**2. Benefits of collaborative skills in STEM education**

Collaborative skills have been well-embraced in STEM education [20, 21]. It is advisable to establish student learning communities as a means to enhance student engagement and perseverance in STEM programs inside educational institutions [22]. Multiple meta-analysis studies have demonstrated that the acquisition of collaborative abilities has a positive impact on overall student learning [4, 23]. Moreover, a more recent meta-analysis revealed that collaborative skills supported by computer technology have demonstrated notable effectiveness in STEM education, specifically in process, knowledge, and affective outcomes [24].

The study presents substantial evidence that collaborative skills are an effective means of addressing crucial challenges in STEM education [25]. An issue that can be identified is the phenomenon of low enrolment coupled with great interest [22, 26–28]. The cultivation of collaborative skills possesses the capacity to enhance students' self-esteem and sense of accomplishment through the facilitation of their assistance to others and engagement in the co-creation of classroom activities. Students can develop HOTS (Higher Other Thinking Skills) and learn better in STEM content through collaborative skills than individual learning [29]. In addition, collaborative skills can foster students' communication skills to resolve conflicts [30].

Another issue is equity in STEM education. Female students generally have lower enrollment rates but higher dropout rates in STEM majors compared to male students. Similarly, students from low-income families show similar patterns compared to high-income families [26, 27]. Previous studies have shown that students' satisfaction with the positive experience of collaborative skills makes them more intrinsically interested in learning. This has consequently made them more willing to attend school and persist in STEM learning. In addition, the cultivation of collaborative abilities facilitates effective communication and interdependence among individuals within a group, irrespective of their racial, gender, or academic backgrounds. This, in turn, contributes to the establishment of a learning environment that is characterized by fairness and equality [31, 32].
