Eureka! Institutional Repository

Integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) approach in education captures the interest of researchers, scientists, and curriculum designers, as it appears suitable for adequately preparing students to face the challenges of the 21st century, by developing advanced learning, cognitive, and social skills and attitudes. However, research on the integration of STEM education elements into the Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning method (IBTL or Inquiry-based Learning, IBL), which is a fundamental method for Science Education (SE), is relatively limited. The current research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a teaching intervention consisting of three two-hours’ instructional scenarios for teaching Newton's laws in the second grade of secondary school. The teaching method applied is structured, collaborative inquiry, which is suitable for implementing STEM activities. The research sample consists of 26 second-grade students. Specifically, the research inquires the extent to which there is an achievement of understanding the cognitive content related to Newton's laws, how students assess their participation in this intervention, and how students assess the development of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity (4Cs) skills of the 21st century. For research purposes, a comprehension questionnaire of cognitive content, a self-assessment questionnaire of student participation, and an awareness-evaluation questionnaire of the development of 4Cs skills were used. The results indicated a low level of understanding of the cognitive content (a score of 8.2 out of 20 units). However, overall participation, as well as the identification or development of students' 4Cs skills, were positively evaluated, reinforcing conclusions from similar studies regarding the development of 4Cs skills through students' participation in STEM and Inquiry-based educational activities.