Students’ Perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics (Stem) Fields

Syafiza Saila Samsudin (syafi915@uitm.edu.my)

Norliana Mohd Najib  (liananajib@uitm.edu.my)

Afida Ahmad (afidaahmad@uitm.edu.my)

Kamarul Ariffin Mansor (ariff118@uitm.edu.my)

This study investigates secondary school students’ perceptions of mathematics, science, and technology within the context of STEM education. Data were collected from 121 students through a survey conducted during a special STEM program involving four schools in Sungai Petani, Kedah. The survey utilized a 5-point Likert scale to assess students’ attitudes toward mathematics, science, engineering, and technology fields. A factor analysis was performed to examine the underlying structure of students’ attitudes toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was employed to extract distinct constructs within the dataset. The results revealed that only 5.8% of respondents identified mathematics as their weakest subject, while 33.1% considered themselves proficient in science. However, only 9.1% of the respondents expressed confidence in their ability to succeed in engineering. The study concludes that mathematics is not widely perceived as a weak subject among students, with only a small percentage identifying it as such. While a significant portion of students feel confident in their science abilities, relatively few believe they can achieve success in engineering. This finding highlights a potential gap in students’ confidence or interest in pursuing engineering-related fields within STEM.

Keywords: STEM perception, Students’ confidence, Attitude towards Science and Mathematics, Secondary school students.

JEL classification: I210, I230, I240, I240, I260