Abstract:

While STEM education is promoted by many scholars and curricula worldwide, it has yet to be fully established in the province of Quebec, Canada. To effectively meet the needs of both students and teachers, there is a need for instructional activities and design methods that are both engaging and effective. One promising approach is the use of the Engineering Design Process (EDP), which prioritizes creativity and collaboration as key problem-solving strategies.

This communication reports on a case study that focused on using the EDP to develop instructional materials for teaching mathematical variables and functions at the secondary level. The study employed the five iterative stages of the EDP (design, make, test, infer, and iterate) in the development of the course materials. Data was collected through pre- and post-questionnaires and a working document that assessed students' understanding based on designing, making, testing, and simulating. The study involved 24 grade seven students (13 years old) from Northern Quebec, Canada.

The results of this study show that STEM activities can have a positive impact not only on students' engagement in classroom activities but also on their ability to learn new mathematical concepts. Additionally, STEM-focused activities were found to have a significant effect on the development of problem-solving skills within an interdisciplinary approach.
Drawing from these findings, it can be concluded that teachers should integrate STEM activities into their teaching practices to enhance learning outcomes. Moreover, greater emphasis should be placed on STEM-focused activities to foster students’ reflective thinking and hands-on skills

Keywords:

Engineering Design Process, motivation, STEM, integration, variables, functions.