Student Learning Outcomes and Teacher Perception in Science Learning Using Low-Cost Teaching Aids with the STEM Approach

One of the problems experienced by many schools at various levels of education is the limited laboratory equipment, which results in very few experimental activities. This results in students’ understanding of science concepts not being maximized. One of the causes of limited laboratory equipment is the high cost of providing various experimental tools. Therefore, overcoming this problem involves implementing Low-Cost Teaching Aids that can be used in the laboratory by integrating them into STEM-based learning. This study aims to determine how changes in students’ understanding of science concepts and teachers’ perceptions of the application of Low-Cost Teaching Aids with the STEM approach. The type of research used is the Mixed Method with research subjects of students and teachers at the junior high school level. Quantitative data analysis uses N-Gain Analysis, while qualitative data is analyzed narratively. Based on the results of the analysis, there was an increase in students’ understanding of the concept of energy change with a gain value of 0.58 (medium category), in addition, the teacher’s response to learning that applies Low-Cost Teaching Aids is very positive in terms of interaction, feelings, and effectiveness. Therefore, the application of Low-Cost Teaching Aids with a STEM approach in science learning is very feasible and is one of the innovations and solutions in overcoming the limitations of students’ practical activities.