Effect of STEM-based Learning on the Cognitive Skills Improvement

The success in the modern era is determined by how students strive to have certain skills. This can be achieved by students through the development of cognitive domain, because it is considered as the ability to master subject matter with regard to thinking ability in addition to learning. Hence, this research aims at improving the learning outcomes in the cognitive domain of students at the primary school level. This research was conducted using the Pre-Experiment method with the pretest-posttest One-Group design. The lessons were implemented using Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-based learning, while the learning method was referred to the Engineering Design Process. The stages consist of problem scoping, idea generation, design and construct, design evaluation and re-design. The research involved 30 fourth grade primary school students in Cimahi City as the research samples. The data were collected using observation and analyzed using quantitative descriptive analysis. The research results revealed that there were differences in learning outcomes in the cognitive domain. To conclude, STEM-based learning could improve primary school students’ cognitive skills.

INTRODUCTION ~ The 21st century principle raises new challenges in the world of education, One of the interesting concerns is the need for a variety of skills related to adapting to society. Based on the results of the education process, students are required to have abilities such as life skills, workforce skills, application skills, personal skills, interpersonal skills and noncognitive skills (Saavedra et al., 2012).
These skills have been around for decades, but lately, there has been more encouragement to teach students to have these abilities at every stage of education, because the success in this modern era requires these 21 st century skills (Bybee & Fuchs, 2006;Rotherham & Willingham, 2009;Silva, 2009).
The required skills could not be directly possessed by students. Interests, talents, and opportunities to develop these skills also determine the presence or absence of these skills in students. The learning process in school can determine the students' opportunities to develop the required skills, but the magnitude of the development of these skills depends on whether the quality of education in the school is good or not. A quality STEM education should be able to provide wider opportunities for students to develop their competencies in which it is not only Science, but also Technology, Engineering Anugrah Ramadhan Firdaus & Galih Dani Septiyan Rahayu, Effect of STEM based Learning… [199] Mathematics, and its related areas (Osman & Saat, 2014).   (Hanover, 2011). STEM education is a "meta-discipline". In other words, it is the creation of a integration-based discipline of other disciplinary knowledge into a new 'whole' rather than in bits and pieces; and an interdisciplinary approach (Morrison, 2006;Tsupros, Kohler, & Hallinen, 2009 with materials, and build collaborative group work.

Idea Generation (Brainstorming and
Planning) Students will share ideas, and formulate them, discuss strategies that will be pursued, and develop a plan.
3. Design and Construct (Model Development) Students will create a design and then interpret the results of the design. After that students will change design into a model.

Design Evaluation (Meeting Constraint)
Students will examine the model, then The ability referred to in this research is the ability in the cognitive domain based on Bloom's taxonomy, which is mastery of subject matter related to thinking ability after learning. The cognitive domain is that involves more aspects of mental or brain.
In the cognitive domain, there are six levels of thought processes, ranging from the lowest to the highest level. These levels is abbreviated as "C" taken from the word (understanding), C3 (applying) and C4 (analyzing).

METHOD
This research is a quantitative research. It employs a pre-experimental method with one-group pretest-posttest research design. According to Rahayu & Nugraha (2018), the design of one-group pretestposttest research is a study using minimal controls. The design is presented in Figure   1.

Pre-Test Treatment
Post-Test T1 X T2  The instrument used to answer the research questions was multiple-choice written test consisting of 20 questions.

Anugrah Ramadhan Firdaus & Galih Dani Septiyan Rahayu, Effect of STEM based Learning…
[203] Before this instrument was used at the pretest and posttest stages, the instrument was examined by the expert and the students, so that the validity, reliability, distinguishing power, and level of difficulty of this instrument were in a good category.