Literature review: Spring 2024

 

Igniting inspiration with Elementary Students

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Introduction

         I would do anything for my children. This is a statement that is often expressed by parents, but as educators, it is something we should be saying about our students as well. The education system we must work with is lacking. Our students do not all learn in one way. Accommodations need to be met, and education needs to be equitable, not equal. There are great tools for students within the classroom. We provide accommodations for students with dyslexia. We have RTI for students who struggle with reading and interventions for those who struggle in math. What about the students who struggle to put concepts together? What about the students who don’t pick up the fact that the area of a square is length times width? The square they are looking at is flat, on paper, and holds no value to them. We are in an ever-changing society where our students are expected to learn constantly and put that learning into play right away. They are expected to think creatively and effectively, to be innovators and problem solvers. Gone are the days when constant memorization is considered essential. We have to help our students find value in their learning and take responsibility for it. In my position, I have seen teachers who will go out of their way to make sure their students will be successful, but I have also seen the total opposite. I have seen the teachers who are tired of the extra work being put on them while also trying to guide their students into being successful. Students need a form of learning that extends beyond the classroom. I aimed for my research on STEAM and hands-on learning in elementary students to benefit teachers and students, starting at my campus. So, I focused my research on how hands-on learning affects early elementary students' engagement.

        

Review of the Literature

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Definition of STEAM and Hands of learning

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          In education, STEAM and hands-on learning offer an interdisciplinary approach that allows students to apply the knowledge they are learning to address real-world problems, thereby enhancing the concepts they need to understand in the classroom (White, 2022). Minahan uses cross-area play to enhance the hands on learning in their classroom. (Minahan et al., 2011) highlight the significance of cross-area play, emphasizing, 'When children are given the freedom to experiment with materials in open-ended ways, their play can evolve into complex plots, providing rich developmental opportunities.' They point out that while centers can still exist in the classroom, materials do not have to stay in those areas while being used, allowing for more freedom and enhancing creative thinking skills that can be built upon throughout their lives. The National Science Teachers Association points out the importance of these skills, stating that they are 'tied to the development of important college and career readiness proficiencies,' and that 'STEM experiences [provide] students the opportunity to grasp and experience the relevancy of what they are learning' (NSTA, 2020). STEAM and hands-on learning enable students to intentionally use the information they are learning in the classroom and integrate it into real-world problems, giving them value in what they are learning (Blank & Lynch, 2018; Linder et al., 2016)

 

Advantages of Using STEAM and Hands of learning

 

          STEAM and hands-on learning in early grades, when implemented at the appropriate time and with age-appropriate practices, can encourage the growth of skills necessary for success in the 21st century (White, 2022). The NSTA advocates for STEM programs to begin in preschool as it helps set up students with the skills they will need for the future, allowing them to develop their own structure and find value in collaborating with others (White, 2020). Research has shown that students participating in STEAM lessons come away with three values: collaboration, critical thinking, and positive dispositions (White, 2020).

 

          Referring back to Minahan's use of hands-on learning through cross-area play, it is noted that this approach promotes creativity through unexpected connections, encourages development in the way children think, create, communicate, and increases their persistence, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. The NSTA emphasizes that "STEM education makes learning real," facilitating connections between what students are learning and valuable life applications. High-quality STEM education has been found to help students become critical thinkers, increase science, mathematics, and technology literacy, foster innovation, develop 21st-century skills, and make learning relevant to them (NSTA, 2020). The National Science and Technology Council Committee asserts that basic STEM concepts are best learned at an early age, in elementary and secondary school, as they serve as essential prerequisites for career technical training, advanced college-level and graduate study, and the enhancement of technical skills in the workplace.

 

Barriers to Implementing STEAM and Hands of learning

 

          While there are many advantages to STEM and hands-on learning, the barriers are often found within the standards set by educational leadership. In one of Minahan's studies, teachers recognized the benefits of 'cross-area play,' but their principal deemed it 'messy and loud.' Teachers are expected to conform their classrooms to standards aligned with individuals no longer in the classroom, but 'cross-area play' (and most STEM settings) goes against those standards. The need for change is evident to many. The National Science Board believes that at least two challenges must be addressed: the current lack of alignment in STEM learning programs from one state to the next, and the proficiency gap among teachers in STEM content. STEM concepts are typically taught independently of one another rather than from an interdisciplinary and real-life standpoint.

Summary

          Stem and hands-on learning involves an interdisciplinary approach in education, allowing students to apply the knowledge they receive in the classroom to real world problems, making the information they gain from the classroom relevant and valuable to them. Hands on learning at a young age with something like the Cross-area play that Minahan studied sets students up with a creative foundation that would otherwise be squished by the traditional classroom set up. Even the NSTA emphasizes the importance of the skills, as they set the student up to be successful in college and later in their careers. By starting students in STEM early and maintaining age-appropriate practices we set out students up with life skills like; collaboration, critical thinking, and a positive attituded toward learning.

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This Review and the Field of Education

 

           My hope is that my literature review highlights that the advantages of STEAM and hands-on learning far outweigh the challenges they face. By helping our students develop the skills needed to be lifelong learners early on, we create individuals who are comfortable in an ever-changing world. It should be clear that STEAM can help our students succeed both in life and in the classroom. While we aim to prepare them for standardized testing, it's essential to recognize that nothing in the real world is truly standardized. We may like to think that it is, but everything is subject to change at a moment's notice.

 

Strengths and Weaknesses of this Body of Literature

 

          The weaknesses that I found in the literature are that there is a lot of talk about teachers not being ready or able to incorporate STEAM into their classrooms, but there is very little information on what can be done to help teachers do so. We cannot justify saying they cannot do it and then leave it at that. We need to provide them with a way to be successful. While our primary goal is to make our students successful, we must also focus on training our teachers in STEAM so that that success can then translate to the students.

 

          The strengths that I found in the literature include a consistent belief that STEAM needs to be incorporated into the classroom. It is no longer a concept supported by only a small group of teachers hoping for a change for the benefit of their students. Groups such as the National Science Board view STEAM as a crucial component of the 21st-century classroom, ensuring that students leave school with the skills and abilities needed for success in the workforce.

 

Focus of the Current Study

 

          As my action research takes place, I will apply what I have learned from this literature to address any resistance I may encounter. My STEAM Club is conducted outside the classroom to alleviate the additional stress that teachers may feel by adding something else to their already full plates. It takes a village to raise a child, and the entire campus should be involved in the child’s learning. This is one reason why my STEAM Club is led by non-classroom educators, such as myself and other campus leaders.

 

References

Blank, J., & Lynch, S. (2018). Growing in STEM. The design process: Engineering practices in preschool. Young Children, 73(4). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2018 /design-process-engineering-preschool

 

Brown, J. (2012). The current status of STEM education. Journal of STEM Education, 13(5), 7- 11.

 

Hunter-Doniger, T. (2021). Early Childhood STEAM Education: The Joy of Creativity, Autonomy, and Play. Art Education, 74(4), 22–27.

 

Linder, S. M., Emerson, A.M., Heffron, B., Shevlin, E., Vest, A., & Eckhoff, A. (2016). STEM Use in Early Childhood Education: Viewpoints from the Field. Young Children 71 (3): 87–91.

 

Minahan, L., Byrd, J., Dwyer, S., Romp, S., Viets, L., & Strekalova-Hughs, E. (2011). Sparking Creativity with cross-area play. Teaching Young Children. 15(1). https://www.naeyc.org /resources/pubs/tyc/fall2021/cross-area-play

 

National Science and Technology Council Committee on STEM Education. 2018. Charting a course for success: American’s strategy for STEM education. Washington, DC: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

 

National Science Board. 2007. A national action plan for addressing the critical needs for U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Education System. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation Press.

 

National Science Teachers Association. (2014, January). Early Childhood Science Education. NSTA. https://www.nsta.org/nstas-official-positions/early-childhood-science-education

 

National Science Teachers Association. (2020). National Science Teachers Association position statement: STEM education teaching and learning. https://www.nsta.org/nstas-official-positions/stem-education-teaching-and-learning

 

Togou, M. A., Lorenzo, C., Cornetta, G., & Muntean, G. (2020). Assessing the effectiveness of using fab lab-based learning in schools on K–12 students’ attitude toward STEAM. IEEE Transactions on Education, Education, IEEE Transactions on, IEEE Trans. Educ, 63(1), 56–62. https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1109/TE.2019.2957711

 

U.S. Department of Commerce. 2017. STEM jobs: 2017 update. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning. Retrieved online: www.commerce.gov/news/reports/2017/03/stem-jobs-2017-update.

 

White, M. (2022). Investigating the Responses of Children in First Grade Engaged in STEM Lessons. Journal of Research in Education, 31(1), 151–176.