The Effect of STEM Integration on Scientific Literacy and Scientific Attitudes: An Empirical Study in Primary Education

Authors

  • Reka Monika Sales Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
  • Alwen Bentri Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
  • Yanti Fitria Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
  • Abna Hidayati Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33394/jp.v13i2.20131

Keywords:

STEM, Scientific Literacy, Scientific Attitudes

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of implementing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) approach on elementary school students’ scientific literacy and scientific attitudes. A quasi-experimental method with a one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. The participants consisted of 30 third-grade students from SD Negeri 100206 Pintu Padang, South Angkola District. Data were collected using a scientific literacy test in the form of essay questions, a scientific attitude questionnaire, and observation sheets to assess the implementation of the learning process. The data were analyzed quantitatively using the normalized gain (N-gain) to measure the level of improvement and a paired-sample t-test to determine the significance of differences between pretest and posttest scores. Prior to hypothesis testing, prerequisite tests, including tests of normality and homogeneity, were conducted. The findings indicate that the implementation of the STEM approach led to a substantial improvement in students’ scientific literacy. The mean score increased from 48.33 in the pretest to 88.33 in the posttest, with an N-gain value of 0.77, categorized as high. Similarly, students’ scientific attitudes improved significantly, with the mean score increasing from 49.50 to 89.17 and an N-gain value of 0.78, also classified as high. The paired-sample t-test yielded a significance value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest scores. These results suggest that the STEM approach is effective in enhancing both cognitive aspects (scientific literacy) and affective aspects (scientific attitudes). This effectiveness may be attributed to the characteristics of third-grade students, who are in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. At this stage, students learn more effectively through direct experiences, hands-on activities, and real-life problem-solving. The STEM approach accommodates these needs by engaging students in practical investigations, collaborative tasks, and contextual learning, thereby making abstract concepts more tangible and meaningful. Therefore, the integration of STEM in science learning can be considered an effective instructional strategy to enhance students’ engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in elementary education.

References

Afriana, J., Permanasari, A., & Fitriani, A. (2016). Project-based learning integrated with STEM to enhance students’ scientific literacy. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 5(2), 261–267. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v5i2.5493

Bentri A, Hidayati A and Kristiawan M (2022) Factors supporting digital pedagogical competence of primary education teachers in Indonesia. Front. Educ. 7:929191. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.929191

Bybee, R. W. (2013). The case for STEM education: Challenges and opportunities. National Science Teachers Association Press.

Harlen, W. (2015). Working with big ideas of science education. Science Education Programme.

Hidayah, N., Suyitno, H., & Sugiharti, E. (2020). Analysis of students’ scientific literacy skills in science learning. Journal of Science Education Research, 4(1), 45–52.

Jean Piaget. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New York, NY: International Universities Press.

Lase, D. (2019). Education and industrial revolution 4.0. Jurnal Handayani, 10(1), 48–62.

Lev Vygotsky. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Margaret Honey, Pearson, G., & Schweingruber, H. (2014). STEM integration in K–12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Moore, T. J., Stohlmann, M. S., Wang, H. H., Tank, K. M., Glancy, A. W., & Roehrig, G. H. (2014). Implementation and integration of engineering in K–12 STEM education. In Ş. Purzer, J. Strobel, & M. Cardella (Eds.), Engineering in pre-college settings: Synthesizing research, policy, and practices (pp. 35–60). Purdue University Press.

OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 results (Volume I): What students know and can do. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5f07c754-en

OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 results: The state of learning and equity in education. OECD Publishing.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). PISA 2018 assessment and analytical framework. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Putri, RA, Bentri, A., Hidayati, A., & Hakim, R. (2025). Pengembangan Lembar Kerja Elektronik Siswa Berbasis Pembelajaran Kooperatif pada Mata Pelajaran IPAS untuk Siswa Kelas V Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA , 11 (10), 840–847. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i10.12072

Richard R. Hake. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64–74.

Sanders, M. (2009). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania. The Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20–26.

Suryani, N., Setiawan, A., & Putria, A. (2021). Teacher-centered learning in elementary schools: Challenges and opportunities. Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar, 12(2), 123–130.

Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. Jossey-Bass.

Wahyuni, S., Suyanto, E., & Winarti, A. (2020). The effect of STEM-based learning on students’ scientific attitudes. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1467(1), 012045. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1467/1/012045

Wahyuni, NS, Hidayati, A., Bentri, A., Hakim, R., & Fajrina, S. (2025). Pengembangan Bahan Ajar IPAS Berbasis Pembelajaran Berbasis Proyek (PjBL) untuk Siswa Kelas Enam Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA , 11 (12), 178–184. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i12.12408

Winarni, J. (2018). STEM education to improve 21st century skills. Jurnal Pendidikan Sains, 6(2), 45–52.

Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 20 Tahun 2003 tentang Sistem Pendidikan Nasional.

Downloads

Published

2026-04-07

How to Cite

Sales, R. M., Bentri, A., Fitria, Y., & Hidayati, A. (2026). The Effect of STEM Integration on Scientific Literacy and Scientific Attitudes: An Empirical Study in Primary Education. Jurnal Paedagogy, 13(2), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.33394/jp.v13i2.20131

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2026): April (IN PRESS)

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

License and Publishing Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:

  • They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
  • The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
  • That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
  • That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities tacitly or explicitly of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
  • They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
  • They agree to the following license and publishing agreement.

Copyright
Authors who publish with Jurnal Paedagogy agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. 
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Licensing for Data Publication

Jurnal Paedagogy use a variety of waivers and licenses, that are specifically designed for and appropriate for the treatment of data:
Other data publishing licenses may be allowed as exceptions (subject to approval by the editor on a case-by-case basis) and should be justified with a written statement from the author, which will be published with the article.