Initial Steps for Strengthening 21st Century Education: Training on Developing STEM Modules Based on an Interdisciplinary Approach
Keywords:
21st-century education, Engineering Design Process, interdisciplinary learning, learning modules, local issues, STEMAbstract
The STEMNESIA workshop serves as a strategic initial step in strengthening 21st-century education in Garut Regency through training on developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning modules with an interdisciplinary approach. Amid the dominance of conventional teaching methods that remain theoretical and separated by subjects, this workshop emerged as an innovation to introduce a contextual approach that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to solve local problems. The event was attended by 60 participants, including lecturers, teachers, and students from the science and physics programs, who worked collaboratively to design modules and create prototypes based on regional potential, such as water filters, irrigation systems, and soil moisture measurement tools. Through a step-by-step workshop method that included concept introduction, module design, and product development, participants understood the principles of STEM theoretically and experienced it firsthand through the engineering design process. As a result, eight contextual and applicable STEM module designs were created, and a paradigm shift in learning occurred, from a one-way model to a participatory and collaborative learning process between teachers and students. This activity demonstrates that 21st-century education can be implemented in regional areas with intensive training and continuous mentoring support. The STEMNESIA workshop has become a critical foundation for the transformation of innovative, relevant, and problem-solving-oriented science/physics education.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Resti Warliani, Asep Irvan Irvani, Rahmadhani Mulvia, Siti Nurdianti Muhajir, Isti Fuji Lestari (Author)
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