Exploring a STEM-Integrated Instructional Approach and Its Preliminary Contextual Assessments of Problem-Solving and Motivation in Oman
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| Title: | Exploring a STEM-Integrated Instructional Approach and Its Preliminary Contextual Assessments of Problem-Solving and Motivation in Oman |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Marwa Al-Hinai (ORCID |
| Source: | European Journal of STEM Education. 2026 11(1). |
| Availability: | Lectito Journals. Wassenaarseweb 20, 2596 CH, The Hague, The Netherlands. Tel: 31-70-2190600; e-mail: info@lectitojournals.com; Web site: http://www.lectitopublishing.nl |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Grade 4 Intermediate Grades |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, STEM Education, Culturally Relevant Education, Problem Solving, Grade 4, Student Motivation, Gender Differences, Science Education, Hands on Science, Inquiry, Relevance (Education), Program Effectiveness |
| Geographic Terms: | Oman |
| ISSN: | 2468-1954 2468-4368 |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to deliver culturally contextualized STEM education can enhance problem-solving skills and motivation among fourth-grade students in Oman, while also examining whether these outcomes differ by gender. Using a quasi-experimental design, 118 students participated in either a STEM-based instructional intervention or a traditional science curriculum. The intervention featured hands-on, inquiry-driven, and locally meaningful tasks that directly reflect students' real environmental and cultural experiences in Oman. These included constructing weather-resistant animal shelters, designing floating paper boats, creating chocolate molds suited for warm climates, and developing low-cost oil-spill cleanup solutions using readily available local materials. These contextually grounded challenges, highlighted as a central strength of the study, demonstrate how the EDP can authentically align global STEM competencies with regional realities. The findings revealed preliminary evidence of improvements in the problem-solving dimensions of problem identification, planning, and production, as well as in motivational factors such as responsibility and engagement. However, no significant gains were observed in self-efficacy or peer collaboration, indicating areas for future instructional enhancement. This study underscores the value of culturally responsive, practice-based STEM pedagogy and provides initial insights into the use of contextualized, performance-based assessments to explore students' cognitive and motivational development in primary STEM education. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1497343 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to deliver culturally contextualized STEM education can enhance problem-solving skills and motivation among fourth-grade students in Oman, while also examining whether these outcomes differ by gender. Using a quasi-experimental design, 118 students participated in either a STEM-based instructional intervention or a traditional science curriculum. The intervention featured hands-on, inquiry-driven, and locally meaningful tasks that directly reflect students' real environmental and cultural experiences in Oman. These included constructing weather-resistant animal shelters, designing floating paper boats, creating chocolate molds suited for warm climates, and developing low-cost oil-spill cleanup solutions using readily available local materials. These contextually grounded challenges, highlighted as a central strength of the study, demonstrate how the EDP can authentically align global STEM competencies with regional realities. The findings revealed preliminary evidence of improvements in the problem-solving dimensions of problem identification, planning, and production, as well as in motivational factors such as responsibility and engagement. However, no significant gains were observed in self-efficacy or peer collaboration, indicating areas for future instructional enhancement. This study underscores the value of culturally responsive, practice-based STEM pedagogy and provides initial insights into the use of contextualized, performance-based assessments to explore students' cognitive and motivational development in primary STEM education. |
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| ISSN: | 2468-1954 2468-4368 |
