STEM without art: A ship without a sail. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Chia-Yu; Wu, Chao-Jung
• Is Part Of: Thinking skills and creativity. Volume 43(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Arts education -- Arts/aesthetic -- Contextual understanding -- Creativity -- STEAM; Thought and thinking -- Periodicals; Critical thinking -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Creative thinking -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Thinking -- Periodicals; Creativeness -- Periodicals; Teaching -- Periodicals; Pensée -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Créativité (Éducation) -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; 370.15205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100977
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1871-1871

Abstract

Highlights: The meanings of art in STEAM education are defined. Arts/aesthetic, contextual understanding, and creativity are the three art elements. Ten strategies were revealed for enhancing art elements in STEAM activities. Arts arouse learners' emotion, so teachers can expand their interests in STEM areas. Abstract: STEAM is an approach to teaching and learning that integrates science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. However, arts are often marginal and neglected in STEAM education. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven STEAM experts in Taiwan regarding their perspectives on and the factors affecting art elements, and suggestions for enhancing STEAM art elements. Thematic analysis of the results confirmed the three art elements we proposed (arts/aesthetic, contextual understanding, and creativity) but with slight modifications. Four categories comprising of 10 strategies emerged for incorporating the art elements in STEAM activities: basic principles (constraining, interaction), arts/aesthetic (arts/aesthetic learning, intention and meaning), contextual understanding (reflection of the socio-cultural context, human-centred design), and creativity (less is more, hands-on exploration, imagination, game-based/collaborative approach). The strategies that emerged in our study can help researchers and educators develop STEAM activities with rich art elements and activate in-depth discussions of STEM concepts. Furthermore, we established that learners' emotional experiences might be stimulated by art elements, so instructors could further expand their interest in STEM content.