STEAM-approach to Teacher Training at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

Abstract

The article represents the practices of an innovative teacher training management model implemented by the Institute of Education, the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad, Russia), within the framework of the pedagogical education development strategy in the Kaliningrad region. Educational approaches that ensure the development of interdisciplinary integration become the basis for improving the teacher training system. One of the most successful practices of transdisciplinarity concept implementation is STEAM education that integrates five core fields of study. They are S – Science, T – Technology, E – Engineering, A – the Arts, M – Mathematics. The integrated practice-oriented teacher training approach encompasses modelling educational programmes according to STEAM-approach; modern educational environment design, including final assessment procedure upgrading through introducing demonstration exam framework using WorldSkills techniques and methodology; the development of a new School-University partnership model aimed at implementing new formats of educational practices through international, national, regional, network and inner integration educational projects. STEAM-approach based on the concepts of interdisciplinarity, metadisciplinarity and integration in education is considered as the conceptual basis of the innovative teacher training models. The existing practices of teacher training models designed according to STEAM-approach prove its effectiveness both at the training stage at the Institute of Education, the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, and at the further professional development stages.