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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Currently, we live in an all practical era. Where various
innovations have sprung up to help us rise from underdevelopment and
simplify things that were still difficult to do. Various fields began to
develop as the times evolved. The progress of various fields has an impact
on our lives. Various revolutions as they should be in our daily lives,
social life, including the world of education are not escape from these
impacts.The development of times that have an impact on the world of
education, makes everything related to the world of education such as
learning media, will change. At present, there are many materials used to
help computer-based student learning.When discussing the current
advanced technology, with STEM education, every individual is able to
use the current technology well. With STEM education, every individual is
not only fixated in one area that is being lived. For example, biology field.
However, with STEM education, a person does not only pursue one field,
but can pursue a field of technology, so an individual can apply his field to
other fields.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
education have a central role in the advancement of technology, medicine,
agriculture, national security, economics and society, and seek answers to
various questions. Thus, the vision of STEM's academic program is
focused on the development of workforce and the fulfillment of local and
regional industries needs, national security, and business competition in
the global market (Egarievwe, 2015).
The aim of STEM education is for economic development that can
only be achieved if it produces something that will become an economic
value in which scientists and educators can contribute to national
awareness of knowledge, practices and applications. STEM education
must actively involve students with current issues, which means STEM
education in schools must integrate various disciplines with active
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processes and connect them to solve solutions to economic and social

issues (Thomas & Watters , 2015). In STEM education lessons, students
are given many opportunities to develop their thinking skills. The
implementation of STEM education in the classroom provides
opportunities for students to understand the importance of the integration
of various scientific disciplines and their applications.
In addition, STEM education can increase students' interest in
science lessons. STEM Literacy refers to (1) acquiring knowledge,
technology, techniques and mathematical knowledge and using it to
identify problems, gain new knowledge, (2) understand the characteristics
of the STEM discipline as a form of human effort including investigation,
design and analysis processes, (3) understand how STEM discipline shows
the intellectual and cultural conditions of the world and (4) engage in
STEM issues by using ideas related to science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics as ideas (Ceylan & Ozdilek, 2015).
Education with the STEM approach can be a key to creating the
next generation of the nation that is able to compete in the global arena.
Therefore, STEM education needs to be a reference for the future
education process in Indonesia. Integration of the STEM approach will
help students analyze and solve the problems that occur in real life so
students are ready to work. The knowledge used in solving these problems
is the definition of scientific literacy. Science literacy is individual
scientific knowledge and the use of knowledge to identify questions, to
acquire new knowledge, to explain scientific phenomena, and to draw
conclusions based on evidence. Science literacy is an important part of
science education in order to prepare students as prosperous human
resources in the future (Firman, 2016).
STEM learning is an integration of learning science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics that is suggested to help the success of 21st
century skills. STEM can develop when it is associated with the
environment, so that a learning can be realized that presents the real world
experienced by students in everyday life (Pertiwi, 2017). This means that
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through the STEM approach students are not just memorizing concepts,
but rather how students understand the scientific concepts and their
relationships in daily life.
The National Research and Council (in Harwell, 2015) revealed
that so far learning and assessment of science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics were carried out separately at school. This has
implications for the lack of preparation of students collaborating on
several of these disciplines in solving problems in the real world. The
development of technology and information is currently experiencing
rapidly development. The dimensions of the problems faced by humans
are increasingly complex. To respond to the 21st century New World of
Work it is very important to integrate STEM education in schools.
According to Roehrig (Harwell, 2015).
Learning and assessment with the STEM approach combine the
disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This
integration aims to: deepen students' understanding of concepts
contextually, broaden students' understanding through social and cultural
exposure in the context of relevant STEM and increase the interest in
STEM disciplines and increase student motivation for a career in the
STEM field. Someone who has confidence in math and science subjects
has an interest in a career in the STEM Field (Milner, 2014).STEM
education does not mean only strengthening educational praxis in STEM
fields separately, but developing an educational approach that integrates
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, by focusing the
educational process on solving real problems in daily life and professional
life. STEM education provides opportunities for teachers to show students
how the concepts, principles, and techniques of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics are used in an integrated manner in
developing products, processes, and systems used in their daily lives
(Firman, 2016 ).
Based on observations by researchers at the time of PPLT, biology
learning is still teacher-centered. The teacher as a distributor of all
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information and students only listen and memorize the concepts given by
the teacher. Learning only sourced from textbooks or modules. Thus
learning that should be centered on students has not yet fully materialized.
So as to achieve learning success, in addition to the use of the right
learning approach, the use of teaching materials must be appropriate so
that students' scientific literacy can increase. Teaching materials play an
important role in completing teaching and learning activities, one of which
is student worksheets (LKPD) (Pertiwi, 2017).
Student worksheet is teaching material that is packaged in an
integrated manner so that students can learn the material independently.
However, most of the student worksheet currently used are not facilitating
students to develop students' scientific literacy. This student worksheet
contains brief material and questions that must be done by students, it can
support students in learning but is still less effective seen from the
improvement of students' scientific literacy. Student worksheet is
specifically designed by teachers with related negotiations consisting of
six components, namely: (a) title; (B) learning instructions; (c)
competencies that will be achieved; (d) supporting information; (e)
Practicum workand steps; and (f) Assessment (Norsanty, 2016).
Based on observations at the school, there are still many teachers
who do not design the student worksheet by themselves but use the
publisher's printed student worksheet. Student worksheets issued by
publishers only contain summaries of subject matter and a collection of
questions, this is not in accordance with the function of student worksheets
as teaching materials that can minimize the role of educators, but more
active students and facilitate students to understand the material provided.
Therefore, the development of student worksheets tailored to the
conditions and needs of students is considered necessary.
A student worksheet developed has good quality if it meets three
criteria, namely validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The validity
criteria seen from the student worksheet developed based on the
knowledge of state-of-the-art (scientific) and various components in the
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student worksheets developed are interrelated with each other. Practical

criteria seen from whether student worksheets developed can be easily
used by students in learning. The effectiveness criteria are seen from
whether using the worksheet of students who are developed can produce
the desired results, namely the achievement of a learning goal (Norsanty,
2016).
Based on the results of the 2015 PISA study, Indonesia ranked 64
out of 72 participating countries. One aspect of PISA assessment is the
scientific literacy of students. In general, Indonesian students' literacy
skills are still low. This can be seen from the average score of Indonesian
scientific literacy, which is 403, where the international average score is
493 (OECD, 2016). This is also supported by data from interviews with
biology teachers at SMAN 1 Berastagi, which revealed that the level of
scientific literacy of students is still low, this is indicated by the low ability
of students to solve problems related to application in daily life.
The cause of students' low scientific literacy is caused by learning
that is textual and less contextual. The teacher transfers more of his
knowledge to students, without giving students the opportunity to build the
knowledge that is in their own minds. Science literacy is important for
students to master, because it deals with the ability to use science
knowledge in an effort to solve problems. Efforts to improve scientific
literacy capabilities, current education should lead to a learning process
that emphasizes environmental issues. The solution that is considered
appropriate to overcome the above problem is to use a learning approach
and appropriate teaching materials so it can encourage students to build
scientific literacy. The STEM learning approach provides an opportunity
for teachers to show students that concepts, principles, science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics are used in an integrated
manner in the development of products, processes, and systems used in
their daily lives.
Awareness of the importance of STEM education has
emerged among education experts in Indonesia where Indonesia itself has
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not implemented STEM education. This is supported by the results of

interviews with teachers of SMAN 1 Berastagi. The results of the
interview stated that in the learning process not all technology and
engineering / engineering approaches have been inserted so that the
mastery of material concepts has not been maximized. In addition, student
worksheets used by students do not meet the criteria for preparing good
and correct student worksheets (not fulfilling the components that must be
in the student worksheet) and have not presented contextual material
related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics which has
implications for increasing student scientific literacy. Student worksheets
only contain questions that are recalling the concepts learned (evaluation).
Based on the background above, the researcher intends to conduct
a research entitled : “Development of Student Worksheets with the
STEM Approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) to
Improve Students' Science Literacy in Reproductive System
Materials”.

1.2 Problem Identification

Based on the background of the problem described, problems can be
identified as follows ;
1. The teacher has not fully used the student's worksheet in learning process.
2. Student worksheets used does not meet the criteria for preparing a good
student worksheets (not fulfilling the components that must be in the
student worksheet).
3. The worksheet used by students does not meet the learning criteria with
the STEM approach because it only contains a summary of material and
biological learning questions.
4. Students have not been trained to follow the learning process with the
STEM approach, students only memorize the concepts and have not
associated them with everyday life.
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5. The teacher's knowledge of learning with the STEM approach is

inadequate so it has not applied the student worksheet with the STEM
approach to biology learning especially in reproductive system material.
1.3 Problem limitation
In order for research not deviate from the research objectives, it is
necessary to limit the problem as follows ;
1. The student worksheets that will be developed only concern to the
reproductive system material in grade XI
2. The student worksheets to be developed are a student worksheet
with STEM approach.
3. This development research uses the ADDIE model.
4. Product validity is seen in terms of content, constructs, and
readability.
5. The trial of this student worksheet was conducted at SMAN 1
Berastagi.
6. The increase in scientific literacy obtained is the achievement of
student competency on reproductive System material in the form of
pretest and posttest scores to determine the effectiveness of student
worksheets with STEM approach.

1.4 Problem Formulation

Based on the limitations of the problem, the formulation of the problem is
as follows;
1. Are the student worksheets with the developed STEM approach suitable
for use in Senior High School students grade XI?
2. Are the student worksheet by increasing STEM developed effectively
improve the science literacy of Senior High School students grade XI?

1.5 Research Objective

1. To obtain student worksheets with the STEM approach that are
appropriate to use for Senior High School students grade XI
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2. To find out the effectiveness of scientific literacy students in the

development of student worksheets with the STEM approach in Senior
High School students grade XI.

1.6 Research Benefit

1. For researchers, as an addition to the insights of science education,
experience and increase creativity in innovating biology learning activities
in contextual material.
2. For teachers, to improve the quality of teaching and learning activities and
contribute ideas and as a reference in increasing creativity in making
innovations when making teaching materials.
3. For schools and other educational institutions, it is expected to provide
advice and contribute ideas and innovations in an effort to improve the
quality of science and science learning.

1.7 Operational Defenition

Some of the terms used in this study are operationally defined as follows ;
1. The development of student worksheets using the STEM approach uses
research and development methods (R & D) by following the ADDIE
model (Analysis, design, develop, impelement, evaluate) which are
expected to improve students' scientific literacy.
2. STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is an
interdisciplinary learning approach between science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics
3. Student worksheets are printed materials in the form of sheets of paper
containing material, summaries, and instructions for the implementation of
learning tasks that must be done by students, which refers to basic
competencies that must be achieved
4. Based on the 2013 syllabus, reproductive system subject matter has
several basic competencies which are derived from core competencies.
This competence must be achieved by students in learning process.
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Students must be able to analyze the relationship between the tissues

structure of the reproductive organs and their functions in the process of
human reproduction through literature studies, observations, experiments,
and simulations. From the results of this analysis, students are expected to
be able to apply an understanding of human reproductive principles to
cope with population growth through family planning (KB) programs and
improving the quality of life of HR.
5. Science literacy is the ability to use scientific knowledge to identify
problems and draw conclusions based on evidence in order to understand
and make decisions about nature and changes made to nature.