Enhancing Scientific Research Competencies of Vietnamese High School Students through STEM Education

What is it about?

STEM education applies interdisciplinary scientific knowledge and skills to solve practical problems and develop scientific research competencies (SRC). This study, however, discovered that STEM education is not effectively used to develop SRC among Vietnamese high school students and there have been no appropriate tools to assess SRC. This study demonstrates a way to teach STEM topics to improve SRC. It analyzes and evaluates two chemistry experiments that improved the competencies of students and shows how to build tools to measure performance. This research had 4 stages: (1) Select participants and develop surveys given to 71 chemistry teachers and 860 high school students across Vietnam; (2) Build tools to evaluate SRC; (3) Experiment on STEM topic 1 "making smart epoxy lamps" with 83 students; (4) Experiment on STEM topic 2 "Synthesis of glucosamine hydrochloride" with 30 students. The data from tests and rubric tables showed that SRC increased. This study is the first in Vietnam to show how STEM experiments and competency assessment tools can be developed and used to increase SRC and measure the improvement.

Featured Image