Student Engagement Patterns in STEM-Hybrid Research-Based Learning

Abstract

Student engagement is a crucial element in meaningful science learning, particularly in teacher education programs that often face limited laboratory facilities. Although hybrid learning is widely implemented as a solution to infrastructure constraints, its ability to maintain active student engagement is highly dependent on the learning design used. This study aims to explore student engagement patterns and the implementation of the STEM-Hybrid Research-Based Learning (STEM-Hybrid RBL) model in a science course for 25 prospective elementary school teachers. This study is part of the Design and Development Research framework and specifically focuses on process evaluation during the field implementation phase. Data were collected through student activity observation sheets and a model implementation rubric. Descriptive analysis was conducted to identify student engagement patterns at each learning phase. The results showed that the model was implemented consistently across all learning phases and was categorized as well implemented. The level of student engagement varied across phases, with higher engagement in the hybrid research and data analysis phases. Collaborative experimentation, discussion, and data interpretation were the main drivers of behavioral, cognitive, and social engagement. Differences between offline and online participation were evident in the types of activities undertaken, but both groups remained actively engaged when the assignments were designed based on an authentic research process. These findings suggest that STEM-Hybrid RBL has the potential to sustain meaningful student engagement in hybrid science learning, particularly in teacher education contexts with limited laboratory facilities. This research underscores the importance of process-based analysis to understand how learning models operate in practice.