STEAM教育的定位是培養學生不同的潛能,以應對未來的挑戰。隨著全球急速轉變和資訊泛濫,培養學生的21世紀技能(也稱為共通能力)是他們充份發揮潛能的關鍵。 通過STEAM教育,學生能夠鞏固與STEAM學科相關的知識和技能,提升他們「通過實際的解決方案和創新設計解決日常生活的問題,綜合運用跨學科知識和技能」的能力(CDC,2015 ,第2頁)。

STEM
圖1:STEAM教育概念框架

優秀STEAM教育的特點是幫助學生整合不同STEAM學科的知識和技能,同時又能連繫到現實生活和/或社區問題。在國際層面,綜合STEM(有時會稱為跨學科STEM或融合STEM)的趨勢越來越明顯,強調綜合及應用兩個或更多STEM學科以解決現實生活問題(Bryan, et al., 2015; Bybee, 2014; English, 2016; Johnson, 2013; Kelley&Knowles, 2016; Laboy-Rush, 2011; Moore, et al, 2015; Sanders, 2009)。根據 Tasiopoulou 等人的一項研究(引自 Vakkou 等人, 2023),綜合 STEAM 教育同樣指將至少兩個 STEAM 學科整合到學習活動和綜合課程計劃的開發中,強調現實世界問題的探索。這綜合模式亦體現了概念和學科實踐的連繫,讓學生能夠經歷科學家、工程師或數學家在進行調查或解決現實生活問題時所採用的手法,例如自主學習的方法。

科學探究過程
圖 2. 自主學習在科學研究過程中的應用
圖 3. 自主學習在工程設計過程中的應用

我們沒有必要同時追求所有STEAM學習範疇的整合,而應該強調的是提高學生認識綜合運用知識的重要性,並體會STEAM相關學科的實用性。此統整模式能促進學生學習及達至正面的學習成果。這也正是STEAM概念框架的核心部份(圖1)

參考文獻:

  1. Bryan, L. A., Moore, T. J., Johnson, C. C., & Roehrig, G. H. (2015).Integrated STEM education. In C. C. Johnson, E. E. Peters-Burton, & T. J. Moore (Eds.), STEM roadmap: A framework forintegration (pp. 23–37). London: Taylor & Francis.
  2. Bybee, R. W. (2014). NGSS and the next generation of science teachers. Journal of science teacher education, 25(2), 211-221.
  3. Curriculum Development Council. (2015). Promotion of STEM Education – Unleashing Potential in Innovation. Education Bureau, Hong Kong. https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/renewal/Brief%20on%20STEM%20(Overview)_eng_20151105.pdf
  4. English, L. D. (2016). STEM education K-12: Perspectives on integration. International Journal of STEM education, 3, 1-8.
  5. Johnson, C. C. (2013). Conceptualizing Integrated STEM Education. School Science and Mathematics, 113(8), 367–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12043
  6. Kelley, T. R., & Knowles, J. G. (2016). A conceptual framework for integrated STEM education. International Journal of STEM education, 3, 1-11.
  7. Laboy-Rush, D. (2011). Integrated STEM education through problem-based learning. [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/dlaboyrush/integrating-stem-educationthrough-project-based-learning
  8. Moore, T. J., Johnson, C. C., Peters-Burton, E. E., & Guzey, S. S. (2015). The need for a STEM road map. STEM road map: A framework for integrated STEM education, 1.
  9. Sanders, M. (2009, December). STEM, STEM education, STEMmania. The Technology Teacher, 68(4), 20-26.
  10. Vakkou, K. Α., Hovardas, T., Xenofontos, N., & Zacharia, Z. C. (2023). Comparing Expert and Peer Assessment of Pedagogical Design in Integrated STEAM Education. In The Power of Peer Learning: Fostering Students’ Learning Processes and Outcomes (pp. 121-141). Cham: Springer International Publishing.