ORGANIZING STEM TEACHING ON THE TOPIC OF SOUND, IN NATURAL SCIENCE SUBJECT TO DEVELOP DIGITAL COMPETENCE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is increasingly affirming its crucial role in preparing a high-quality workforce to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Concurrently, digital competence has become one of the core competencies necessary for citizens in the 21st century. This study presents the process of designing and organizing the teaching of the "Sound" topic (Grade 7 Natural Science) following the STEM education orientation, integrating the use of digital tools, aiming to develop digital competence for middle school students. The teaching process was developed based on the 5E model (Engage - Explore - Explain - Elaborate - Evaluate), combined with project-based learning and problem-solving methods. A pedagogical experiment was conducted at a middle school in Vietnam involving 7th-grade students. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that the designed STEM teaching activities not only helped students master knowledge about sound but also significantly improved components of digital competence. The paper also discusses practical implications and proposes recommendations for scaling up this teaching model.