Mohamad Sattar Rasul

Students’ interest towards STEM: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Background: Previous studies have reported the impact of integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based programmes on students’ interest towards STEM, however, only few have tracked the longitudinal impact of such programmes across the years. Purpose: This study examined the long-term impact of the Bitara-STEM: Science of Smart Communities Program (Bitara-STEM) on middle school students’ interest towards STEM. Program description: The program exposed students with integrated STEM education through a hands-on project based learning experiences, in an informal learning environment involving the application of the five phases of an engineering design process. Sample: This study involved 121 students who participated in the 2014 cohort of the Bitara-STEM program. Design and methods: Data were collected through a longitudinal survey and interviews. Interviews were conducted with sub sample of students to gauge the reasoning behind the decline, sustain or increment of interest towards STEM. Results: Findings revealed that, 2 years after leaving the programme, the levels of interest towards STEM careers were sustained but interest towards STEM subjects was not. The data from interviews revealed that the possible reasons for the decrease in interest towards STEM subjects could be due to the quality of teaching and learning that they experienced in the classroom. Conclusions: Thus, in order to sustain interest towards STEM subjects, students should be involved with Bitara-STEM type active learning strategies more regularly. Teaching and learning approaches in schools need to reflect the more active learning approaches, involving the integration of STEM subjects, as exemplified in this programme.