STUDENTS’ INSIGHTS ON STEM LEARNING: NEEDS ANALYSIS OF HUMANIZING STEM THROUGH SCIENTIST-TEACHER-STUDENT PARTNERSHIPS (STSP)

Abstract

The global discourse on STEM education is increasingly emphasizing the need to integrate ethical, social, and cultural dimensions to ensure that learning is both technologically relevant and human-centered. While the Scientist-Teacher-Student Partnership (STSP) has been recognized as a promising model for bridging expertise and pedagogy, limited attention has been paid to how secondary school students themselves perceive the need for humanizing STEM learning. This study employs a basic interpretive qualitative design to capture insights from five (5) Malaysian upper-secondary students in the STEM stream through semi-structured interviews. Based on the thematic analysis, three (3) themes have emerged, which are (1) issues in STEM learning, (2) instructional strategy in STEM lessons, and (3) elements needed in humanizing STEM lessons. However, this paper will only discuss the first theme on the issues in STEM learning, which consists of three (3) categories, namely, (1) limited opportunities for inquiry and authentic practical engagement, (2) oversight of ethical, social, and cultural perspectives in STEM lessons, and (3) fragmented and siloed curricula that restrict interdisciplinary connections. These findings highlight systemic and pedagogical gaps that constrain student engagement and diminish the transformative potential of STEM education. By foregrounding student voices, the study emphasises the importance of humanizing STEM through STSP, where scientists, including humanities scientists, teachers, and students, reframe learning collaboratively, becoming inquiry-driven, ethically grounded, and socially relevant. The findings provide a needs analysis to inform the design of humanizing STEM modules and STSP-based interventions in secondary schools, with implications for curriculum reform, teacher professional development, and sustainable partnerships between scientists and schools.