STEM Laboratory Competencies and Sustainable Development Goals: A Senior High School Curriculum Mapping Study in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

The integration of sustainability principles into STEM laboratory education remains insufficiently examined, particularly in relation to how curricular competencies align with global sustainability frameworks. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the alignment of Senior High School STEM laboratory competencies in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics with selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). A sequential two-phase design was employed. First, a Delphi method was used to identify and validate laboratory competencies based on expert consensus. Second, the validated competencies were mapped to the selected SDGs using a qualitative curriculum mapping approach, supported by frequency and percentage analyses. The findings revealed that a distinct set of competencies across the three disciplines can be meaningfully classified as laboratory competencies, emphasizing experimentation, measurement, and scientific inquiry. Alignment analysis showed that Chemistry competencies demonstrated the most balanced alignment across the SDGs, particularly in relation to water quality and climate processes, while Biology competencies aligned strongly with terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15). Physics competencies exhibited moderate alignment, primarily through applications in environmental monitoring and climate-related analysis. However, alignment across all disciplines was found to be largely implicit, with notable gaps in competencies explicitly addressing water systems and marine environments. The study concludes that while existing STEM laboratory competencies provide a strong foundation for sustainability education, more explicit integration of SDG-related contexts is needed. The findings offer practical insights for curriculum development and highlight the potential of laboratory instruction in advancing education for sustainable development.