World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. VI, Issue I (January 2026), pp.83-102
ANGELICA G. CONCEPCION
Master of Arts in Education major in Physical Science
Tarlac State University
ABSTRACT
Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on enhancing science education to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has emerged as a key approach to developing 21st century skills among students. However, despite the recognized benefits, teachers found it challenging to implement these methods fully and often resorted to traditional teaching strategies instead. Performance in science assessments urge the need to explore innovative teaching strategies to improve not just performance in assessments but also giving high-quality education.
This study focused on the effectiveness of STEM-based teaching strategies and identifying challenges encountered by students to propose a localized teaching model.
The study involved one group of students. The group of participants comprised 40 Grade 7 students who received instruction using STEM-based teaching strategies, including hands-on, inquiry-based, and interdisciplinary learning. They underwent pretests and posttests to determine the effectiveness of STEM-based teaching strategies.
Research findings revealed that students' academic performance improved with the use of STEM-based teaching strategies. As evident in the results presented, there was an increase in the mean score of the students when comparing pretest results with posttest results. However, despite the improved academic performance of the students, the use of STEM-based teaching strategies was perceived as a moderate challenge.
From there, a contextualized model was proposed, composed of teaching strategies that address challenges encountered students, which could be adapted by teachers. It was recommended that schools are encouraged to use different STEM-based teaching strategies. Government and other stakeholders should provide further support to encourage teachers to teach effectively and to improve the quality of students’ learning experiences.
Keywords: STEM-based teaching strategies, Science 7, hands-on learning, inquiry-based learning, innovative instruction, academic performance, 21st century skills
