We are delighted to introduce the second academic article published within our Erasmus+ FIND-STEM project framework, titled “From STEM to STEAM: Developing Transversal Skills through Arts-Integrated STEM Education”. Co-authored by project partners Filipa Baptista (Portugal), Sarantis K. Chelmis (Greece), and Carmen Burcea (Romania), this research paper explores the empirical advantages of the STEAM paradigm.
About the Article
The publication addresses critical challenges in contemporary European school systems: low student engagement, a lack of real-world learning relevance, and the persistent gender gap in STEM fields.
Centred around the target demographic of pupils aged 7 to 14, the authors investigate how authentic arts-based and real-world-oriented approaches can simultaneously bolster domain knowledge and vital 21st-century transversal skills like creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Key highlights discussed in the paper include:
- The Power of Authentic Arts Integration: Moving past superficial “add-ons” to use the arts as genuine epistemic tools that facilitate deeper cognitive engagement and integrated problem-solving.
- Bridging the Gender Gap: How transitioning to a STEAM model aligns learning environments with the engagement orientations of female pupils, tackling barriers such as perceived difficulty and early-stage stereotyping.
- The FIND-STEM Three-Tier Architecture: A comprehensive look at the project’s ecosystem, spanning teacher capacity-building, the 18-resource digital WebQuest and Digital Breakouts Compendium, and national multiplier symposiums.
The paper concludes that holistic teacher professional development—combining content knowledge, creative pedagogy, gender awareness, and digital tools—remains the indispensable lever for durable classroom transformation.
Read the full article here