Perusing the Past to Propel the Future: A Systematic Review of STEM Learning Activity Based on Activity Theory

Education is the road to sustainability, creating the appropriate environment for learners to socialize and acquire knowledge and skills for the 21st century. This study reviews 53 studies on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning activities from 2011 to 2020. In the past last 10 years, STEM education has gained attention, and little is known about how researchers designed and implemented learning activities. This systematic review based on activity theory reveals that STEM learning activities mostly involved elementary students in all STEM disciplines, with a sample size from 1 to 50. STEM learning activities emphasize mixed tasks, evaluating mixed learning outcomes with three STEM disciplines. Researchers mostly preferred project-based learning and problem-based learning methods, lasting from 9 to 24 weeks under teacher guidance with no rewards. This study revealed that most STEM activities were implemented in the classroom. Finally, the most often-used tools were mixed hardware. The quiz is the most often utilized in STEM activity. Major understudied areas that can be investigated by future studies are also revealed in depth. The results and implications for future studies are also discussed in detail.