STEMbot: An open source-based robotic kit as a middle school STEM education interest catalyst

Mad Helmi Ab. Majid

Abstract

STEM education has been formally introduced in order to foster student interest towards science and technology fields. Different approaches, strategies and tools have been used in order to implement an integrative STEM education at difference levels of education. Robot is one of the widely used tools to implement an integrative STEM education where the STEM components can be integrated and implemented using a single platform. However, the commercially available robotic platforms are mostly proprietary, high cost and has very restricted functions. In addition, the development of the proprietary robotic platforms and its activities are mostly not considering the content of the STEM related subjects in school. This study intends to develop a robotic kit (known as STEMbot) based on Mechatronics Design Process approach considering the STEM related course contents of the middle school in Malaysia using on open-source development tools. The findings demonstrate that the proposed STEMbot robotic kit has a positive impact in realizing an integrative STEM education as shown by the positive feedbacks from the schools' teachers. © 2024 Wydawnictwo SIGMA-NOT. All rights reserved.

References

Ministry of Education Malaysia, "Executive Summary Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education)," Ministry of Education Malaysia2015.

Academy of Sciences Malaysia, "Science Outlook Report for 2017," Academy of Sciences Malaysia2018.

N. Ramli and O. Talib, "Can Education Institution Implement STEM? From Malaysian Teachers View," The International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7, pp. 721-732, 2017.

S. N. D. Mahmud, N. M. Nasri, M. A. Samsudin, and L. Halim, "Science teacher education in Malaysia: challenges and way forward," Asia-Pacific Science Education, vol. 4, p. 8, 2018/05/15 2018.

M. Ismail, M. Mat Salleh, and N. Md Nasir, "The Issues and Challenges in Empowering STEM on Science Teachers in Malaysian Secondary Schools," vol. 9, pp. 430-444, 2019.

N. A. Nordin. (2020, 25 May 2020). Activities for STEM Education in Malaysia. Available: https://www.apecstemplustw.org/blog/activities-for-stemeducation-in-malaysia.

S. W. Tho, W. W. Chu, and T. K. Fong, "The innovative use of smartphones for STEM practical activities: A pilot implementation for a Malaysian primary school," in Crossdisciplinary STEM Learning for Asian Primary Students: Design, Practices, and Outcomes, ed, 2023, pp. 164-177.

M. A. A. Malik, M. F. Mustapha, A. Nazri, D. Ridzwan, A. Azamin, and M. R. M. Noor, "Factors Influenced the Students’ Intention to Study STEM Stream in Upper Secondary School," Journal of Advanced Research in Social and Behavioural Sciences, vol. 22, p. 9, 29 March 2021 2021.

N. S. Kamsi, R. B. Radin Firdaus, F. D. Abdul Razak, and M. Ridha Siregar, "Realizing Industry 4.0 Through STEM Education: But Why STEM Is Not Preferred?," IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 506, p. 012005, 2019/04/15 2019.

O. Dagan, N. Ragonis, D. Goldman, and T. Wagner, Integrative STEM Education -A New M.Ed. Program: Development, Objectives, and Challenges, 2019.

L. D. English, "STEM education K-12: perspectives on integration," International Journal of STEM Education, vol. 3, p. 3, 2016/03/01 2016.

L. Thibaut, S. Ceuppens, H. De Loof, J. De Meester, L. Goovaerts, A. Struyf, J. Boeve-de Pauw, W. Dehaene, J. Deprez, M. De Cock, L. Hellinckx, H. Knipprath, G. Langie, K. Struyven, D. Velde, P. Van Petegem, and F. Depaepe, "Integrated STEM Education: A Systematic Review of Instructional Practices in Secondary Education," European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 3, 2018.

C. H. Ng and M. Adnan, "Integrating STEM education through Project-Based Inquiry Learning (PIL) in topic space among year one pupils," IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 296, p. 012020, 2018/01 2018.

P. L. Chia and S. M. Maat, "An Exploratory Study of Teachers’ Attitudes towards Integration of STEM in Malaysia," International Journal of Electrical Engineering and Applied Sciences (IJEEAS), vol. 1, pp. 45-50, 2018.

F. Razali, U. Abdul Manaf, and A. F. Mohd Ayub, "STEM Education in Malaysia towards Developing a Human Capital through Motivating Science Subject," International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, vol. 19, pp.411-422, 2020.

E. H. M. Shahali, L. Halim, M. S. Rasul, K. Osman, and M. A. Zulkifeli, "STEM Learning through Engineering Design: Impact on Middle Secondary Students’ Interest towards STEM " EURASIA Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, vol. 13, p. 23, 2017.

S. Kucuk and B. Sisman, "Students’ attitudes towards robotics and STEM: Differences based on gender and robotics experience," International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, vol. 23-24, p. 100167, 2020/06/01/ 2020.

M. Jdeed, M. Schranz, and W. Elmenreich, "A study using the low-cost swarm robotics platform spiderino in education," Computers and Education Open, vol. 1, p. 100017, 2020/12/01/2020.