The benefits of a STEAM-based curriculum in CBSE schools: A comparative study

 Every new era brings with it change to befit the abilities and requirements of the new generations. The progressive and fast-paced 21^st century demanded much-needed change, especially in the field of education. Education is the basis for progress in every sphere of life, whether personal or professional, and this century clearly showed how limiting the previous educational systems and methods are to understanding and tackling life in the present age.

STEAM, which is an upgrade of the previous discipline STEM, is an educational discipline that aims to provide a more balanced education to children, beginning from an early age. STEAM is an amalgamated approach to education where all major fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics are seen as similar fields of study involving creative processes using multiple methods of inquiry and investigation.

This methodology allows and empowers teachers at CBSE schools in Ahmedabad, as well as in other schools across the world, to adopt project-based, practically applicable learning across all the subjects in an engaging and inclusive environment, fostering confidence and participation. STEAM essentially prepares and teaches children critical and creative thinking, which are essential requisites for problem solving and a balanced approach to life and career.

The benefits of STEAM

1.     Understanding technology: The advancement in the technology sector demands that children be technologically literate. As per the findings of a survey by learning.com conducted from 2012 to 2017, the majority of the students until grade 8 were not technologically literate. STEAM takes account of this crucial aspect and imparts knowledge on the basic elements of technology, engineering, and programming with the help of projects and classwork under the able guidance of the trained faculty at schools in satellite Ahmedabad.

2.     Spanning cultural differences: The internet and technology have merged the world into a global community where the distances and differences due to geographical boundaries and cultures need to stop mattering for the collective progress of humankind. The unique design of STEAM creates an inclusive environment, keeping in mind the participation of children from different cultural backgrounds. The programme can be operated in many different ways, making learning easier for children from diverse cultures. It presents children with real-world problems, encouraging them to apply their ideas to resolving them. This opens up the opportunity to learn from each other’s cultural knowledge and indigenous wisdom passed down through the generations. This approach also teaches them communication skills; to interact with a diverse peer group, the children learn to be patient, kind, and accepting of their differences.

3.     Leadership qualities: To succeed in today’s world, leadership qualities are a major skill that needs to be cultivated and discovered in a conducive environment. STEAM focuses on creating an encouraging and inclusive environment where children are encouraged to share their ideas and interests other than the subjects and topics they are learning. This helps bring out the dormant and hidden talents in children, giving them the much-needed impetus for self-exploration, understanding, and growth. Teachers at CBSE schools in Ahmedabad are often taken by surprise when the quietest children shine brightly when they are encouraged to talk about what interests them and gives them joy.

4.     Critical thinking: The educational disciplines prior to STEAM lacked in developing and teaching critical and creative thinking, which are a must to navigate with confidence through its many challenges. STEAM does not limit the educators in schools in Ahmedabad with a set curriculum, allowing them to adopt innovative methods of teaching. Instead, the discipline has a cross-curricular system that allows the children to develop critical and creative thinking to solve problems. While the previous disciplines limited the learning to the text books, set curriculum, and methods of approach.

5.     Computational skills: A thinking skill that creates a problem and invites proposals of solutions in such a way that they can be easily understood and implemented by the computer. To teach computation skills, STEAM has created products to teach and prepare children for coding and improvised diagnostic skills to solve problems, especially in the fields of math, engineering, and science.

6.     Social skills: Wholesome development requires good social skills in order to communicate and understand each other with acceptance and respect. In STEAM learning, children work in varied groups to accomplish cross-curricular tasks where many children want to lead, which can cause friction, but under the watchful guidance of the educator, the children learn to face this challenge by making an effort to discover and practise their social-emotional learning.

A study by ‘Read to Lead’ found a huge difference between students with social-emotional skills taught by the programme and those who did not receive social-emotional education. Working as a group towards a common goal also teaches the students the importance of collaboration and teamwork, which are essential prerequisites for STEAM learning as most of the projects and learning are done in pairs or groups.