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April 10, 2025
How a particular STEAM model is developing primary education: lessons from the Teach-Make project (England)
There is a lack of clarity about what constitutes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education and what the arts contribute. In this paper the authors discuss a distinct model, theorised from a five-year study of a particular, innovative STEAM education project (The Imagineerium), and developed by the researchers through working with primary school teachers in England within a second project (Teach-Make). The paper examines how teachers implemented this model, the Trowsdale art-making model for education (the TAME), and reflected on its value and positive impact on their planning and pedagogy. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on two studies: firstly, a five-year, mixed methods, participative study of The Imagineerium and secondly a participative and collaborative qualitative study of Teach-Make. Findings: Study of The Imagineerium showed strong positive educational outcomes for pupils and an appetite from teachers to translate the approach to the classroom. The Teach-Make project showed that with a clear curriculum model (the TAME) and professional development to improve teachers' planning and active pedagogical skills, they could design and deliver “imagineerium-like” schemes of work in their classrooms. Teachers reported a positive impact on both their own approach to supporting learning, as well as pupil progression and enjoyment. Originality/value: The paper argues that the TAME, a consolidation of research evidence from The Imagineerium and developed through Teach-Make, offers both a distinctive and effective model for STEAM and broader education, one that is accessible to, valued by and manageable for teachers.
April 10, 2025
The use of Tinkercad and 3D printing in interdisciplinary STEAM education: A focus on engineering design
STE(A)M education (combining science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) has globally become a growing concern, being recognized as having the potential to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. However, the levels of integration of the involved disciplines, as well as their relevance, tend to vary. Engineering design (ED) is being used in educational contexts as an ideal STEAM content integrator to solve ill-structured real-world problems, using the practices of engineering as a problem-solving model. The present study aimed to understand how future elementary school teachers can solve an authentic problem that demands the construction of an artifact, using the ED process in the context of 3D printing, focusing on their performance, the perception of the role of the STEAM disciplines, and the potentials and challenges of computer-assisted design (CAD) and 3D printing. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study with 72 pre-service teachers of elementary education. The implementation was based on a didactical experience focused on solving an authentic problem through the ED process using Tinkercad and 3D printing. The research findings revealed that some of the participants did not follow the ED model exactly as it was presented, skipping or merging steps, but all were able to find a solution and reflect about how to improve it. The majority identified concepts associated with all of the STEAM subjects, although they found it easier to refer to mathematics and science topics. They valued the use of Tinkercad and 3D printing, which allowed them to easily build a virtual model and make it tangible, while also recognizing some challenges in the use of these technological resources. This study can contribute to the scarce literature about the interdisciplinary integration of 3D printing technology in STEAM education, promoting awareness of the overlaps in these disciplines and a more equitable disciplinary attention.
April 10, 2025
A systematic literature review on STEAM pre- and in-service teacher education for sustainability: Are teachers ready?
Educational interest in sustainable development (SD) and sustainability has increased over the last fifteen years, promoted by international guidelines and agencies such as the UN or UNESCO, or the Incheon Declaration. While the current state-of-art discloses plenty of student-centered proposals in these fields, there is scarce evidence on how these are being addressed in pre- and in-service teacher education programs combining science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Searching to tackle this gap, we performed a systematic literature review based on 207 studies retrieved from the databases Scopus, WoS, and ERIC through PRISMA guidelines. The outcomes foremost reveal the following: (1) Pre-service programs lack courses or subjects that allow integrating sustainability and STEAM areas in an interdisciplinary approach. (2) Interventions for STEAM teacher education are focused on mathematics and statistics typically for the pre-service stage only with a proposal for rural teachers. (3) In-service teachers manifest difficulties in linking theoretical concepts with real-world experiences in classrooms. And (4) educational strategies employ problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, escape rooms, robotics, or flipped classrooms. The implications of this study can help researchers, teachers, or stakeholders in the co-design of initiatives or methodologies that improve pre- and in-service teacher education programs to cope with STEAM education, sustainability, and SD, highlighting the importance of the teachers’ role.
April 10, 2025
Exploring the effect of VR-enhanced teaching aids in STEAM education: An embodied cognition perspective
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Physical Teaching Aids (PTAs) and VR-Enhanced Teaching Aids (VETAs) on students’ learning performance, attitudes, and classroom interactions in a STEAM course. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a total of 85 fifth-grade students, 42 in the treatment group and 43 in the control group. The students in the treatment group reported a high level of acceptance of the VETAs in the post-course interview. The Lag Sequential Analysis results indicated that the use of VETAs improved students' learning performance and made the classroom more learner-centered than those who were facilitated with PTAs. In the treatment group, students were able to investigate problems more actively, practice and innovate more interactively, and achieve deeper learning. The current study further elaborates on the reasons and summarizes the mechanism of VETAs supporting the perceptual field in STEAM education.
April 10, 2025
Self-Regulation of Student Learning in a STEAM Project
Self-regulated learning refers to the learner’s ability to regulate his or her behaviour, focusing on the acquisition of academic content, skill, or task. This concept includes aspects related to cognitive and emotional self-regulation. According to research studies, the aspect of STEAM education is a crucial determinant of academic success. Thus, in this type of education, attitudes towards science are also important, considering different aspects such as enjoyment, interest, usefulness, and self-efficacy and factors like age, educational stage, gender, family context, and self-concept. This study aims to analyse how Primary School students, who participated in a STEAM project, perceive their own learning process in aspects related to metacognition and self-efficacy, as well as their interest and enjoyment during the activities; furthermore, how the connections between these aspects are. In this project, 109 students between 9 and 11 years old from two different schools participated, using a questionnaire validated by experts. The results show that students show a high appreciation for STEAM work through this type of project as it enables problem-solving and critical thinking associated with the development of satisfaction and positive self-concept in doing it. These distinct aspects show significant correlations between them favoured by the designed STEAM project.
April 10, 2025
Enhancing Technology Competence among Primary Students through STEAM Lessons Applying the Design Thinking Process
This study seeks to evaluate the impact of integrating elements of arts and humanities education into the topic of STEAM on the formation and development of students’ competence. The paper suggests a procedure for teaching STEAM subjects using design thinking approaches. Then, technology-related lessons were covered in practical pedagogical activities for grade 3 pupils at three primary schools in Hai Phong, Vietnam. The findings demonstrate that the suggested STEAM subject teaching methodology is workable and helps students develop eight distinctive behavioural markers of technical competence. As a result, this study offers primary school instructors a strategy for implementing STEAM instruction.
Enhancing Technology Competence among Primary Students through STEAM Lessons Applying the Design Thinking Process
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