Classrooms STEM and STEAM Implementation

STEM and STEAM in the classrooms Purpose and Major Components Many countries are currently putting much emphasis on the need to prepare students for higher education and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge needed in this 21st century. To achieve this goal, learning institutions have adopted the STEAM approach, where they nurture students around the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. This has gained popularity with all the players in the education sector, including educators, students, parents and even the US president.

STEAM is viewed as a means to create a long-lasting interest in arts and sciences right from an early age. The subjects categorized under STEAM are somewhat similar, in that they all involve creative processes in the investigation of the subject matter. It is very important to teach such skills to students so as to prepare them for innovation in this ever-evolving world. This will benefit both the students and the nation at large.

(USD, 2018) The PD implementation plan is meant to cultivate critical thinking in students as well as problem solving skills and creativity. It also makes students ready to work in the vibrant 21st century work environment. (USD, 2018). The two theories of constructivism and cognitivism will be of much use in the PD plan. Morrison, McDuffie and French (2015) studied the essentials of STEAM in schools. They found out that both teaching and learning were problem based and centered on inquiry. This environment motivated students and improved their social interactions and collaboration.

Laforce et al. (2016) outlined the 8 essentials of STEM in high schools: 1. Personalization of learning 2. Problem-based learning 3. Rigorous learning 4. Career, technology and life skills 5. School community and belonging 6. External community 7. Staff foundations 8. External factors All these represent the goals and strategies applied by pro-STEM high schools across the country. Thus, a clear picture is formed of what is meant by inclusive STEM schools. These same elements will be included in the implementation plan. Support for the plan STEAM programs are diverse in many ways.

They are as such the foundation for innovation given that they start at the grassroots levels. Take for instance the Art of Science which is based in Memphis, Tennessee. It basically seeks to unite artists and scientists, and thus communicate the beauty of science through art. Descience on the other hand aims at inspiring fashion designers through scientific discovery. Ligo Project is one more avenue for bringing together scientists and artists.

They run a six months program in which artists are paired up with scientists to create pieces of art that are inspired by science. Such projects are mostly exhibited during the Art of Science Gallery Night. STEAM has had support even from professional societies, one of them being American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). They see STEAM as one effective method to interface with the residents. The Committee for Postdocs and Students (COMPASS) helps support STEAM projects through their outreach grants.

One such program is the EURICA (Emerging Undergraduate Research-Inspired Cell Art. This is a multidisciplinary science program aimed at raising the interest of students for science. (Hegedus, Segarra, Allen, Wilson, Garr, & Budzinski, 2016) One time the students carried some science experiments and were afterwards required to craft some piece of art based on their experience. Margaret Corbit presented a similar example at CESTEMER 2014. She elaborated on the use of 3D virtual worlds to inspire creativity in children and increase their involvement in challenging projects.

(Corbit, Bernstein, Kolodziej, & McIntyre, 2006) The above-mentioned STEAM outreach projects have made the trainees consider taking careers in science. The programs have also bridged the gap between the community and scientists. Daugherty, Carter, & Swagerty (2014) emphasized the need for teachers to prepare PSTs so as to integrate the different STEAM disciplines. In addition, Frykholm and Glasson (2005) proposed that science and mathematics teachers be taught pedagogical strategies to help them address overlapping content and show the connection between the different content areas.

If the teachers do not have such interdisciplinary experiences during their training, they will most likely not integrate content in their futures classes. (Daugherty, Carter, & Swagerty, 2014; Kurt & Pehlivan, 2013) Theories of Learning Cognitivism Every behavior exhibited by any human is backed up by some underlying thought process. This is basically what the theory of cognitivism states. The theory has it that humans normally process any kind of information they receive before acting. Human beings do not just subconsciously respond to stimuli.

The cognitivism theory likens the learner’s mind to a mirror, from where he can reflect new ideas. The learner will normally seek to understand how the information he receives affects him. This is best done by comparing the new information with what is already stored in the learner’s subconscious.   The theory of cognitivism holds that one has to internally process some information so as to learn. In other words, the theory concentrates more on what is going on in the mind of the learner.

The theory does not concern itself with observable actions. However, the observable actions are used to discern the thoughts of the mind. The experiences a person may have must be revamped so as to say one is learning. For instance, one may go through new experiences or alter the old ones. We can therefore say that learning is both a change in our actions as well as a change in knowledge.

Below are some concepts of cognitivism theory which will be part of the PD plan: Categorizing information · Relating Concepts · Forming a structure · Real life scenarios · Debates · Finding solutions to problems · Analogies · Photography · Mnemonics (Tharp & Gallimore, 1991).  Constructivism The constructivism theory seeks to relate a person’s experiences and knowledge to how he views the world. Different individuals will interpret their experiences in a different way, and this is what learning actually is.

Learning can thus be termed unique for every person. And it is the learner who constructs his. The theory of constructivism defines learning as a process in which one constructs new concepts, in relation to what he already knows. Every individual has a unique mental model. The mental model is what brings sense to our experiences. At times it may be necessary to amicably address the conflicting experiences we might have had.

Therefore, learning can better be defined as that process by which an individual adjusts his mental mode, in a bid to accommodate his new experiences. The theory of constructivism is thus of much use where problem solving is inevitable. Students are one group of people who solve myriads of problems on a day to day basis.

Below are some components of the constructivism theory which will form part of the PD plan: · Carrying out case studies · Doing research · Problem based education · Jogging the mind · Teamwork · Investigative learning · Simulations · Mnemonics (Tharp & Gallimore, 1991).  Outcomes from the PD The development phase will require the evaluators and program planners to develop SMART goals. SMART here means specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound.

Short term goals may include: create STEM awareness with the participants, and make them interested in STEM concepts, skills and careers. Intermediate goals may include: improving self-efficacy of participants in regards to STEM; enable participants to profitably use the knowledge and skills they have acquired; maintain participation levels of participants; enroll participants in STEM courses; and influence participants to major in STEM disciplines. Long term goals include: increasing learning in STEM disciplines, and help participants to settle on STEM careers.

The OST developers for STEM should ensure their goals are clear enough and more so achievable, taking into consideration the scope of the program and the expected reach. The goals will most times depend on the amount of time the participants will spend in the program. (Wilkerson & Haden, 2014) Recent Researches Bush and Cook (2016) did a research to come up with a model for establishing meaningful partnerships to create appropriate STEAM learning experiences for pre-service teachers.

Elementary teachers need the know-how to implement the Next Generation Science standards in addition to the Common Core State standards for mathematics. The students need to be involved in the inquiry-based problem solving in the different disciplines. The PSTs should therefore have some points of integration to well equip the teachers. It is the hope of the authors that the research findings will inspire other teachers to partner with other local schools so as to engage pre-service teachers in profitable STEAM-based learning and teaching.

Another study by Kim and Lee (2016) sought to analyze the trends in research STEAM disciplines with programming. They collected a number of theses from Research Information Sharing Service and did the analysis. They used two major keywords namely “STEAM education” and “convergence education”. These were then analyzed, considering the year of publication; programming language; the method, design and subject of research; and the physical computing device used. The results of this analysis were then compared with the current trend in STEAM education.

They concluded that research on STEAM education has significantly increased since the year 2010. STEAM education with programming was found to be below 10% of the research. More than half of the researchers used development or application research. They applied qualitative and mixed research on STEAM education with programming to a larger extent than the general variety. This led to different results from those of regular STEAM education. The general research mostly focused on literature. Second in line was research done by elementary school students.

This group had the greatest number of researches done in STEAM education with programming. 50% of the researches used Scratch as the programming language. More than 50% of the searches was not done using physical computing devices. This study was able to show the general trends in STEAM education and how teachers have applied programming. Further analysis also showed the results of using programming in STEAM education. The prevailing disparities in the educational system have made scholars and teachers to lobby for integration of arts into the STEAM movement.

STEAM has over the years proven valuable, by its way of encouraging student inquiry, critical thinking and dialogue in the various disciplines. Many authors have therefore urged for STEAM integration, but this trend has not yet influenced state standards for K-12 education in US. Townsley (2017) reviewed key theories from the fields of neuroscience and cognitive psychology. He outlined the benefits of integrating arts into the school curriculum.

Cognitive psychologists claim that arts improve learner retention and their ability to recall through generation of information, semantic elaboration, oral production, emotional arousal, effort after meaning, and pictorial representation. Arts involve creativity, which is a higher-order cognitive skill. EEG results have shown the brain patterns that come with creative thinking. According to cognitive neuroscientists, long term artistic training has a positive effect.