Sabulussalam City, Aceh, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education – The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) continues to promote the strengthening of the Science , Technology , Engineering , and Mathematics (STEM) learning ecosystem in various regions. One good practice is presented by the Sabulussalam Integrated National School (SNT) in Aceh, which has successfully integrated project-based learning with a focus on technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and character development.
The principal of SNT Sabulussalam Aceh, Eva Deliana Br. Bangun, stated that the implementation of the STEM-based curriculum is based on an awareness of the challenges and opportunities of the digital era.
"As an integrated national school, our mission is to produce graduates who are not only academically intelligent, but also possess critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills that are relevant to current developments," explained Eva Deliana Br Bangun.
SNT Sabulussalam Aceh designed a structured policy at the junior high and senior high school levels that includes curriculum adjustments, providing access to computing devices, coding platforms, and developing extracurricular Robotics and Coding Clubs.
"We are designing a structured and sustainable policy that covers junior high and senior high school levels, such as curriculum adjustments and facility development, although we are still in the process of providing access to computing devices and coding support platforms," Eva said.
To strengthen the learning impact, SNT Sabulussalam Aceh plans collaboration through industrial visits and the involvement of STEM practitioners, such as engineers, doctors, and parent associations as mentors or speakers.
Going forward, the school aims to become a regional STEM learning reference, encouraging students' work to be patented or developed into technology-based entrepreneurship, and deepening the integration of AI and Green Technology into the curriculum.
"The impact and changes we hope to experience together are students' independence and initiative in learning. Students are expected to be more daring in innovating, asking critical questions, and daring to fail in the trial process," Eva hopes.
The STEM approach at SNT Sabulussalam Aceh is realized through activities that connect theoretical concepts with hands-on practice. Agil Nashim Hamid, a teacher at SNT Sabulussalam who teaches KKA (Coding and Artificial Intelligence)/Robotics, shared his experiences in teaching STEM, including through the Cat Walk project.
In this lesson, students create a cat character that moves, changes direction, and responds to certain conditions. Thus, they learn mathematical and technological concepts through a project where they can immediately see the results.
"This project is engaging because students can directly see the relationship between the code they write and the character's movements on screen. Furthermore, the Creative Computing approach provides students with the opportunity to creatively construct and develop code," said Agil.
Agil also added that student enthusiasm and response were higher when given project-based learning compared to conventional lecture methods. This is because project-based learning tends to make students more engaged, as they aren't just listening to explanations but are directly involved in creating something.
"Students can see the characters they program move, speak, make sounds, and change direction. The immediate results make the learning process more interactive and enjoyable. The material also concludes with an invitation to show off the results of their projects," explained Agil. *** (Author: Morecka / Editor: Denty / Documentation: SNT 1 Sabulussalam Team)
