STEAM Project-Based Learning Approach to Enhance Teaching-Learning Process in the Topic of Pascal’s Principle

With the advancements in information and communications technologies, new teaching approaches arise. In this context, project-based learning (PBL) and science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics model (STEAM) emerge as the most popular in the education field, attributed to their efficacy on students’ learning capacity. This article contributes with a new teaching–learning approach that combines the STEAM model and PBL (called STEAM-PBL) to address the student’s difficulties that may present in the topic of Pascal’s principle. The proposed approach is validated following an experimental design considering control and experimental groups. The metrics used to measure academic performance are the Dellwo index, while the Rasch model is used to quantify the effectiveness of the evaluation instrument. In addition, the proposed approach’s acceptance is quantified through Cronbach’s Alpha factor. The results reveal that STEAM-PBL has the potential to enhance the teaching–learning process while keeping the student motivated during the lectures.

I. Introduction

Nowadays, new legislations are emerging to motivate education centers to create novel strategies that encourage students to have an attitude focusing on building their knowledge [1]. This aspect opens a path to pay attention to the teaching-learning process in the student, providing solutions to problems related to their competencies. In this view, there is a need to improve scientific abilities that allow them to understand and analyze how the different physical phenomena around us. For this purpose, several teaching strategies have been developed in the physics field. For instance, Usón et al. [2] applied flipped classroom (FC) methodology to enhance problem solving in the topic of thermodynamics. This methodology consists in providing instructional content (e.g., videos, textbooks, exercises, etc.) in advance outside of class hours. Then, the knowledge is evaluated during lectures through solving problems. As a result, the authors state that FC enables an independence on the student with a view to build their own knowledge. Another example is presented in [3]. This study proposes a guided inquiry (GI) learning methodology to guide students in the topic of Newton’ s law. In this sense, the professor guides through significant questions based on “what happen if…?.” To answer the question the students, develop an experiment following the context of the question. The results indicate that GI prepares students to design and develop experiments independently, leading to a critical thinking of the phenomenon nature that they explore. Another example is presented in [4] in which peer instruction (PI) methodology to facilitate the understanding of the Einstein’s relativity theory to high school students. Authors validate the efficacy of the methodology using descriptive statistics, concluding that PI is very effective to promote active participation on students. The application of novel methodologies extent to professional development on science teacher, as exposed in [5]. The methodology consists of a combination of the use of wikis with collaborative learning, leading to a better understanding and planning of a lively science teaching content for teachers’ lectures.