STEM Model in Johor, Malaysia

meriSTEM@NIE was awarded a grant from Temasek Foundation to co-fund and co-implement this four-year programme with the JCorp Foundation, as the host community partner. The programme seeks to co-create a sustainable and scalable partnership model between schools and STEM industries that support continual STEM capacity-building of residents of Johor and Singapore, as well as design and implement connected and customised STEM programmes.

Programme Highlights

Baseline Study

STEM Workshop in Singapore (Part 1)

STEM Workshop in Singapore (Part 2)

School Visits

2023

2024

2025

---

Baseline Study on STEM Education and Industry Needs in Johor

6 — 7 November 2023

A 2-day baseline study of the state of STEM education and the profile of STEM industries in Johor, Malaysia was conducted from November 6 and 7, 2023. The NIE team observed lessons from 5 chosen schools accompanied by focused-group discussions with teachers, students, and school heads. Aside from the schools, industry heads affiliated with JCorp along with state board executives from the Ministry of Education (MOE) attended the focused-group discussions to understand the needs of the industries.

During the school visits, the schools presented the background of their school along with different types of STEM curricula in their schools. The school visits also included lesson observations and focused-group discussion with the members of each school community. This provided the NIE consultants with insights on the state of STEM curriculum and the school leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of STEM education. On Day 1, SMK Seri Medan, SMK Bandar Baru Uda, and SMK Telok Kerang were observed. On Day 2, SMK Bandar Penawar and SMK Buluh Kasap.

During the trip, NIE consultants also conducted a focus group discussion with industry representatives who held strategic positions in the company and oversaw the business operations related to agricultural and/or engineering companies and so on. Their insights provided invaluable information on the competencies that they sought to have in current and future employees.

SMK Seri Medan, located on 18km from Batu Pahat town, actively promotes STEM education through various hands-on activities and participation in various competitions. The school’s involvement in Global IT Challenge for youth with disabilities has also shown their commitment to an inclusive STEM education. Additionally, the school also offers unique STEM programmes.

SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat

SMK Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Bahru

SMK Telok Kerang, Pontian

SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi

SMK Buloh Kasap, Segamat

---

STEM Workshops in in Singapore

15 to 18 July 2024

The first face-to-face workshop was conducted in Singapore from 15 to 18 July 2024, brought together 51 delegates from Johor for a rich programme of lectures, hands-on activities, and collaborative projects. Across four days, participants explored the foundations and evolution of STEM education, engaged in designing problem- and solution-based lessons, and examined agriculture-STEM through curriculum analysis, urban farming design principles, and a learning journey to a community rooftop farm. They gained insights into plant growth, sustainability, and business models, while also working to design STEM inquiry projects for their schools. The workshop concluded with sessions on curriculum design and pedagogy, culminating in group presentations of their STEM curriculum plans. To wrap up, a closing ceremony graced by distinguished guests from Johor state, foundations, and partner organisations featured addresses that highlighted the collaborative spirit of the programme, the role of teachers as change agents in advancing STEM education, and the importance of fostering enduring Singapore–Malaysia partnerships to build sustainable STEM education networks.

Day 1

A/P Teo Tang Wee giving the introduction to STEM lecture

Participant from SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat presenting his group’s findings

Participants choosing the materials they need to make their cutting devices

The team from SMK Telok Kerang, Pontian deep in discussion

A participant from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi presenting their cutting device

Day 2

The team from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi presenting their S-T-E-M Quartet map to A/P Teo Tang Wee

Participant from SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat sharing his school’s flow chart

The team from SMK Bandar Baru Uda presenting to A/P Tan Aik Ling

Participants from SMK Telok Kerang, Pontian examining the urban farming structure

Participant from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi sharing his school’s agriculture lessons

Participants from SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat sketching their idea for an urban farming structure

Participants from SMK Telok Kerang, Pontian assembling the urban farming structure

Participants from SMK Bandar Baru Uda building their urban farm model

Participants SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi sharing their urban framing sketch and model

Participant from SMK Bandar Baru Uda showing his team’s model with assistance from Mr Ng Yong Sim

Day 3

Group picture of the participants at NIC Farm

Trainer Goh Kai Lin explaining to the participants how the irrigation system works

Trainers Nicholas Goh and Goh Kai Lin conducting the urban farming lecture

Trainer Goh Kai Lin showing some of the produce grown at the farm

Participants during the lecture at NIC farm

Participants examining the growing medium used at the farm

Participants working together to assemble the grow tower

Participants from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi discussing their STEM inquiry project ideas

A/P Tan Aik Ling talking to participants from SMK Bandar Penawar

Day 4

Participant from SMK Bandar Baru Uda presenting his school’s project

Participant from SMK Buluh Kasap Segamat presenting their project

Participant from SMK Telok Kerang, Pontain sharing her team’s project idea

Participant from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi sharing their school's project idea

Participant SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat presenting his school's idea

Closing ceremony

A/P Teo Tang Wee addressing the participants

A video message from Ms Zaidatul Zurita Abdul Rahman

YB Aznan bin Tamin speaking to the participants

Group photo of the VIP guests at the closing ceremony

YB Aznan bin Tamin presenting a representative from SMK Bandar Baru Uda with their certificates

YB Aznan bin Tamin presenting a representative from SMK Telok Kerang, Pontain, with their certificates

YB Aznan bin Tamin presenting a representative from SMK Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi with their certificates

YB Aznan bin Tamin presenting a representative from SMK Buluh Kasap, Segamat, with their certificates

YB Aznan bin Tamin presenting a representative from SMK Seri Medan, Batu Pahat Uda with their certificates

Participants and VIP guests at the closing ceremony

Highlight video

30 September to 3 October 2024

The second face-to-face workshop, held in Singapore from 30 September to 3 October 2024, brought together 55 delegates from Johor for an intensive four-day programme centred on technology-enabled agriculture. The workshop opened with school presentations of STEM inquiry projects and a keynote by Dr Mervin Ang on nanosensing tools for next-generation agriculture, followed by a learning journey to NUS High to learn about specialised STEM education. Participants then spent two days with Dr Timothy Tan developing coding skills using the BBC micro:bit for smart agriculture, culminating in designing and coding model systems. Additional learning journeys to Sky Greens Vertical Farm and Gardens by the Bay offered first-hand exposure to circular economy practices, IoT applications, and sustainable agricultural innovations. The programme concluded with reflections and synthesis led by Associate Professor Tan Aik Ling, consolidating key learnings and linking them to future applications in participants’ schools.

STEM inquiry project presentation and keynote by Dr Mervin Ang

Representative from SMK Bandar Baru Uda sharing her school's project

Representative from SMK Telok Kerang presenting their STEM inquiry projects

SMK Bandar Penawar sharing about their STEM inquiry project

SMK Seri Medan presenting their STEM inquiry project

SMK Buluh Kasap sharing how the S-T-E-M Quartet framework was applied in the development of their project

Dr Mervin Ang, Associate Scientific Director, DiSTAP (SMART), giving his lecture on nano-sensors

A/P Tan Aik Ling giving feedback to the presenting teams

Dr Mervin Ang helping participants with the nanosensors

Participants injecting nano plant sensor medium into a leaf

Learning journey to NUS High

Participants arriving at NUS High

Head of Communications & Outreach, Ms Chong Ai Lin addressing the students

Principal Ms Soh Lai Leng Magdalen addressing the students

Academic Deputy Principal, Mr Goh Hock Leong

Participants asking questions during the sharing session

Student volunteers showing the participants the designing and engineering lab

Student volunteers showing the participants the synthetic chemistry lab

Student volunteers showing the participants the life sciences lab

A group picture of the participants and student volunteers

BBC micro:bit workshop

A participant trying his hand at coding the mico:bit

Dr Timothy Tan and Mr Ng Yong Sim going around assisting the participants

Contents of the smart agriculture kit that the schools received

Participants from SMK Seri Medan with their kits

Participants testing the soil moisture sensor

Participants testing the temperature sensor

Participants from SMK Telok Kerang working on their smart agriculture model

SMK Bandar Baru Uda working on their model

Representative from SMK Bandar Penawar presenting their smart agriculture model system

Representative from SMK Bandar Baru Uda presenting their smart agriculture model system

Smart agriculture model system by SMK Bandar Penawar

Smart agriculture model system by SMK Telok Kerang

Smart agriculture model system by SMK Seri Medan

Smart agricultural model system by SMK Buluh Kasap

Smart agriculture model system by SMK Bandar Baru Uda

Participants from SMK Telok Kerang posing with their smart agricultural model system

Participants from SMK Buluh Kasap posing with their smart agricultural model system

Learning journey to Sky Greens vertical farm

Guide Raymond giving an introduction about Sky Greens to the participants

Guide Peter sharing with the participants about the circular economy in the farm in front of the tilapia pond

Participants exploring the greenhouse

Guide Peter showing how technology is used to drive and move the planters

Sky Greens' patented vertical farming system

A group picture of the participants and guide Peter inside the greenhouse

A group picture of the participants outside the greenhouse

Learning journey to Gardens by the Bay

The guide sharing with the participants about the sustainability practices at Gardens by the Bay

Participants posing for pictures in the Cloud Forest

Participants posing for pictures in the Cloud Forest

Participants posing for pictures in the Cloud Forest

The guide pointing out various plant species in the Flower Dome

Participants posing for pictures in the Flower Dome

Participants posing for pictures in the Flower Dome

Closing ceremony

Presentation of tokens of appreciation from JCORP to A/P Teo Tang Wee

Presentation of tokens of appreciation from JCORP to A/P Teo Tang Wee

Participants posing with their certificates

Participants from SMK Bandar Baru Uda posing with their certificates

Participants from SMK Telok Kerang posing with their certificates

Participants from SMK Bandar Penawar posing with their certificates

Participants from SMK Buluh Kasap posing with their certificates

Participants from SMK Seri Medan posing with their certificates

Participants from SISC posing with their certificates

---

School Visits

5 — 7 May 2025

After the completion of the workshops, the teachers went back to their respective schools to complete a STEM inquiry project. They were visited by the NIE consultants between 5 to 7 May 2025. The visits was divided into two parts – a morning session focused on the reporting of the schools ' STEM inquiry project, followed by a visit to their school farm system, interviews, feedback, and a reflection session facilitated by the consultants.