Promoting STEM-Integrated Learning Through Engineering Design: High School Students’ Automatic Hand Washers

In the current education world, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is one of the leading methods of interest. The STEM education model is a harmonious combination of the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Instead of existing separately, this knowledge interacts, intertwines, and complements each other through practice activities and lessons. It helps students deepen their understanding of theoretical concepts and encourages them to apply that knowledge in practice by creating practical, functional products. A STEM lesson built on the engineering design process will include eight steps divided into five main activities that we put into the research base, including problem identification, research background knowledge, proposing solutions to meet the set criteria, presenting and discussing design options, product manufacturing, and evaluation testing during manufacturing; product presentation and completion. In this article, we offer the technical design process of the automatic hand washing machine model. We experimented with two classes, including 70 students at An Khanh High School, Can Tho, Vietnam, and the performance evaluation of activities based on the design rubric showed positive results. Two products have been selected for direct use in schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam, during the post-Covid-19 recovery period.