The trouble with STEAM and why we use it anyway

Bibliographic Data

ID21392651
AuthorsSonia Mejía (0000-0003-3462-3815, School of Design Strategies, Parsons School of Design New York New York USA, corresponding author), Naomi Thompson (0000-0001-7900-1468, Counseling and Educational Psychology Department Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USA), Raul Mishael Sedas (0000-0001-8961-3855, Department of Education University of California, Irvine Irvine California USA), Mark Rosin (0000-0002-8921-4683, Guerilla Science and Department of Math and Science Pratt Institute Brooklyn New York USA), Elisabeth Soep (YR Media Oakland California USA), Kylie Peppler (0000-0002-5472-4974, Department of Informatics and Education University of California, Irvine Irvine California USA), J Roche (0000-0002-9981-1502, Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin Dublin Ireland), Jen Wong (0000-0002-7993-4812, Guerilla Science and Science Gallery at King's College London UK), Megan Hurley (0000-0002-7875-0798, Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin Dublin Ireland), Philip Bell (0000-0001-9817-2457, College of Education University of Washington Seattle Washington USA), Bernard Bevan (0000-0002-9417-3361, College of Education University of Washington Seattle Washington USA)
Year2021
Volume105
Issue2
Pages209-231
Publication date2021-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sce.21605
OpenAlexW3135166915
LanguageEN
Citations received61
References cited83

As an emerging field of theory, research, and practice, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) has received attention for its efforts to incorporate the arts into the rubric of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning. In particular, many informal educators have embraced it as an inclusive and authentic approach to engaging young people with STEM. Yet, as with many nascent fields, the conceptualization and usage of STEAM is somewhat ambivalent and weakly theorized. On the one hand, STEAM offers significant promise through its focus on multiple ways of knowing and new pathways to equitable learning. On the other hand, it is often deployed in theory, pedagogy, and practice in ambiguous or potentially problematic ways toward varying ends. This paper attempts to disentangle some of the key tensions and contradictions of the STEAM concept as currently operationalized in educational research, policy, and practice. We pay particular attention to the transformative learning potential supported by contexts where STEAM is conceptualized as both pedagogical and mutually instrumental. That is, neither STEM nor arts are privileged over the other, but both are equally in play. We link the possibilities suggested by this approach to emerging theories for understanding how designing for and surfacing epistemic practices linked to the relevant disciplines being integrated into STEAM programs may point the way toward resolving tensions in inter‐ and transdisciplinary learning approaches

Conceptualization · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Operationalization · Pedagogy · Political science · Rubric · Science education · Sociology · The arts · Transformative learning · Computer Science · Engineering · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration · Literacy, Media, and Education