Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman

Marwa Al-Hinai; Mohamed A.  Shahat; Ehab Omara; Mahmoud M.  Emam; Sameh S.  Ismail; Nabil Alhabsi; Khoula Alhosni; Mohammed Al-Amri; Amur Al-Yahmedi; Yasser M. Fawzy; Sulaiman M.  Al-Balushi

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Research Article

2026, 11(1), Article No: 3

Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman

Marwa Al-Hinai ¹, Mohamed A. Shahat ² ^* , Ehab Omara ², Mahmoud M. Emam ², Sameh S. Ismail ², Nabil Alhabsi ¹, Khoula Alhosni ², Mohammed Al-Amri ², Amur Al-Yahmedi ², Yasser M. Fawzy ², Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi ²

¹ Ministry of Education, OMAN ² Sultan Qaboos University, OMAN
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Published in Volume 11 Issue 1: 25 Jan 2026

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Abstract

This study investigates how using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to deliver culturally contextualized STEM education can enhance problem-solving skills and motivation among fourth-grade students in Oman, while also examining whether these outcomes differ by gender. Using a quasi-experimental design, 118 students participated in either a STEM-based instructional intervention or a traditional science curriculum. The intervention featured hands-on, inquiry-driven, and locally meaningful tasks that directly reflect students’ real environmental and cultural experiences in Oman. These included constructing weather-resistant animal shelters, designing floating paper boats, creating chocolate molds suited for warm climates, and developing low-cost oil-spill cleanup solutions using readily available local materials. These contextually grounded challenges, highlighted as a central strength of the study, demonstrate how the EDP can authentically align global STEM competencies with regional realities. The findings revealed preliminary evidence of improvements in the problem-solving dimensions of problem identification, planning, and production, as well as in motivational factors such as responsibility and engagement. However, no significant gains were observed in self-efficacy or peer collaboration, indicating areas for future instructional enhancement. This study underscores the value of culturally responsive, practice-based STEM pedagogy and provides initial insights into the use of contextualized, performance-based assessments to explore students’ cognitive and motivational development in primary STEM education.

Figure 1. The Engineering Design Model

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APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Al-Hinai et al., 2026)
Reference: Al-Hinai, M., Shahat, M. A., Omara, E., Emam, M. M., Ismail, S. S., Alhabsi, N., Alhosni, K., Al-Amri, M., Al-Yahmedi, A., Fawzy, Y. M., & Al-Balushi, S. M. (2026). Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Al-Hinai M, Shahat MA, Omara E, et al. Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Chicago

In-text citation: (Al-Hinai et al., 2026)
Reference: Al-Hinai, Marwa, Mohamed A. Shahat, Ehab Omara, Mahmoud M. Emam, Sameh S. Ismail, Nabil Alhabsi, Khoula Alhosni, Mohammed Al-Amri, Amur Al-Yahmedi, Yasser M. Fawzy, and Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi. "Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman". European Journal of STEM Education 2026 11 no. 1 (2026): 3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Harvard

In-text citation: (Al-Hinai et al., 2026)
Reference: Al-Hinai, M., Shahat, M. A., Omara, E., Emam, M. M., Ismail, S. S., Alhabsi, N., . . . Al-Balushi, S. M. (2026). Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

MLA

In-text citation: (Al-Hinai et al., 2026)
Reference: Al-Hinai, Marwa et al. "Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman". European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 11, no. 1, 2026, 3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Al-Hinai M, Shahat MA, Omara E, Emam MM, Ismail SS, Alhabsi N, et al. Exploring a STEM-integrated instructional approach and its preliminary contextual assessments of problem-solving and motivation in Oman. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1):3. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17783

Keywords

STEM, problem solving, motivation, primary stage, Oman

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