Integrating Biomimicry in STEM Lessons : Influence on Student Engagement in and Perception of STEM Learning and Careers

Abstract

As STEM education gains global prominence for equipping students with 21st-century skills, innovative pedagogical approaches are needed to address declining student interest and engagement. Biomimicry—an interdisciplinary design approach that draws inspiration from nature—offers potential for making STEM learning more relevant and engaging. This study investigates the influence of integrating biomimicry into STEM lessons on fifth-grade students’ engagement and their perceptions of STEM learning and careers. Using a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, the study was conducted in a Finnish comprehensive school with 26 students from two different classrooms which were assigned as a treatment and a control group. The treatment group participated in a six-lesson unit focused on designing and testing catapults inspired by biological systems. The control group continued with their regular instruction. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention STEM Semantics Surveys, systematic classroom observations, and a post-intervention teacher interview. Quantitative findings revealed no statistically significant differences in students’ perceptions of STEM subjects or careers between the treatment and control groups. However, qualitative data indicated increased behavioural engagement during the biomimicry-integrated lessons, especially among students who were previously disengaged. The project-based and hands-on nature of the lessons appeared to foster enthusiasm, collaboration, and deeper participation. Nonetheless, limited duration, introductory exposure, and challenges in conceptual integration constrained broader attitudinal shifts. The study concludes that while biomimicry can enhance student engagement in STEM classrooms, its potential to influence engagement in STEM learning and careers depends on deeper curricular integration, sustained instructional time, teacher professional development, and partnerships with industry professionals to ground learning in real-world contexts.