The development of 21st-century skills is crucial for Vocational Education to meet the demands of Industrial Revolution 4.0. This study addresses the gap arising from underperformance in creative thinking and declining achievement in Upper Secondary Vocational Programme (PVMA) STEM elective subjects. Rooted in Sternberg's Triarchic Theory, this research aims to identify the level of analytical, creative, and practical thinking skills among PVMA STEM students and analyse differences based on gender, STEM subjects, and socioeconomic status (SES). A quantitative research design was employed, utilising a survey instrument adapted from Yee et al. (2022). The sample consisted of 158 PVMA students randomly selected from secondary schools in Batu Pahat, Johor. This study employed descriptive and inferential analyses to examine the research data. A significant difference was found in practical thinking skills based on gender (p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed between genders in analytical or creative thinking. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in thinking skills based on STEM subjects (Analytical, p = 0.01; Creative, p = 0.02; Practical, p = 0.001). Conversely, no significant differences were found in analytical, creative, or practical thinking skills based on students’ socioeconomic status (p>0.05). In conclusion, the findings underscore the impact of gender and specific STEM subjects on cognitive skills. Although socioeconomic status did not yield significant differences, the study supports that experiential and contextual learning approaches can help bridge socioeconomic gaps. These results provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers, underscoring the importance of differentiated teaching strategies and fostering the development of equitable thinking skills among TVET students. © 2025, Penerbit UTHM. All rights reserved.
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