Four years of STEAM learning in elementary school—understanding the design and implementation of an educational program

STEAM education is an interdisciplinary approach that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics in order to develop life-long soft skills, addressing learning in a way that mirrors real life. Unlike STEM, which focuses on technical skills, the new approach proposed in this study brings the arts into the equation, shifting the focus to critical thinking, understanding the world and finding creative solutions.

Perhaps the most relevant discipline for understanding the methods used is architecture, a field that brings together artistic and technical elements in a natural way, as part of the profession. A topic of interest for understanding STEAM education in children and adolescents is how this discipline could be taught to elementary school pupils, as it requires considerable effort to establish a specific methodology.

This article aims primarily to present the methodology developed by the De-a Arhitectura Association in two manuals: “Playing architecture—mini” for the first and second grades and “Playing architecture in my town” for the third and fourth grades. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is the whole process analysis, conducting exercises, experiments, assessing connections with other disciplines in the curriculum, presenting the conclusions the authors reached after four years of working with 25 children from the same classroom, tracking their progress and skill development.

In conclusion, the STEAM approach is suitable for all age groups, and the tangible results are evident not only in terms of hard skills but especially in terms of soft skills, namely problem-solving, communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration and creativity.