Online project-based learning with integration of STEAM in chemistry: Challenges and opportunities to create 21st century skills

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Malaysian schools to change their learning model from face-to-face learning to online distance learning. This is what chemistry teachers and students cope with and achieve. However, online teaching and learning commonly did not make students pertain to the required 21st century skills. Having this in mind, a new approach with the STEAM integration in teaching chemistry project-based learning was suggested as one of the potential ways to develop 21st century students’ competencies. Hence, this study discusses the prospects and challenges of STEAM incorporation in online project-based learning aimed at the development of 21st century skills in chemistry classrooms. The paper outlined that, there is a prospect for the chemistry students to advance the ability and competencies of various skills such as hard and soft skills in the course of the online learning process. Skills are expected to be developed for the search for the real problem. It was however revealed that the students’ challenges faced relating to the steps had become a serious issue in this learning approach while establishing connections concerning subjects and general real-world implementation. Since it is impossible to predict when the pandemic will end, this is a challenge and an opportunity, and online chemistry learning can be considered from time to time.