The Effectiveness of Conducting STEM Projects Using Design Thinking Approach in Rural Schools in Kedah, Malaysia: A Smart Farming Project

STEM education is vital in today’s learning curriculum. Incorporating Design Thinking into STEM projects such as smart farming, particularly in rural schools in Malaysia where access to technology and resources are scarce, allow teachers and students to experience an enriching teaching and learning experience. In this paper, we employ the Design Thinking approach to gauge the effectiveness of implementing STEM projects such as smart farming to the teachers and students in rural schools. A survey is carried out to measure the effectiveness of the approach and it is shown that the Design Thinking approach helped both teachers and students to develop innovative solutions to benefit the society. Students and teachers also demonstrate increased creativity, problem-solving skills, empathy, and collaborative learning when they solve STEM problems using the Design Thinking approach.