Reflections on the TALKING CELLS PROJECT: A STEAM Approach to Learning

Abstract

This small-scale action research reports on a design and implementation of a ‘Talking Cells’ project which aims to teach students the subject of “Cell” through an integrated STEAM approach. For this project, the school’s ICT teacher, science teacher and educational technology specialist worked collaboratively to design a series of activities that provided a context for children to solve real-life problems. In total 3 teachers from different subject fields worked as a team on this project with 51 sixth grade students. The students experimented with the ideas by designing solutions for real-life problems that were given to them. The students transformed organelles from cells into objects by using different materials and programming these using digital tools and electronics. The study which took place during lessons totaling 400 minutes, allowed students to experiment with STEAM concepts and skills. The study found that learning through solving real-life problems using programming and STEAM skills had a significant effect on students’ performance.