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Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Project-Based Learning (PjBL) is increase effectiveness, create meaningful learning and influence student attitudes in future career pursuit. There are several studies in the literature reporting different aspects of STEM into a PjBL pedagogy. However, the effect of implementing STEM PjBL in terms of improving students’ skills in self-efficacy levels in physics mechanics at high school level has not been demonstrated as expected in the previous literature. This study followed a quasi-experimental research method. Bandura’s social cognitive theory is used to assess and compare the effect of STEM PjBL with conventional teaching method on students’ self-efficacy level in learning physics among over 100 high school students. The result illustrated that STEM PjBL improve students’ self-efficacy to solve physics problem. Also, the study proposes a guideline for future research.

In addition to contributing to the spread of scientific and technological knowledge, the Technological Associates’ Degree Program in Ceramics was created in order to conserve culture through this human activity given that Tonalá is an important pottery center at the global level. An important part of this study is the design of a didactic sequence that uses the project-based learning (PBL) as its foundation and proposes the solution based on a problem centered on ceramics. Therefore, in addition to the phases of the test design, we present the general phases of the work design that students followed during the development of their projects. The current paper shows that PBL is a plausible alternative to physics courses. To demonstrate its utility, it is necessary to evaluate its impact on the successful learning of physics concepts., Además de contribuir a la difusión del conocimiento científico y tecnológico, el Bachillerato Tecnológico en Cerámica se creó con el objetivo de preservar la cultura mediante esta actividad humana, debido a que Tonalá es un importante centro alfarero a escala mundial. El diseño de una secuencia didáctica que toma como base el aprendizaje basado en proyectos (ABP) y propone la solución de un problema centrado en la cerámica es parte importante de esta investigación. Por tanto, además de las fases del diseño del test se presentan de manera general las fases del trabajo que seguirán los estudiantes durante el desarrollo de sus proyectos. El presente artículo muestra que el ABP es una alternativa plausible para los cursos de física. Para demostrar su utilidad es necesario evaluar su incidencia en el logro del aprendizaje de conceptos de física.

The study was prompted by the author's professional concerns about matching assessment to students' learning and communication styles. It was carried out in the author's senior physics class of 1997 in a denominational girls' college in Queensland. Following a review of the nature of science, in particular, of school science, curriculum trends and likely scenarios for school science education into the next century, a contemporary view of school science was developed. A constructivist approach to the learning of such science was investigated and educational developments relating to assessment were considered. Finally, trends in educational research relating to assessment over the last thirty years were noted. These reviews led to an examination of the nature and purposes of assessment and to an exploration of innovative methods of assessment which have been used by practitioners. It was decided that a portfolio style of assessment would best suit the teacher's purpose and that a case study approach would best suit the researcher's purpose. A regime of assessment for the two-year senior physics course was devised and implemented. The effects of implementing this assessment program were determined by gathering reactions from the stakeholders. Data were collected by means of personal interview by the researcher. Twenty four students, their parents and sixteen expert physics teachers were interviewed after the program had been in operation for eighteen months. Input was also included from the school administration and the teacher/researcher. Five areas emerged as being of major importance to stakeholders. These were the concept of "learning physics", the purpose of education, the function of assessment in schools, the concept of "personal responsibility'' as it relates to academic progress in schools and the costs involved, especially for teachers, in adopting an assessment scheme such as the one under review. People's views on these areas determined their degree of acce