Research as a Pillar in STEAM Education - Prospects to Formalise Research in Science Education

Mfanelo Pat Ntsobi* and King Costa
Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Johannesburg and Global Centre for Academic Research, Gauteng 2107, South Africa
*Corresponding Author: Mfanelo Pat Ntsobi, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Johannesburg and Global Centre for Academic Research, Gauteng 2107, South Africa.

Published: November 05, 2024

DOI: 10.55162/MCET.07.242

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Abstract  

In the fast-paced landscape of contemporary education, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education stands as a vanguard aimed at equipping students with the skills required for the 21st century. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) alone has proven to miss several components that are critical for children and students to thrive in the 21^st century economy, in terms of application, creation, innovation and ingenuity. As such, STEAM can complete the package of benefits to students by integrating arts principles, which allows them to connect their learning to wonder, critique, inquiry, and innovation. While STEAM education is increasingly recognized as a crucial educational approach, the precise role of research within it and how it can be effectively formalized remains a topic of inquiry. In recent years, there have been emerging methodologies that integrate STEAM in education, and which offer pedagogical alternatives that are more holistic and attractive, and which offer prospects to formalize research in science education. This qualitative systematic review embarks on an exploration of the pivotal role of reading and research within STEAM education, addressing the need to formalize innovation in science education. Data for this systematic review have been sourced from peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and reports that focus on qualitative research within STEM and STEAM education. The systematic review involved data extraction, coding, and thematic analysis using the COSTAQDA cloud-based software.

Keywords: Innovation; Research; STEM; STEAM

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