated STEM-PjBL module in classical mechanics for secondary students in Malaysia and South Korea.
• Utilized a quasi-experimental design with an experimental group (STEM-PjBL) and a control group (traditional approach).
• Administered the Colorado Learning Attitudes Science Survey (CLASS) pre- and post-implementation to assess student beliefs.

Main Results:

• The STEM-PjBL group showed a significantly more positive shift in beliefs about physics and learning physics compared to the traditional group.
• Post-implementation CLASS scores indicated higher mean scores for the experimental group in both Malaysia and South Korea.
• Paired and independent samples t-tests confirmed the statistically significant positive impact of STEM-PjBL.

Conclusions:

• The integrated STEM-PjBL approach, grounded in neuroscience, effectively enhances secondary students' positive attitudes towards physics and its learning.
• Neuroscience-informed pedagogical strategies can bridge the gap caused by the abstract nature of physics.
• Provides practical guidelines for educators seeking to implement STEM-PjBL for improved physics education.