Abstract

This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis as a method to investigate whether STEM enactment in Asia effectively enhances students’ learning outcomes. Verifiable examples of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, effectively being applied in Asia, are presented in this study. The study involved 4768 students from 54 studies. Learning outcomes focused on the students’ academic learning achievement, higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), and motivation. The analysis results of effect sizes showed that the STEM enactments in Asia were effective at a moderate level (0.69 [0.58, 0.81 of 95% CI]) of improving students’ learning outcomes. Sequentially, the effectiveness of STEM enactment starts from students’ higher-order thinking skills, moves to students’ academic learning achievement, and ends with the motivation. In addition, STEM enactments in Asia were carried out with several variations where STEM integrated with project-based learning was preferred. The recommendations of this study include a combination of the learning approach, learning orientation, and duration of instruction, all of which contribute to the STEM enactment effectiveness and maximize results in STEM education. Some practical implications, such as the central role of the teacher during the STEM enactment, are extensively discussed. This study supports that STEM education is a universally crucial tool which effectively prepares students from various national and cultural backgrounds, across Asia, toward improved learning outcomes.

Highlights

  • The role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in terms of students’ learning outcome is a central topic for the educational field

  • The value ranged from negative (− 0.19; 95% CI = − 0.78 to 0.40) to positive effect (+ 2.81; 95% CI = 2.01 to 3.61)

  • The general portrait of study Based on the literature reviewed, the first publications to assess the effect of STEM education on the learning outcome in Asia began in 2013

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Summary

Introduction

The role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in terms of students’ learning outcome is a central topic for the educational field. STEM education is a very broad term (Baran, Bilici, Mesutoglu, & Ocak, 2016; Bybee, 2013; Hsu, Lin, & Yang, 2017). In this current study, STEM education (enactment) refers to teaching, learning, and integrating the disciplines and skills of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering in STEM topics, with an emphasis on solving real-world problems. In STEM learning activities, soft skills such as STEM activities in the classroom endeavor to improve the quality of the learning process (Meyrick, 2011), as well as learning outcomes (Adam, 2004; Cedefop, 2017). A strong link between the quality of the learning process and outcomes from STEM education, which originated from the west, constitutes a fundamental reason for educators and policy-makers to apply the Wahono et al International Journal of STEM Education (2020) 7:36 same principles in Asian countries (Khaeroningtyas, Permanasari & Hamidah, 2016; Yildirim, 2016)

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