STEAM-ED—A Transdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Approach
摘要
This chapter puts forward the need for an ‘education-related’ view of science education, especially identified with society links and establishing the need to encompass technology, engineering, mathematics and also other societal important areas, such as ‘art’ (in its multiple conceptions). In interrelating these perceived multiple disciplines, the chapter also sets out to promote a transdisciplinary learning approach to science education, favouring a skill, rather than a content-learning frame, and which challenges interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches, within which single disciplines are discretely recognised. The chapter enhances constructivism as an education theory as elaborated in earlier chapters, but seeks to move away from a conceptual, content frame dominated by a knowledge approach to endorse transdisciplinary skills as the major focus. This is approached from multiple perspectives, but dominated by application of ideas within an inquiry frame. The transdisciplinary focus is linked to a vision of STEAM education, where STEAM education is not a theory, but more a philosophy and approach, which builds on theories previously mentioned in the book. It involves a paradigm shift seeking a balance between knowledge and transdisciplinary skills, but arguing for an emphasis on skills, encompassing social relatedness, research skills and the enhancement of thinking, communication and self-management skills.