The Building of Students’ Problem Solving Skills through STEM Aproach with Virtual Simulation Media

The problem solving difficulty level of the topic of optics is ranked number two among other topics in physics, but the solution to this situation by implementing STEM approach with Virtual Simulation Media (VSM) in Problem Based Learning is still rarely done. This study aims to develop students’ problem solving skills on the topic of optical instrument through PBL-STEM with VSM learning. The type of this research is a quasi-experimental with Pre-and Posttest Design, involving grade XI students in Malang, Indonesia. There are experiment and comparison classes, which received, respectively, PBL-STEM with VSM and PBL learning models. This study uses The Optical Instrument Problem Solving Skills Test with the alpha Cronbach reliability of 0.83. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and independent sample t test, N-gain, and effect size. The results showed that the students in experimental class had significantly better problem solving ability than the students in comparison class. PBL-STEM with VSM class has N-gain in medium category, while PBL class has low category. The two classes had the highest increase in the “useful description” step and the convex lens subtopic, and the lowest increase in the “logical progession” step and the telescope and camera subtopics. The PBL-STEM with VSM class has a practical effect of the “very large” category toward the PBL class in building problem solving skills. Therefore, research of Experiment-Comparison class pair is recommended to be widely implemented in schools as an effort to improve problem solving ability of student.