Fostering students' critical thinking through STEM project-based learning: Designing earthquake-resistant buildings

Isti Setiasih; Nanang Winarno; Eka Cahya Prima; Fairus Qamila; Rohim Aminullah Firdaus; Nur Jahan Ahmad; Isti Setiasih; Nanang Winarno; Eka Cahya Prima; Fairus Qamila; Rohim Aminullah Firdaus; Nur Jahan Ahmad

doi:10.3934/steme.2026012

STEM Education

2026, Volume 6, Issue 2: 284-306. doi: 10.3934/steme.2026012

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Research article

Fostering students' critical thinking through STEM project-based learning: Designing earthquake-resistant buildings

1.
Department of Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia; istisetiasih@upi.edu, nanang_winarno@upi.edu, ekacahyaprima@upi.edu, fairusqamila@upi.edu
2.
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; rohimfirdaus@unesa.ac.id
3.
School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia; jahan@usm.my

Academic Editor: Stephen Xu

Received: 25 August 2025 Revised: 05 February 2026 Accepted: 23 February 2026 Published: 12 March 2026

Critical thinking is a key component of the 4Cs skills required to navigate the challenges of the twenty-first century. However, Indonesian students' critical thinking performance remains below the international average, as indicated by the PISA results. This study explored the influence of STEM-based project learning (PjBL) activities on junior high school students' critical thinking skills, particularly in lessons related to earthquakes. A quantitative methodology was adopted, employing a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design that included pretest and posttest measures. The experimental group received instructions through STEM PjBL, whereas the control group was taught via conventional learning. A total of 102 eighth-grade students from a public junior high school in Bandung, Indonesia, took part in this study, with 51 students assigned to the experimental group and 51 to the control group. Data were collected via an essay test comprising eight open-ended questions designed to measure critical thinking skills following the criteria by Ennis. The results revealed a significant difference in critical thinking improvement between the two groups. The N-gain value of the experimental group (0.6) was higher than that of the control group (0.4), suggesting a greater improvement in learning outcomes. These findings suggest that compared with conventional instruction, STEM PjBL provides more supportive learning conditions for developing students' critical thinking skills in earthquake-related science topics.
- critical thinking skills,
- earthquakes topic,
- STEM,
- STEM project-based learning
Citation: Isti Setiasih, Nanang Winarno, Eka Cahya Prima, Fairus Qamila, Rohim Aminullah Firdaus, Nur Jahan Ahmad. Fostering students' critical thinking through STEM project-based learning: Designing earthquake-resistant buildings[J]. STEM Education, 2026, 6(2): 284-306. doi: 10.3934/steme.2026012

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Abstract

Critical thinking is a key component of the 4Cs skills required to navigate the challenges of the twenty-first century. However, Indonesian students' critical thinking performance remains below the international average, as indicated by the PISA results. This study explored the influence of STEM-based project learning (PjBL) activities on junior high school students' critical thinking skills, particularly in lessons related to earthquakes. A quantitative methodology was adopted, employing a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design that included pretest and posttest measures. The experimental group received instructions through STEM PjBL, whereas the control group was taught via conventional learning. A total of 102 eighth-grade students from a public junior high school in Bandung, Indonesia, took part in this study, with 51 students assigned to the experimental group and 51 to the control group. Data were collected via an essay test comprising eight open-ended questions designed to measure critical thinking skills following the criteria by Ennis. The results revealed a significant difference in critical thinking improvement between the two groups. The N-gain value of the experimental group (0.6) was higher than that of the control group (0.4), suggesting a greater improvement in learning outcomes. These findings suggest that compared with conventional instruction, STEM PjBL provides more supportive learning conditions for developing students' critical thinking skills in earthquake-related science topics.

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Author's biography Isti Setiasih, S.Pd. is a recent graduate in the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia. Her research interests focus on STEM Education for Science Learning; Dr. Nanang Winarno, S.Si., S.Pd., M.Pd. is an assistant professor and researcher in the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia. His research interests focus on STEM Education for Science Learning; Prof. Dr. Eka Cahya Prima, S.Pd., M.T. is a professor and researcher in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. His research focuses on solar energy materials, including fabrication, characterization, and density functional theory of emerging solar cells; Fairus Qamila, S.Pd. is a master's student in the Department of Science Education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia. Her research focuses on the implementation of STEM education in science learning; Dr. Rohim Aminullah Firdaus, M.Si. is an assistant professor and researcher in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia. His research interests focus on optoelectronics, electromagnetism, FDTD, and antenna; Dr. Nur Jahan Ahmad is a senior lecturer at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. She is an experienced researcher and involved heavily in research related to chemistry and science education, STEM Education, design-based research, curriculum development, and assessment

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