Design Futures with Biopolymers Prototype: An Innovative Didactic Approach to Enhance Mathematical Learning in University Programs

Mathematics instruction in bioscience university programs often struggles to engage students and connect abstract quantitative concepts with real-world scientific applications. 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. 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 randomly assigned to control and experimental groups in each program, where they were subjected to tra-ditional instruction in mathematics using a lecture approach and an interdisciplinary approach using laboratory experimentation in designing and prototyping biodegradable biopolymers, where they applied basic mathematical concepts in real-world formulations.