Perceptions Of The Indonesia National Curriculum In Relation To Integrated Stem Education At The High School Level

Abstract

High school students need 21st-century skills to be competitive in the global economy. STEM education, coupled with problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation, and written and oral communication skills are essential for high school students. In Indonesia, STEM education is not as common as in the United States; some teachers in Indonesia use STEM as a learning method, but it is not included as a major component in the Indonesian curriculum. This study aimed to analyze (a) how teachers implement STEM-based lessons, including hands-on activities and project-based learning in relation to the Indonesian National Curriculum and (b) teachers’ prior knowledge about integrating STEM education into the National Curriculum. A descriptive methodology was utilized for this study; purposive sampling was implemented. The participants were 123 high school STEM-based teachers in West Java, Indonesia. The primary instrument used in this research was a web-based questionnaire, coupled with in-depth interviews. The researcher found that most participants (60.16%) utilize project-based learning and use hands-on activities in 25% of their courses. In addition, most participants provide a problem in their lesson design to improve students’ problem-solving skills. Findings from this study also indicated that most of the participants utilize authentic assessments, such as portfolios in their classes. Statistical analysis of the research instrument used in this study indicated that high school STEM-based teachers know what STEM is and implement some STEM-based instruction as part of the Indonesian National Curriculum, and the research participants mentioned that the Indonesian government has already integrated STEM education into the National curriculum, but the details of implementation were not explicit. There is needed to develop the existing National Curriculum that integrates STEM education.