Exploring current thematic and methodological patterns in STEAM education research

Abstract

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) is a recent educational strategy that proposes interdisciplinary teaching, encouraging innovation and economic growth. However, at the stake of this field development, there is a lack of research exploring the recent state of STEAM education research approaches. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the thematic and methodological patterns of recent STEAM education research, and for this purpose performed an in-depth PRISMA-guided systematic literature and content analysis of 20 manuscripts published between 2019 and 2024 in the Taylor & Francis and Emerald databases. The study noticed that research on STEAM education has increased in the past two years, and the qualitative method was the most frequently utilized research design; students and teachers were the primary research participants; however, the experts’ and policymakers’ perceptions of STEAM education have received little attention. Findings also revealed three categories of themes in current STEAM education research: 1) encouraging meaningful STEAM learning experiences for students, 2) teacher education and 3) understanding STEAM education as a field that requires further in-depth study of its processes. Implications were provided to advance further studies in STEAM education research.