Creativity, critical thinking and teamwork in primary education: an interdisciplinary approach through STEAM projects

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/rced.79861
Keywords: creativity, project method, critical thinking, teamwork
Agencies: This research is funded by the Program “Stimulus to excellence for permanent university professors, funded by the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Department of Science, Universities and Education of the Community of Madrid, EPU-INV / 2020/ 005.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: STEAM education entails an approach for coworking with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics that, apart from boosting the development of scientific thinking, impulses the development of some of the key skills of the century XXI. This study analyzes the impact in three of these abilities in the student body of 5th y 6th of primary school when incorporating STEAM project into the classrooms. METHOD: This study of ethnographic exploratory case made in a Primary Educational Center of la Comunidad de Madrid, has as main objective analyzing how children communicate when the student body works in teams with experienced adults who guide them, taking advantage from the potentiality of this powerful resource. RESULTS: The results show that in each phase of the workshop, the inclusion into the classroom of STEAM projects generates educational scenarios that strengthen the mentioned competencies. DISCYSSION: The development of the study reveals the need of saving spaces so that the educational agents keep on investigating with this kind of projects in different contexts for the development of transverse cognitive competencies which go further than rote learning.

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Author Biographies

Raquel Casado Fernández, Universidad de Alcalá

Raquel Casado is a PhD student in the Doctoral Program in Education at the University of Alcalá, as well as a secondary education teacher at IES SATAFI in Getafe, Madrid (Spain). Her lines of research focus on the introduction of STEAM projects and educational robotics in formal school contexts for the development of cognitive and digital competences.

Mirian Checa Romero, Universidad de Alcalá

Mirian Checa is an Associate Professor in the area of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Alcalá. She has been researching on the research line of video games and cognitive skills for more than 12 years. She leads a research group called Educational Innovation and Technology for Human Development at the University of Alcalá and has participated and led numerous research projects on video games and cognitive and digital skills.

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Published
2023-07-05
How to Cite
Casado Fernández R. . y Checa Romero M. (2023). Creativity, critical thinking and teamwork in primary education: an interdisciplinary approach through STEAM projects. Revista Complutense de Educación, 34(3), 629-640. https://doi.org/10.5209/rced.79861
Issue
Vol. 34 No. 3 (2023)
Section
Articles

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