ENHANCING DESIGN THINKING OF PRE-SERVICE PHYSICS TEACHERS THROUGH A STEM-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL

Sudarat Theerapisit; Supphawut Benjakul; Siriluk Sintupachee

doi:10.14456/tisr.2026.11

Authors

Sudarat THEERAPISIT Faculty of Education, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Thailand
Supphawut BENJAKUL Faculty of Education, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Thailand
Siriluk SINTUPACHEE Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/tisr.2026.11

Keywords:

Design Thinking Competency, STEM-Based Instruction, Pre-service Physics Teachers, Instructional Model Development, Interdisciplinary Education

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the needs, evaluate the effectiveness, and compare pre-service physics teachers' design thinking competency before and after implementing a STEM-based physics instructional model. Employing an experimental design, the study involved 39 second- and third-year pre-service physics teachers selected through purposive sampling. The research instruments included a 20-item needs assessment, a 50-item design thinking competency test, a 20-item effectiveness evaluation form, and classroom observation protocols. The findings indicated a high-level need among participants for a STEM-based instructional approach emphasizing practical application and innovation. Following the intervention, the students' design thinking competency scores significantly increased from a pre-test average of 13.10 to a post-test average of 35.15 at the .001 statistical level, yielding an exceptionally high effect size of 6.97. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of the STEM-based model was rated at a high level (mean = 4.36), confirming its suitability for higher education contexts. Ultimately, this pedagogical approach successfully fostered deep analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, and practical engineering skills, proving to be a highly effective strategy for equipping future science educators with essential twenty-first-century competencies.

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