Igniting Curiosity: The Role of STEAM Education in Enhancing Early Academic, Language Skills and Motivation for Science

Igniting Curiosity: The Role of STEAM Education in Enhancing Early Academic, Language Skills and Motivation for Science

Автор: Özgün Uyanık Aktulun, Ümit Ünsal Kaya, Ali İbrahim Can Gözüm, Michail Kalogiannakis, Stamatios Papadakis

Журнал: International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science @ijmecs

Статья в выпуске: 5 vol.16, 2024 года.

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The "Igniting Curiosity: A STEAM Journey for Young Minds" (IC-SJYM) program integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) into early childhood education to enhance linguistic and scientific engagement among 5 to 6-year-olds. This study uses a mixed-methods design to evaluate the program's effectiveness, utilizing the Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills (K-SEALS) and the Teacher Rating Scale of Children's Motivation for Science (TRS-CMS), alongside qualitative feedback from educators. Results show that the experimental group, following the IC-SJYM program, demonstrated significant improvements in academic performance and motivation towards science compared to a control group with a traditional curriculum. Additionally, qualitative analyses highlight the program's positive impact on expressive language skills, innovative thinking, and a sustained interest in scientific inquiry. These findings suggest that an integrative STEAM curriculum can significantly enhance early learning experiences, advocating for its broader adoption. The IC-SJYM program's success in fostering intellectual curiosity and academic excellence underscores the critical role of STEAM in early childhood education and calls for further research into its potential to revolutionize educational paradigms for young learners.

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STEAM Education, early childhood development, academic skills enhancement, scientific motivation, integrative learning approaches

Короткий адрес: https://sciup.org/15019522

IDR: 15019522   |   DOI: 10.5815/ijmecs.2024.05.01

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