The Impact of the "Megazos" Educational Manipulative on Engineering Thinking Skills in Early Childhood Education

Aghnia Mirrah Rahmani; Fatimah Istiqomah; Widad Abdul Haq Faridz

Authors

Aghnia Mirrah Rahmani Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung Author
Fatimah Istiqomah Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung Author
Widad Abdul Haq Faridz Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung Author

Keywords:

Alat Permainan Edukatif, Berpikir Rekayasa, Anak Usia Dini

Abstract

Engineering thinking is a key component of early childhood Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and
Mathematics (STEAM) education, fostering spatial reasoning, trial-and-error problem-solving, and structural logic.
However, constructive play media in early childhood settings often remain limited to static, conventional building

blocks, constraining engineering skill development. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an innovative, slot-
interlocking geometric manipulative named Megazos in enhancing engineering thinking skills among children aged 4–

5 years. Utilizing a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design (N=12), data were gathered via structured
observational checklists and analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. The results revealed a statistically significant
increase in children's mean engineering thinking scores, rising from 16.17 (SD=1.75) at pretest to 22.00 (SD=2.00) at
posttest. Paired-sample t-test analysis confirmed the intervention's efficacy (t11=9.109,p<0.05), exceeding the critical
value (ttable=2.201). The findings demonstrate that ergonomically designed, slot-interlocking manipulatives paired
with task-challenge cards significantly stimulate trial-and-error construction, structural re-engineering, and spatial
problem-solving in early childhood learners.