Exploring STEM attitudes across grades and gender among Indonesian junior high schools

Abstract

In the digital era, integrating technology into education has become essential, and one prominent application is within STEM education. However, despite the introduction of STEM-based learning in classrooms, it is critical to assess students' attitudes toward STEM. STEM attitudes are foundational for fostering critical thinking and measuring students' interest, confidence, and values. This quantitative study aims to assess junior high school students' STEM attitudes by gender and grade level using a survey. The survey included 15 questions divided into five dimensions. The sample consisted of 110 junior high school students from Indonesia, comprising 53 males and 57 females across grades 7, 8, and 9, with 35, 40, and 35 students in each grade, respectively. The results revealed an average STEM attitude score of 3.01, classified as moderate. Females exhibited a higher STEM attitude score (3.02) than males (2.98). A Mann-Whitney U test indicated a significant gender difference in STEM attitudes (p-value < .001). Regarding grade level, 7th grade had the highest average STEM attitude (3.84), followed by 9th grade (3.16) and 8th grade (3.01). The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test also showed a significant difference in STEM attitudes between grade levels (p-value < .001). These findings suggest that students' STEM attitudes are moderate, highlighting the crucial role of teachers in designing effective learning methods to foster positive attitudes toward STEM.