A transdisciplinary approach in teacher education: the case of a STEAM workshop on sustainable development

Abstract

This study presents an experience of developing transdisciplinary education through a three-week workshop based on the STEAM framework. A total of 67 students from nine different pedagogical majors at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University participated in the workshop. The majors were selected to align with the STEAM fields. Students worked on group projects addressing relevant issues such as reducing food waste, saving water, and developing green spaces or gardens by integrating knowledge from various disciplines. During group collaboration, students encountered challenges related to teamwork and cooperation. However, guided and supported by practices grounded in research, the future teachers managed to overcome these difficulties. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods: inductive thematic analysis of workshop observations and reflections, and pre- and post-testing to measure understanding of transdisciplinarity. The results demonstrated significant improvement in students’ integrative thinking, collaborative skills, and ability to connect academic knowledge to real-life contexts. This study confirms the effectiveness of the transdisciplinary approach in teacher preparation and can serve as a basis for future research on the long-term impact of systematically integrating transdisciplinary elements into educational programs.