Yuliana Jiménez-Gaona, Oscar Vivanco-Galván
Background Mathematics instruction in bioscience university programs often struggles to engage students and connect abstract quantitative concepts with real-world scientific applications. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary math teaching approach using STEAM education, Project-Based Learning (PBL), and Design Futures (DF) in laboratory learning contexts. Methods a quasi-experimental research design with non-equivalent groups was employed with 178 first-year undergraduate students in a private university in Ecuador, where students were enrolled in two different programs: Biochemistry-Pharmacy and Agricultural Engineering. Students were allocated to control and experimental groups within each academic program using pre-existing course sections. The control groups received conventional mathematics instruction based on a lecture-centered approach, whereas the experimental groups participated in an interdisciplinary learning model that integrated laboratory experimentation focused on the design and prototyping of biodegradable biopolymers. Through these hands-on activities, students applied fundamental mathematical concepts to real-world formulation. Results statistically significant differences in academic performance among instructional groups [F (4, 69.73) = 22.99, p < .001], where a large effect size ( ω ² = 0.33) indicates that 33% of students could be explained by the instructional approach. post-hoc tests revealed that students exposed to the intervention achieved higher academic performance than students in comparison groups. Also, the student perception survey shows high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.946) and positive perception in applying mathematics in real-world applications in science.