The Study of STEM Projects to Improve Students’ Creative Thinking and Beliefs of Teachers and Students Toward STEM Projects for Improving Creative Thinking in Southern Secondary Schools

Abstract

The objectives of this study were 1) to study the effects of STEM projects on developing creative thinking in secondary students. 2) to study the beliefs of students on STEM projects to improve creative thinking 3) to study the beliefs of teachers on STEM projects to improve student’s creative thinking. Exampling were 1. The 6 volunteer mathematics teachers from 5 schools were trained in STEM education before using treatment with the student. 2. 146 students from 5 schools. The study used 1- month treatment. The instruments of this study were Torrance's creative thinking test, interview form about the belief of students, and questionnaires about the belief of teachers (google form).
The results illustrated that secondary students after treatment had a higher level of creative thinking at a confidence level of .01 than before. The student interviews showed that 72.22% of the target students (13 out of 18) believed their creative thinking could be improved by STEM projects. The results for teachers showed 100% of the teachers agreed that the STEM project could improve secondary students’ creative thinking: 40% at the highest level, 20% at the high level, and 40% at the medium level, and nobody does not agree.