Using a project-based learning approach to foster interest in STEM subjects and the development of critical thinking in a vocational school in the UAE

Abstract

Students need help developing critical thinking skills, and in many education systems, improvements are needed to the curriculum to ensure this essential capability is nurtured. The distinctive characteristics of modern digital natives makes this need even greater. Although STEM project-based learning (PBL) has demonstrated success in improving students’ proficiency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, there is a lack of research on how effective STEM education is in developing critical thinking skills at the university level. To help fill this gap, the present research incorporated a quasi-experimental design to determine how PBL education in STEM disciplines taught in the United Arab Emirates affects the development of critical thinking skills. We conducted a STEM semantics survey and administered a recognized critical thinking test to 150 11th grade students. We also interviewed four teachers and three eleventh-grade students. The research found that PBL promotes critical thinking in STEM disciplines, by providing students with real-life experiences. By engaging in PBL, students were able to broaden their knowledge and satisfy their curiosity. Despite several limitations, including survey restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings contribute to our understanding of critical thinking education in the UAE. Further, the research findings and the developed framework of key characteristics can be used by teachers and researchers to promote the implementation and design of PBL science education.