Exploring the impact of the design thinking model on fifth graders’ creative self-efficacy, situational interest, and individual interest in STEM education

Abstract

Design thinking has gained considerable attention as an approach to improve the effectiveness of STEM education. This study endeavours to investigate the influence of the design thinking model on the creative self-efficacy, situational interest, and individual interest of fifth-grade students in STEM education. A non-equivalent pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was utilized. The experiment group (n = 32) received the design thinking model, whereas the control group (n = 31) followed regularly-used learning. Creative self-efficacy, situational interest, and individual interest were measured before and after the intervention. Paired samples t-tests were conducted to calculate differences in changes of creative self-efficacy, situational interest, and individual interest between the two groups. Additionally, independent sample t-tests were performed to examine differences in creative self-efficacy, situational interest, and individual interest between the two groups. The results showed that the intervention of the design thinking model had a positive impact on fifth graders’ creative self-efficacy and situational interest in STEM education. However, no statistically significant impact was found with regards to individual interest. This study suggests that the design thinking model presents an effective approach for enhancing students’ creative self-efficacy and situational interest, and offering valuable insights for educators looking to integrate design thinking model in STEM education.