Integrated STEM Education in Indonesia: What Do Science Teachers Know and Implement?

Abstract

Integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education has been a popular topic worldwide for the last few years. However, only a few studies have examined this topic in Indonesia. This literature review is to fill the gap by focusing on science teachers’ perspectives on the STEM education approach at the secondary school level, including what they know and what they implement in science classrooms. For this purpose, 48 research articles published in national and international journals and judged to be pertinent to the current study, were reviewed. The results emerging from most of the existing research indicated that Indonesian science teachers in general were familiar with the integrated STEM teaching approach. However, more than half of them never tried implementing it in their classes. In addition, the studies revealed that project-based learning was the most frequently used method in STEM-based science classes. Teachers in science classes mainly employed integrated STEM education approach to promote 21st century skills such as creative and critical thinking, problem-solving, and literacy.