Ternate — An Engineering Design Process (EDP) learning model integrated with the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) approach has shown stronger results in improving students’ Creative Problem Solving (CPS) skills and biological science literacy in environmental knowledge lessons. The finding comes from Farmiwati Wambes, Abdu Mas’ud, and Ilham Madjid of the Master’s Program in Biology Education, Postgraduate Program, Khairun University. The study was conducted in January 2026 at SMP Negeri 3 Ternate City and compared STEAM-based EDP learning with EDP learning without the STEAM approach.
The study found that combining EDP and STEAM can provide students with a stronger learning experience when studying environmental issues. The approach not only helps students understand biology concepts but also encourages them to think creatively, develop solutions, and connect knowledge from different disciplines when dealing with real-world problems.
STEAM integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics into the learning process. The approach encourages students to think critically, creatively, and innovatively while developing communication and collaboration skills. In the study by Wambes, Mas’ud, and Madjid, STEAM was combined with EDP to provide students with a structured process for identifying, developing, and testing solutions.
The research was motivated by the learning conditions at SMP Negeri 3 Ternate City. Interviews conducted by the researchers found that the school had implemented the Merdeka Curriculum and that teachers had introduced the STEAM approach to students. However, the EDP learning model had not yet been implemented, while teachers had not specifically assessed students’ CPS skills. Science literacy activities were already being implemented, but their effectiveness had not been examined through research at the school. These conditions encouraged the researchers to test the STEAM-based EDP model directly.
The researchers used a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design. Two seventh-grade classes were compared. The experimental class received Biology lessons using the STEAM-based EDP model, while the control class used the EDP model without the STEAM approach. Data were collected through tests, interviews, observations, and documentation. Student abilities were measured before and after the learning intervention to identify changes in both groups.
The study was conducted from January 13 to January 24, 2026. The experimental class consisted of 23 students, while the control class consisted of 22 students. The learning focused on environmental knowledge, with CPS skills and science literacy measured through pretests and posttests.
The improvement in Creative Problem Solving was particularly visible. In the experimental class, the average score increased from 37.54 on the pretest to 76.81 on the posttest. In comparison, the control class increased from 32.18 to 65.64. The results indicate that the improvement in CPS skills was greater among students who learned through the STEAM-based EDP model.
A similar pattern appeared in science literacy. The experimental class recorded an average increase from 39.81 on the pretest to 73.83 on the posttest. The control class increased from 33.18 to 63.45. The results indicate that students who participated in STEAM-based EDP learning achieved higher science literacy scores than students who learned through EDP without the STEAM approach.
The statistical analysis also supported the findings. The hypothesis testing produced a significance level below 0.05, reported as 0.000. The authors concluded that the EDP model integrated with the STEAM approach influenced students’ creative problem-solving skills and biological science literacy in environmental knowledge lessons. The effect was reported to be more significant in the experimental class than in the control class.
According to Wambes, Mas’ud, and Madjid, the integration of EDP and STEAM gives students opportunities to develop critical and creative thinking through a structured learning process. The EDP stages described in the study consist of define, learn, plan, try, test, and decide. Through these stages, students are encouraged to understand a problem, develop a solution, try it, test the result, and make a decision rather than simply receive information from the teacher.
The findings offer an important perspective for biology education. Learning can be designed to connect classroom concepts with real-world environmental problems while simultaneously strengthening students’ ability to solve problems and apply scientific knowledge. For teachers, the STEAM-based EDP model provides an alternative approach to creating more active and contextual learning experiences.
However, the researchers noted that the findings cannot yet be generalized broadly because the study was conducted at only one school and focused specifically on environmental knowledge. The effectiveness of the model for other biology topics, including organ systems, genetics, and biodiversity, remains to be tested. Its implementation may also depend on teacher readiness, available facilities and infrastructure, and students’ active participation.
Author Profiles
Farmiwati Wambes — Master’s Program in Biology Education, Postgraduate Program, Khairun University.
Abdu Mas’ud — Master’s Program in Biology Education, Postgraduate Program, Khairun University.
Ilham Madjid — Master’s Program in Biology Education, Postgraduate Program, Khairun University.
Research Source
Title: The Effect of the EDP Learning Model Based on the STEAM Approach to Stimulate Students' CPS Skills and Biological Science Literacy on Environmental Knowledge Materials at State Middle School 3 Ternate City
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5, No. 7, 2026, pp. 3089–3100.
DOI: 10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.208
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.208
Link Jurnal: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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