THE STEAM EDUCATION CONCEPT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN INTEGRATED PRIMARY SCHOOL TEXTBOOK
Keywords:
integrated teaching, STEAM concept, textbook, content correlation, early primary educationAbstract
The education sector is increasingly addressing the challenges of contemporary society by adopting the STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), which has recently been expanded to include the Arts, thereby forming the concept of STEAM education. This paper explores the STEAM concept from the perspective of its implementation within an integrated primary school textbook. Particular emphasis is placed on the developmental and formative role of the textbook, which is legally defined in Serbia as the core teaching resource, with the mandate to ensure both horizontal and vertical coherence of subject matter. The aim of the research is to create and present models of teaching topics in the textbook that are shaped by cross-curricular connections and based on the STEAM concept. Program content for the first grade was selected that enables the connection of knowledge of different epistemological nature, and encourages students to develop a holistic understanding of the world. The proposed models draw upon experiential learning, generate cognitive conflict, and guide students through problem-based situations toward the discovery and construction of knowledge. The findings suggest that primary school textbooks can be didactically and methodologically structured through an integrated approach aligned with the principles of STEAM education. Such structuring establishes the foundations for the systematic interconnection of concepts from science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, thereby supporting the development of a comprehensive worldview in young learners.
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