Children’s steam learning in early years: A case study from a preschool

Abstract

STEAM education has been gaining significant attention and acceptance throughout the world at all levels of education. It is considered that to get better learning outcomes in STEAM, the foundation should be weaved from the early years of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes the educators and parents hold about STEAM in a STEAM-practicing preschool. This research flaunts the practices preschool educators do to promote STEAM and the challenges educators face in implementing it. The study followed a case study under a qualitative approach. In-Depth Interviews on four educators, one Focus Group Discussion on six parents of preschoolers and five Class Observations were carried out. The case study revealed that all the participants were well familiar with the term- STEAM, and they consider it important in the early years. The case study indicates that though educators know about the interdisciplinary approach of STEAM but most of them lack the skills in integrating Engineering and Technology in-class activities. The study also found parents were having less understanding of STEAM than teachers and there was a lack of knowledge sharing between them. Study findings indicate that the classroom practices are aligned with the understanding of the teachers. The findings showed that all the educators feel the requirement of trainings specifically on Engineering and Technology. The study also revealed that despite of having some basic facilities, the school lack planned indoor space. Therefore, the study recommended for further training with a specific focus on Engineering and Technology areas. This study also highlighted the requirement of nationwide advocacy and awareness program on STEAM incorporation in early-years education. Lastly, further large-scale research is recommended.