Effect of a Curriculum-aligned STEM Educational Kit on Grade 9 Students’ Academic Achievement: A Post-test-only Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Hands-on STEM resources are increasingly used to connect abstract scientific and mathematical ideas with observable and manipulable learning experiences, yet classroom evidence from Grade 9 students in the Indian context remains limited. This study evaluated a curriculum-aligned STEM Educational Kit for selected Grade 9 Science and Mathematics content. A post-test-only quasi-experimental design with intact groups was used with 80 students from one GSEB secondary school. The experimental group (n = 40) received STEM Educational Kit-based instruction and the control group (n = 40) received conventional classroom instruction covering the same curriculum content. The intervention was implemented over four weeks with approximately 40 hours of total study time across the two groups. Academic achievement was assessed using a common 40-item multiple-choice post-test comprising 20 Science and 20 Mathematics items. The experimental group obtained a higher mean score (M = 24.38, SD = 5.40) than the control group (M = 21.93, SD = 4.80). The mean difference was 2.45 points on the 40-point scale, 95% CI [0.18, 4.72], t(78) = 2.146, p = .035. The standardised mean difference was Cohen’s d = 0.480 and Hedges’ g = 0.475. A Mann–Whitney sensitivity analysis also favoured the experimental group (U = 1072, p = 0.0088). The findings are consistent with broader evidence supporting experiential and integrated STEM learning. However, because intact groups were used and no pre-test was administered, baseline equivalence was not directly established. The results should therefore be interpreted as evidence that STEM Educational Kit-based instruction was associated with higher post-test achievement rather than as an unqualified causal estimate.