Analysis of Teacher-Designed Integrated STEAM Programs with a Focus on Mathematics

In Korea, integrated STEAM educationIntegrated STEAM education aims to enhance mathematical skillsMathematical skills outlined in the national curriculum: problem-solving, reasoningReasoning, creativityCreativity/integration, communicationCommunication, information processing, and attitudeAttitudes toward mathematics. Mathematics educators in Korea have designed and implemented mathematics-centred STEAMMathematics-centred STEAM (M-STEAM) programs to maximize the potential of STEAM educationSTEAM education. Through a literature review, we explored design principles and practical implications of M-STEAM programsM-STEAM programs framed around mathematical modellingMathematical modelling and creativityCreativity. To understand how STEM might be implemented in the classroom, we also examined M-STEAM programsM-STEAM programs developed and implemented by teachers in South Korea from 2018 to 2021: 46 programs for elementary schoolsElementary school (grades 1–6), 14 programs for middle schools (grades 7–9), and 21 programs for high schools (grades 10–12). These programs were analysed in terms of mathematics content areas, overarching ideas, and outcomes related to 21st-century skills. The programs provide opportunities to integrate ideas from multiple disciplines centred on mathematical ideas. The findings indicate that Korean teachers identified greater potential of the component of arts in the M-STEAM programsM-STEAM programs. However, it is important to note that there was a lack of sufficient discussion on 21st-century skills during the development and implementation process of M-STEAM programsM-STEAM programs.