The Plan 

Hands-on learning and STEAM’s effect on 3rd grade students: An Action Research Plan

          

          Children deserve to have someone in their lives fighting for them. One would expect this to be the parent, but often in public education, that is not the case. It is the teachers who would fight for them. However, what we see even more now is that the teachers are losing their fight. They are overwhelmed by all the expectations placed on them. Teachers find themselves stuck in having to teach the way someone else tells them to. The prescribed teaching methods may not be suitable for every student's learning style. When teachers encounter students falling behind, they feel their hands are tied in how they can help them. My heart breaks when a teacher gives up on a student, believing that the student has fallen too far behind to learn a particular concept. The purpose behind my advocacy for students is that I want to promote alternative learning methods. Through hands-on learning, play-based learning, and STEAM learning, students can discover new authentic ways of learning. They can take ownership and find value in their education.

 

Fundamental Research Question

         

          My research question: How does hands-on learning and STEAM affect early elementary student engagement?, is significant right now because it aligns with my campus structure. My campus has a unique demographic of students, ranging from three years old in Pre-Kindergarten 3 to 8- and 9-year-olds in 3rd grade. I firmly believe that we cannot help others if we cannot first help ourselves, so I focused my attention on how we could better support the students on my current campus. The research behind this question also allows us to lay the foundation for our students to be successful in a 21st-century world.

 

Summary of the Literature Review

 

          In my literature review, I found a lot of information that supported my thoughts on how beneficial the introduction to STEM is in early education. Although STEM has also become known as STEAM, much research has been conducted under the umbrella of STEM. In my literature review, I alternate between the two acronyms. I found support indicating that STEM should be considered as an interdisciplinary approach in education because it allows students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios. As part of another study, one researcher found that cross-area play helped students establish a foundation of creativity that they wouldn't otherwise have. STEAM programs help set up students to be successful in college and later in their careers.

 

Research Design 

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          I chose a Qualitative design because I wanted to stay away from adding more assessments to my students. Every time we turn around, they have to take more tests or do a survey for our district. I don’t want to add to that. I want to know what my students think, and I want to get their opinions on what makes a difference for them and what doesn’t.

 

Data Collection and Analysis

 

          The data I will be collecting will be from group discussions and observations. I want to see if the students who are involved in the hands-on learning programs are also involved in the classroom environment. I want to see if there is any genuine enjoyment of learning happening and if there is does it also transfer inside the classroom. 

The type of measurement I believe I will be using is conversations with students and teachers about student engagement in the classroom. I aim to see where the disconnect, if any, is at. I will also be creating a Microsoft form to allow students to vote on their favorite activity. Some activities are designed to just allow the students to have fun and create something while others have them use their classroom skills to complete the task. 

 

Research Timeline

 

STEP 1: Introducing the STEAM my Team. (September 11, 2023) 

*Complete*

  

STEP 2: Begin Lego Club

*on going*

 

STEP 3: Science Olympiad 

*Complete*

          

STEP 4: Lego Club review with students

 

STEP 5: Engagement review with Teachers

 

STEP 6: Introducing other STEAM activities to campus.

 

STEP 7: Introduction findings to CITs, Librarians, and other CTs. 

          

Possible month to month time line for STEAM Clubs

October - Legos

November - OSMO Drawing

December - MakerSpace and Recycling

January - Science Olympiad Activities 

February thru March - Science Olympiad Practice

April thru May - TinkerCad and 3D Printing

 

Sharing and Communicating Results

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         I plan to share my research with my principal and other leadership members of my campus during our monthly leadership meetings. I will discuss the conversations I have had with teachers and students, aiming to continue and expand the STEAM clubs next year. As I prepare to introduce the STEAM clubs to individuals outside of my campus, I want to follow the approach taken by White in their research. I intend to capture pictures of students engaged in different activities and share them along with students' testimonials.

When the time comes to extend our initiative to other campuses, I will share the research with the District Instructional Technologist, librarians, and other Campus Technologists. The DITs will have more opportunities to interact with those interested in incorporating STEAM into their schools. Librarians and CTs are the ones who work more closely with the students. Many campuses with librarians already integrate a small amount of STEAM into their library time

through initiatives like maker spaces. With their assistance, we could see STEAM bloom in elementary schools.

 

Final Reflection 

 

          Once this study is complete on my campus, I aim to use its findings to assist other campuses in incorporating STEAM and hands-on learning. I hope to contribute to the creation of a new educational norm in classrooms, one that is more prepare for different learning styles. My ultimate goal is to provide enhanced support for students who may thrive through alternative ways of learning, creating a more inclusive and effective educational environment across our district.

 

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.