The STEM approach has gained prominence in addressing the demands of 21st-century education, particularly in the complex field of thermochemistry, which poses significant challenges for student understanding due to its abstract nature. Traditional inquiry-based methods, relying on PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, and textbooks, often fail to engage students and promote independent learning. This study introduces ThermoSTEM, an innovative website-based learning platform developed through the Project-Based Learning STEM Laboy-Rush (PjBL-STEM Laboy-Rush) model and the ADDIE instructional framework. The development process included comprehensive stages of analysis, design, and development, followed by rigorous construct and empirical validation. Construct validation by a university lecturer and a high school teacher yielded exceptional validity scores—97.5% for the learning matrix, 91.25% for content validation, 94.38% for the module, 91.25% for instructional materials, 97% for the storyboard, and 96% for the website. Empirical validation involving 30 eleventh-grade students from a senior high school in Malang produced a high readability score of 90.18%, indicating ease of comprehension. These findings confirm that ThermoSTEM is pedagogically sound, user-friendly, and effective for enhancing thermochemistry instruction, ultimately fostering increased engagement, critical thinking, and independent learning among students. In alignment with current educational trends, this innovative platform provides a scalable solution that meets the evolving needs of modern STEM education.
Herunata et al. (Tue,) studied this question.