Science and Engineering Practices: a Comparative Analysis of Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese Science Curricula

Abstract

Southeast Asian countries are embracing updated integrated curricula, such as STEM, which are impacted by socio-scientific, political, and economic reasons related to global educational reform. This study compares science curricula regarding science and engineering practices (SEP s) in Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese science curricula. The SEP s in the curricular learning outcomes were examined using qualitative content analysis. According to the analysis, the learning outcomes of the three Southeast Asian countries were more aligned with science than engineering. Students most often practiced ‘constructing scientific explanations,’ while the least common was ‘asking questions and defining problems’ across countries. Compared to Indonesia and Vietnam, the Thai curriculum typically included ‘developing a model’, a key science and engineering practice. The findings suggest that curriculum design may reconsider integration, curricular coherence, and learning goals for modelling, asking questions, and engineering to increase engagement with diverse activities.