Exploring the Foundations of Creating, Implementing, Evaluating, and Revising Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Curricula in the Classroom

• Main Author: Young, Colette Cecile
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Education; Teachers > Training of; Ethnology; Interdisciplinary approach in education
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-hwea-b298

The value of conducting research around STEAM education (the amalgamation of the arts with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) rests in better understanding current practices and the challenges teachers face when creating, implementing, evaluating, and revising a STEAM curriculum. This ethnographic case study examines how teachers, across different disciplinary content areas, make, utilize, implement, and evaluate STEAM curricula for students to become critical thinkers and create authentic work products. The data consisted of semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and several observations of four teachers in their planning and implementing STEAM curricula. In the first phase of the study, the researcher mostly observed the process of the participants. At the end of this phase all the participants came together in a focus group to discuss and share their process. In the second phase, the researcher examined how the participants would modify their processes based on their discussions with their colleagues. In addition, the researcher helped guide the teachers in applying these modifications to the STEAM process. The result of these sessions showed how the changes in teachers’ processes in creating, implementing, evaluating, and revising STEAM curricula created more opportunities for students to be critical and creative scholars. The findings from this study may help to inform researchers and educators on best practices to devise, execute, and evaluate STEAM lessons that have the potential to significantly impact students in their academic studies, careers, and futures.