Abstract
The study aimed to find out how the integration of STEAM-Project-Based Learning (STEAM-PjBL) was applied with the aim of developing students' scientific literacy. The study employed a qualitative research method with multiple data collection through interviews, observations, reflective journals, and a scientific literacy test. The integration of STEAM-PjBL was applied in a science classroom at a public elementary school in West Java, Indonesia with the thirty grade 4 students. The study consisted of five steps of reflection, research, discovery, application, and communication (Laboy-Rush, 2010). A house miniature with hand-powered electric generator or solar-powered generator is employed as STEAM project on alternative energy learning topic. The collected data was analysed using five aspects of scientific literacy, namely general scientific ideas, science characteristic, natural science in context, higher-order thinking skills, and affective aspect. The results of scientific literacy analysis show that overall the highest percentage has reached the level of competence. Integration of STEAM-PjBL into science learning encouraged students to be able to see the relevance of science knowledge of phenomena in daily life, develop curiosity and problem solving, and increase students' courage to ask questions and explore various sources to find information. The challenges faced during the research are source and time management, development of project ideas according to the topic of learning, and student involvement in learning. In addition, students also get meaningful and interesting learning by STEAM project making. This research also provides an opportunity for teachers to develop their competence in applying various learning models.
Highlights
Science learning at the elementary school level is a subject that is expected to be a media for students to study the natural surroundings and prospects for further development in daily life
The development of scientific literacy needs to be done so students can discuss scientific issues that have an impact on students' technology and culture (Sahin & Deniz, 2016; Roach, 2018)
The results of the study show that the STEAM-Project Based Learning (PjBL) approach can be applied in elementary school level science learning to develop student scientific literacy
Summary
Science learning at the elementary school level is a subject that is expected to be a media for students to study the natural surroundings and prospects for further development in daily life. Science is not just a collection of theories in the form of concepts and facts and a process of discovery. This requires a creative thought processing to learn many abstract concepts as well as a scientific process that requires experimental activities to support learning, so as to develop students' level of understanding. According to Chen, (2019), reconceptualization of scientific literacy is a demand that students are able to read, write and speak scientific texts, and have the ability to analyze, interpret, and make a reason in the discourse of science. Bauer and Booth (2019) stated that the ability of scientific literacy is expected that students are able to detect and identify social problems as well as solutions to problems that students face. The development of scientific literacy needs to be done so students can discuss scientific issues that have an impact on students' technology and culture (Sahin & Deniz, 2016; Roach, 2018)
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