Developing a Digital STEM Module on Dengue Fever: Effects on Critical Thinking and Creativity

Sofie Mellyani Fatimatuzzahro; Rufi’i Rufi’i; Reza Rachmadtullah

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9708

Developing a Digital STEM Module on Dengue Fever: Effects on Critical Thinking and Creativity

Sofie Mellyani Fatimatuzzahro, Rufi’i Rufi’i, Reza Rachmadtullah

Abstract

Developing students’ critical thinking and creativity is a major objective of Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum, yet classroom learning often remains focused on factual knowledge rather than higher-order thinking. Dengue fever provides an authentic interdisciplinary context for integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), although few digital STEM modules explicitly support these competencies in formal science education. This study developed a digital STEM module on dengue fever using the ADDIE research and development model and evaluated its validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The implementation employed a one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design involving 30 Grade X students, one science teacher, and three expert validators at SMA Negeri 4 Surabaya. Data were collected through expert validation sheets, practicality questionnaires, classroom observations, pretest–posttest essay tests, and project assessment rubrics. Data were analysed using Aiken’s V, descriptive statistics, normalized gain (N-gain), and descriptive effect size. The module demonstrated high validity (Aiken’s V = 0.882) and was rated practical by students (83.17%) and very practical by the teacher (93.33%). Classroom implementation was consistently good to very good. Students’ mean critical thinking scores increased from 46.10 to 72.87, with a moderate N-gain (0.501). Project assessments also indicated good performance in critical thinking (79.79%) and creativity (81.25%), suggesting that the module effectively supported evidence-based reasoning, problem solving, and innovative solution design. The digital STEM module is a valid, practical, and effective learning resource for contextual science instruction. It provides a promising approach for integrating public health issues into STEM learning while fostering critical thinking and creativity. Further studies should involve larger samples, comparison groups, and longer implementation periods to strengthen evidence of effectiveness.

Keywords

digital STEM module; dengue fever; critical thinking; creativity; Merdeka Curriculum

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i2.9708