STEM approach using soccer: improving academic performance in Physics and Mathematics in a real-world context

This proposal adds original approaches to the currently scarce body of practical evidence on the application of STEM innovations in the curriculum. A teaching-learning program was designed in a real-world context such as the game of soccer with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) approach through a cooperative problem-solving methodology. The objectives of the research focus on analyzing the effect of the use of this STEM unit on the academic performance of students, taking into account the gender variable; and their appreciation of the activities and methodology used, as well as the challenges encountered and their solutions. The intervention was implemented in the 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education in a school in Spain with 36 students (24 girls and 12 boys). Academic performance was analyzed taking into account the gender variable, for which a quasi-experimental design was applied before and after with a control group. The appreciation and interest of the experimental group regarding the methodology used as well as the difficulties that arose were studied. As a result, there is an improvement in the academic performance, which is more evident in girls. The methodology has been valued positively and the greatest difficulties refer to the distribution of roles and understanding and carrying out the activities, however, these difficulties were resolved with the help of classmates and the teacher.