Jefferson Rodrigues-Silva

A educação STEAM (interdisciplinaridade nas áreas de Ciências, Tecnologia, Engenharia, Artes/Humanidades e Matemáticas) vem sendo aplicada em diversos países, mas ainda é pouco conhecida no Brasil. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se explorar a percepção e predisposição de professores brasileiros sobre a educação STEAM. Para isso, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa com metodologia mista por meio da aplicação de um questionário com perguntas fechadas e abertas a 76 professores. Posteriormente, analisaram-se os dados com estatística descritiva e análise de conteúdo segundo a Teoria Fundamentada. Como resultado, observou-se que metade dos participantes desconhecem STEAM, além disso, reportam dificuldades como tempo e recursos escassos, além de incompatibilidade com o currículo brasileiro. Por outro lado, mostraram-se predispostos a aprender e a executar a educação STEAM. Apontaram medidas que consideram prioritárias para efetivá-la, das quais 70% destacou a necessidade de formação docente direcionada.

Eleven mechanical engineering students participated in a STEAM (interdisciplinarity between Science, technology, engineering, Arts/Humanities, and Mathematics) drama activity of conceiving and performing a play which addressed their course. Following, we pursued a Thick Description of this project, including the meanings and intentions of the play. Accordingly, we interviewed the students so that this description could reflect their voices. As a result, we observed that the drama activity permitted learning about engineering and theatre. Moreover, it was a space to contrast the ideal and the real engineering toward society and to call students to play the role of subjects responsible for their personal, professional and political lives.

Social interaction in online teacher training can be challenging. Accordingly, we aim to explore how a massive open online course (MOOC) for teacher training affects the professional identity (PI) and development of teachers. This course was developed based on the reflective learning framework (RLF) and utilises modelling as a teaching method. For that, we enrolled in a mixed-method research study. Data were collected from 54 teachers and three discussion boards. Next, it was analysed through content analysis using grounded theory, the application of the narrative reflection assessment rubric (NARRA), and statistical tests. As a result, we observed a significant increase in teachers’ evaluations regarding reflective thinking (from 24% to 67%) and sociocultural learning (from 13% to 39%) after completing the course. Pearson’s r coefficient showed a positive relationship between the fourth NARRA element, transformation, and its predecessors. This indicates that each element plays a role in a continuous development process. The evidence was sufficient to conclude that the training promoted teachers’ PI development, except in the domain of job satisfaction.

Se explora la ingeniería reversa como una estrategia didáctica para la interdisciplinariedad entre la ingeniería y las matemáticas en educación primaria. En la primera parte, se fundamenta teóricamente la educación STEAM y el Aprendizaje Basado en Diseño (ABD) en el sentido de la ingeniería reversa. En la segunda parte, se presenta el diseño de una actividad STEAM en la que los estudiantes hacen ingeniería reversa de una mesa y seleccionan materiales de un catálogo con demandas de medida, precio y sostenibilidad. La descripción de la actividad es acompañada de resultados de su implementación a 23 estudiantes de una escuela española. Se ha evidenciado que la actividad es pedagógicamente potente en cuanto al aprendizaje de las matemáticas y de la ingeniería. Su simplicidad y factibilidad de reproducción (se proporciona una guía en formato editable) ayuda a los profesores entender que la ingeniería no está limitada a planteamientos complejos y costosos.

Considerando la incorporación progresiva de la competencia STEM en el currículo de educación primaria, se exploran las concepciones del alumnado sobre la ingeniería. Para ello, se ha aplicado el instrumento validado Draw an Engineer Test (mDAET) a 18 estudiantes españoles de 10 a 11 años. Los datos obtenidos a partir de una metodología mixta (por un lado, estadística descriptiva y pruebas no paramétricas, y, por otro, análisis de contenido) muestran que el alumnado participante presenta nociones estereotipadas de la ingeniería como actividades manuales, desarrolladas en ambientes de trabajo de campo y de forma individual. Además, identifican un uso simplista de las matemáticas y no visualizan el uso de las ciencias en ingeniería. Se defiende que es necesario el desarrollo profesional docente para abordar estas concepciones y, así, avanzar hacia la educación interdisciplinar STEM o STEAM.

We aim to review students’ conceptions of engineers and engineering accessed through their drawings. Accordingly, we enrolled in a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocols. For that, we established the Web of Science as the source of information. After applying eligibility criteria, the search resulted in ten records. We observed that many reviewed studies enrolled in research designs which contained comparisons of groups, cohorts (cross-age) or pre-post-tests. However, they generally overlooked appropriate statistical tests. Overall, the studies evidenced that most students conceive engineers as males who work individually in manual activities and outdoor environments. The major contribution of this study is providing an overview of the investigation of children’s conceptions of engineering. Additionally, we call attention to the need for more research, teacher training, and carefully planned and executed activities that enhance students’ conceptions of engineers and engineering instead of worsening stereotypes—especially considering current curriculum proposals, such as STEAM education embracing engineering at precollege levels.

We sought to explore the intersection between interdisciplinary STEM/STEAM educational approaches and Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS). For that, we conducted a systematic review of Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, and Scielo databases from 2007 to 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) commandments. The systematic search led to a list of 12 articles, and we analysed them through theoretical orientations, educational perspectives, and pictures of children’s nature. We found that most studies focus on sustainability’s environmental pillar and address the discipline of science more frequently. Additionally, the authors tend to assume a theoretical orientation on the need for connecting children to a sustainable issue and picture the Apollonian child—assuming children are essentially good and emerge with virtuous traits from this contact, such as environmental care. Accordingly, researchers usually propose experiential learning in environments or settings related to sustainability, while there is a lack of teaching STEM/STEAM knowledge and skills on sustainability or engaging children to act for sustainability. We verified that they frequently lose opportunities to explicitly discern STEM/STEAM knowledge areas and their intersections in moments that could benefit children’s learning.

Se presenta una revisión narrativa de la literatura cuyo objetivo es explorar la relación entre la educación STEAM (acrónimo en inglés de la interdisciplinaridad entre Ciencias, Tecnología, Ingeniería, Artes/humanidades y Matemáticas) y el aprendizaje lúdico. Para ello, se han recolectado y analizado artículos indexados en las plataformas de Web of Science y Scopus. A partir de la revisión realizada, en primer lugar, se presenta brevemente la evolución histórica y las definiciones de estos dos enfoques y, seguidamente, se exploran evidencias de experiencias de educación STEAM a partir de metodologías de enseñanza basadas en el aprendizaje lúdico: el juego libre, el juego guiado, el juego formal y la gamificación. En segundo lugar, se analiza la intersección entre ambos enfoques en torno a la creatividad y se destacan implicaciones para el desarrollo profesional del profesorado. Se concluye que los vínculos entre la educación STEAM y el aprendizaje lúdico son cognitivamente potentes y factibles en todos los niveles educativos; sin embargo, aportan una complejidad al planteamiento didáctico, lo cual requiere conocimientos que el profesorado no tiene y eso puede generar cierta resistencia y conflictos cognitivos. Finalmente, se ha identificado la necesidad de una comprensión más amplia del aprendizaje lúdico, de más investigaciones y de una formación apropiada al profesorado sobre el networking STEAM-lúdico.

STEAM is a recent educational approach intending the interdisciplinary teaching of science, technology, engineering, arts/humanities, and mathematics. The literature reports conceptual confusion that frequently diverts STEAM practice and research to issues concerning particular activities or contexts. Therefore, we carried out a narrative review of articles indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) to elucidate STEAM education’s history, epistemology, and divergences. As a strategy, we first focused on documents that could offer a panoramic view of the object of study – literature reviews and articles about STEAM frameworks. Through them, we identified essential discussion points and further expanded the review. As a result, we articulated rationalities about why STEAM is not a mere evolution of STEM, a teaching methodology, or just a synonym for interdisciplinarity. Furthermore, we discussed the appropriateness of interdisciplinarity in STEAM – since it is strongly supported by the disciplines and their intersections – instead of pursuing transdisciplinarity, meaning knowledge remains undefined in a holistic whole. We differentiated STEAM disciplines (list of the five knowledge areas), STEAM activities (interdisciplinary teaching unity of at least two STEAM disciplines), and STEAM education (educational approach of interdisciplinarity between all five disciplines). Finally, we defined and proposed a framework for STEAM in a table format that stresses two necessary and sufficient conditions – interdisciplinarity and the five acronym areas. The framework permits envisioning the plurality of teaching methodologies and educational objectives consistent with STEAM.

Esta pesquisa visa explorar como os professores refletem sobre a identidade profissional doncete a partir do contraste de características do bom e do mau professor. A pesquisa tem um caráter qualitativo e contou com uma amostra de 62 professores. Eles participaram de uma formação docente online que foi concebida no modelo de realista-reflexivo e os dados desta pesquisa foram coletados de fóruns de discussão desse curso. Em seguida, os dados foram analizados pelo método de análise de conteúdo conforme sustenta a Teoria Fundamentada. Os resultados indicam que os domínios de autoimagem, comprometimento e percepção da tarefa são mais citados pelos participantes. As características do bom/mau professor apontadas pelos participantes da pesquisa devem ser analisadas de maneira cautelosa, servindo como ponto de partida para reflexões profundas acerca da profissão docente.