Enhancing Students' Conceptual Understanding through a STEM-Integrated Problem-Based Learning Model

Abstrak

The gender gap in conceptual understanding of physics remains underexplored, particularly in STEM-based Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This study aims to analyze the improvement in students’ conceptual understanding of direct-current electrical circuits through STEM-based PBL from a gender perspective. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent comparison-group was employed, involving second-semester male and female students at a university in Majalengka, Indonesia. Data were collected using a validated conceptual understanding test and analyzed using normalized gain (N-gain). The results indicate that STEM-based PBL improved conceptual understanding in both groups to a moderate extent, with N-gains of 0.48 for male students and 0.32 for female students. This difference suggests variations in cognitive engagement, where male students tended to be more dominant in practical and engineering-related tasks, while female students demonstrated stronger performance in conceptual analysis. These findings highlight that the effectiveness of STEM-based PBL is influenced by gender-related factors. This study contributes to the development of more inclusive and gender-responsive STEM-based physics instruction.