STEAM Education and Digital Competencies

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "STEM Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 10310

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1.Science Teaching Unit, Department of Geoscience, Environmental and Land Planning, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
2.Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: teachers of biology and geology training and professional development; science teaching and communication; environmental education and education for sustainability, science teaching approaches and methodologies; geoethics
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Guest Editor
1.Science Teaching Unit, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
2.Institute of Physics for Advanced Materials, Nanotechnology and Photonics, Porto, Portugal
Interests: digital educational resources for teaching science in general and physics in particular; physics and chemistry teacher training and professional development; teaching and communication of science; STEAM approach

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The state of today's society shows us the urgent need to equip students with digital skills so as to prepare them for the competitiveness of the job market. On the other hand, the holistic and integrated vision of knowledge in an interdisciplinary network becomes essential for the panoply of functions that a professional in any area must be able to respond to. In this sense, the STEAM approach and the use of digital resources or online tasks enhance the possibility of providing students with the 21st-century skills.

STEAM education is often referred to as an approach that attracts girls to areas where they could be better represented. How far is this is true?

On the other hand, it is also defined as an approach where the teacher has to master various areas of knowledge, including digital skills. How could teachers build STEAM projects with resources that involve both teaching and learning digital skills?

In this Special Issue, we invite scholars to submit articles that answers the aforementioned questions along with supporting evidence. We hope this will help teachers during their initial training and professional development, allowing them to use the STEAM approach efficiently to enrich both the teaching and learning process.

Manuscripts with the following focuses are welcome:

  • Systematic reviews that bring together knowledge on a specific topic of STEAM education for involving girls in areas they are/were not particularly interested in or learning digital competencies;
  • Educational innovations focused on STEAM education and developing digital competencies;
  • Theoretical and conceptual frameworks related to digital educational resources used in STEAM Education.

This Special Issue on ‘STEAM Education and Digital Competencies’ will accept both review and empirical articles developed at any school level, and higher education or non-formal educational environments.

Dr. Clara Vasconcelos
Dr. Marcelo Dumas Hahn
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • STEAM education
  • digital competencies
  • interdisciplinary
  • STEAM educator profile
  • STEAM competencies

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1099 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Golden Ratio in Nature by Using a STEAM Approach: A Diagnostic and Quasi-Experimental Study at a Senior University
by Nuno Teles, Tiago Ribeiro and Clara Vasconcelos
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070705 - 28 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 706
Abstract
This research addresses the social exclusion of elderly citizens in terms of lifelong education via an interdisciplinary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) approach. Technological literacy among older people is a critical factor in social exclusion. This study seeks to provide senior [...] Read more.
This research addresses the social exclusion of elderly citizens in terms of lifelong education via an interdisciplinary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) approach. Technological literacy among older people is a critical factor in social exclusion. This study seeks to provide senior citizens with competencies in scientific, artistic, mathematical, and technological domains by enhancing scientific and technological literacy. The research developed a series of non-formal education sessions on the golden ratio using a STEAM educational approach. A quantitative methodology approach was carried out by using a diagnostic survey of the participants’ conceptions and a subsequent quasi-experimental study to evaluate the impact of the intervention. This study, conducted with 37 senior citizens (n = 37), found positive results aligning with the existing literature on the potential of the STEAM approach. The STEAM approach proved to be engaging for seniors, offering a holistic and interdisciplinary educational experience. Despite the limited availability of science educational programs for seniors and the scarcity of studies on lifelong learning using the STEAM approach, this research highlights the need for such initiatives, especially given the growing senior population. Applying STEAM education shows promise in enhancing scientific literacy and motivation among adult learners. By integrating mathematical concepts, such as the golden ratio, with practical applications in arts and natural sciences, STEAM education can provide a rich, motivating, and accessible learning experience, promoting active and healthy ageing through lifelong learning. Further research and development in this area could maximise educational benefits for the senior population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEAM Education and Digital Competencies)
24 pages, 4196 KiB  
Article
Integrated STEAM Education for Students’ Creativity Development
by Josina Filipe, Mónica Baptista and Teresa Conceição
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060676 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1435
Abstract
This study aims to explore how a learning sequence designed with an Integrated STEAM Education perspective (iSTEAM) contributes to students’ levels of creativity. The participants in this study were students from 9th and 10th grade with ages between 14 and 16 years old. [...] Read more.
This study aims to explore how a learning sequence designed with an Integrated STEAM Education perspective (iSTEAM) contributes to students’ levels of creativity. The participants in this study were students from 9th and 10th grade with ages between 14 and 16 years old. Students were challenged to produce a soundtrack for an animation video. This was achieved by building artifacts and using the phenomena of physics under study (mechanical energy) to produce sound effects. These were later digitally recorded and assembled to build the video’s soundtrack. This research work contributes to addressing the importance of STEAM education integration and of digital competence in developing students’ creativity in problem solving. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEAM Education and Digital Competencies)
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11 pages, 1137 KiB  
Article
Self-Regulation of Student Learning in a STEAM Project
by María Dolores López Carrillo, Amelia Calonge García and José Alberto Lebrón Moreno
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060579 - 27 May 2024
Viewed by 759
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEAM Education and Digital Competencies)
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13 pages, 2041 KiB  
Article
STEM Teachers’ Digital Competence: Different Subjects, Different Proficiencies
by Rui Marques Vieira, Celina C. Tenreiro-Vieira, Pedro Bem-Haja and Margarida Lucas
Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111133 - 13 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2410
Abstract
STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and STEM literacy have emerged as one (of many) concerted efforts aiming to provide the different competences required for future generations to adapt to an evolving world. Despite lacking a comprehensive framework for STEM, this concept has been studied [...] Read more.
STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and STEM literacy have emerged as one (of many) concerted efforts aiming to provide the different competences required for future generations to adapt to an evolving world. Despite lacking a comprehensive framework for STEM, this concept has been studied under different perspectives, one of which is the digital competences of teachers. This study focuses on the digital competence and proficiency of 20,935 teachers, distributed across the following subjects: mathematics and natural sciences, physics and chemistry, biology and geology, and mathematics. It uses DigCompEdu as a conceptual framework to describe teachers’ use of digital technologies to teach STEM subjects. The results show that biology and geology teachers achieved significantly higher digital proficiency scores when compared to teachers from the other three subjects. Physics and chemistry teachers also scores significantly higher than mathematics and natural sciences teachers. The results show the existence of significant positive correlations among all competence areas for the four STEM subjects. In conclusion, Portuguese teachers presented different levels of digital competence and perceived themselves as differently prepared for integrating digital technologies. A potential implication of this study is the need for teacher education about digital competences and a focus on producing teachers capable of dealing with STEM in their future classroom teaching and learning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEAM Education and Digital Competencies)
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20 pages, 2314 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Systematic Review of STEAM Education’s Role in Nurturing Digital Competencies for Sustainable Innovations
by Csaba Deák and Baibhaw Kumar
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030226 - 22 Feb 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4102
Abstract
This systematic review examines the intricate relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education, digital competence, and sustainable innovations in the context of academic institutions. This study, conducted through a meticulous PRISMA-guided literature review, spans the decade from 2013 to 2023, [...] Read more.
This systematic review examines the intricate relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education, digital competence, and sustainable innovations in the context of academic institutions. This study, conducted through a meticulous PRISMA-guided literature review, spans the decade from 2013 to 2023, focusing on publications from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The NOISE analysis model guides the exploration, emphasizing the Needs, Opportunities, Improvements, and Strengths in upskilling educators for the digital age. By synthesizing findings, this review highlights the multifaceted nature of digital competence, emphasizing its critical role in the knowledge society. Sustainable innovation emerges as a complex yet essential concept for future digital competencies. Key findings underscore the imperative for a continuous upskilling of educators and the transformative potential of STEAM pedagogy in fostering a holistic, transdisciplinary approach to education. The NOISE analysis offers practical insights, paving the way for future research directions, including the development of a robust conceptual framework for STEAM-based pedagogy. This review contributes by adding a culturally sustaining education framework for STEAM, which adds to existing knowledge by elucidating the symbiotic relationship between STEAM education, digital competence, and sustainable innovations, providing a nuanced understanding crucial for navigating the evolving educational landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue STEAM Education and Digital Competencies)
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