An exploratory study on STEM education through math trails with digital technology to promote mathematical literacy

Adi Nur Cahyono; Riza Arifudin; Rozak Ilham Aditya; Bagus Surya Maulana; Zsolt Lavicza; Adi Nur Cahyono; Riza Arifudin; Rozak Ilham Aditya; Bagus Surya Maulana; Zsolt Lavicza

doi:10.3934/steme.2025003

STEM Education

2025, Volume 5, Issue 1: 41-52. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025003

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An exploratory study on STEM education through math trails with digital technology to promote mathematical literacy

1.
Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia
2.
Zandspace Company, Indonesia
3.
Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

Academic Editor: Jun Shen

Received: 03 August 2024 Revised: 04 November 2024 Accepted: 06 November 2024 Published: 05 December 2024

This study aims to investigate how the use of math trail activities and digital technology in STEM education can help to improve mathematical literacy. Exploratory design research involving teachers and eighth-grade students in a junior high school was conducted. A STEM Trails application was developed, several trails were designed, and students performed the activities. Participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, exams, and worksheets were used to collect data. Organization, annotation, data description, and statistical tests were carried out for data analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, an educational program was designed to provide students with valuable STEM experiences. This program was supported by GPS-based applications that serve as tools for students to develop mathematical literacy by solving STEM-related problems in the surrounding environment. As a result, the program promoted students' mathematical literacy. This study discovered a link between the program's instrumental approaches and the mathematical literacy developed throughout the instrumentation process. The findings of this study demonstrate that the integration of digital technology in STEM-based math trails can effectively enhance learners' mathematical literacy through contextualized and interactive learning experiences. It is recommended that future research should extend the implementation of STEM Trails to a wider range of learning environments and investigate its impact on students' skills and abilities in greater depth.
- STEM education,
- math trails,
- digital technology,
- mathematical literacy,
- exploratory study
Citation: Adi Nur Cahyono, Riza Arifudin, Rozak Ilham Aditya, Bagus Surya Maulana, Zsolt Lavicza. An exploratory study on STEM education through math trails with digital technology to promote mathematical literacy[J]. STEM Education, 2025, 5(1): 41-52. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025003

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Abstract

This study aims to investigate how the use of math trail activities and digital technology in STEM education can help to improve mathematical literacy. Exploratory design research involving teachers and eighth-grade students in a junior high school was conducted. A STEM Trails application was developed, several trails were designed, and students performed the activities. Participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, exams, and worksheets were used to collect data. Organization, annotation, data description, and statistical tests were carried out for data analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, an educational program was designed to provide students with valuable STEM experiences. This program was supported by GPS-based applications that serve as tools for students to develop mathematical literacy by solving STEM-related problems in the surrounding environment. As a result, the program promoted students' mathematical literacy. This study discovered a link between the program's instrumental approaches and the mathematical literacy developed throughout the instrumentation process. The findings of this study demonstrate that the integration of digital technology in STEM-based math trails can effectively enhance learners' mathematical literacy through contextualized and interactive learning experiences. It is recommended that future research should extend the implementation of STEM Trails to a wider range of learning environments and investigate its impact on students' skills and abilities in greater depth.

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Author's biography Adi Nur Cahyono is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Indonesia. He received his doctoral degree (Dr.rer.nat.) from J.W.v. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in the specialty of Didactics of Mathematics for his work on the MathCityMap Indonesia. He teaches, researches, and supervises undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students in teaching & learning geometry, mathematical modelling, and the uses of ICT in mathematics education. He is the founder and leader of the Centre for Research on Math Trails with Digital Technology (mathtrailslab.id); Riza Arifudin is a lecturer in Computer Science at Universitas Negeri Semarang. He holds a master's degree in computer science from Universitas Gadjah Mada. In addition to teaching, he is actively engaged in research in the fields of education and artificial intelligence systems, focusing on developing innovations and technological solutions to support modern learning. He is also an author, having written several books in his areas of expertise; Rozak Ilham Aditya is an Informatics Engineering graduate from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Indonesia. He is currently working as a programmer and data scientist at Universitas Negeri Semarang, specializing in Full-Stack Web Development and data analysis. He is also a freelance programmer and the founder of Zandspace, a software house based in Semarang, Indonesia, focusing on innovative software and system development; Bagus Surya Maulana is a Mathematics Teacher at Semarang Multinational School, Semarang, Indonesia. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics education from Universitas Negeri Semarang in International Class and graduated in 2024. During his college years, he was active as a Lecturer Assistant and Laboratory Assistant in lecture activities. He is currently doing his master's degree through Fast Track Program at Universitas Negeri Semarang, Mathematics Education Study Program. He also received a Merit-based Scholarship from Bank Indonesia in 2023. Now, he teaches Mathematics at an International School with Cambridge Curriculum; Zsolt Lavicza has worked on several research projects examining technology and mathematics teaching in classroom environments in Michigan and Cambridge. In addition, Zsolt has greatly contributed to the development of the GeoGebra community and participated in developing research projects on GeoGebra and related technologies worldwide. Currently, Zsolt is a Professor in STEM Education Research Methods at Johannes Kepler University's Linz School of Education. From JKU he is working on numerous research projects worldwide related to technology integration into schools; leading the doctoral programme in STEM Education; teaching educational research methods worldwide; and coordinates research projects within the International GeoGebra Institute

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