Helena Rocha

The potential of STE(A)M has been widely recognised in recent years; however, challenges have also been identified in the implementation of this approach, making it important to deepen research into teachers’ practices. In this study, we conducted a systematic review focused on teaching practices within a STE(A)M approach, to understand what challenges and limitations teachers encounter, as well as the possibilities authors suggest to overcome them. The research question is: What are the challenges and potentialities of implementing the STE(A)M approach in teachers’ practices? This review analysed articles indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases over the last eight years, following the PRISMA scheme. The 26 articles examined highlight challenges such as time management, lack of resources and funding, limited guidance, gaps in teacher training, difficulty integrating subject areas, issues implementing new technologies and obstacles imposed by school structures. In light of these, the following proposals were suggested: placing greater emphasis on STE(A)M in initial and continuing teacher education, increasing support from schools and government bodies, encouraging collaborative work between teachers from different areas, adopting innovative strategies and methodologies and offering a clearer conceptualisation of STE(A)M.

The STE(A)M approach has been recognized by several authors for its potential in assisting teaching and learning, and several curriculum standards already value its application in the classroom. This approach is based on the articulation between different areas, the clarification, and the deepening of the concepts being studied. Although there are different approaches, according to the fields involved, STEM and STEAM are two among the most often mentioned in the literature. STEM is based on learning that integrates the following areas of knowledge: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The conceptualization of the STE(A)M approach is not consensual and uniform. There are different models focusing on problem-solving based learning, project-based-learning, design-based learning, and engineering models. Still, different authors present different conceptualizations of this approach. In this paper, we relied on the existing literature to discuss the different understandings of the STE(A)M approach. We will also pay attention to mathematics and how different authors see the disciplines’ role within a STE(A)M approach and discuss the evolution of the mentioned authors’ positions throughout time. Thus, methodologically, we undertook the following steps: (i) literature search based on the selected keywords; (ii) selection of the texts, considering the authors and time gap, in order to analyze the evolution of the research and (iii) collection and organization of the relevant topics for the study. This study aims to present the meanings, conceptualizations, and possible influences present in different models and for understand the evolution of the STEM and STEAM approaches over time. The main findings suggest a focus on the interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach as opposed to the primeval years of investigations in STEM and STEAM when many authors advocated a multidisciplinary approach. This change in thinking is due to the need to train students in an integral and holistic manner, developing citizens with transversal knowledge and skills prepared for the current societal challenges.