Towards interdisciplinarity with STEAM educational strategies: the Internet of Things as a catalyser to promote participatory citizenship

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the design of interdisciplinary STEAM educational strategies supported by the Internet of Things. The second cycle of a Design-Based Research approach was implemented, refined prior citizen science strategies designed, implemented, and analysed in a co-creation process, in the first cycle. The iterative implementations/evaluations aimed at answer the secondary research questions: How to develop citizen science strategies that foster students’ participatory citizenship? Teachers designed citizen science learning materials, emphasizing the co-construction of knowledge and educational practices, under STEAM . Research instruments were used the participants – students and teachers. A closer look at the data reveals the existence of students’ voice amplification with evidence of ’ their perception of having an active voice regarding the resolution of community problems after the teachers implement the STEAM educational strategies. This reinforces the need to foster the implementation of relevant participatory citizenship strategies, customized STEAM learning solutions that addressess the issue of low participatory citizenship, to involve students in community issues. A shift in the educational environments is essential within a STEAM approach, engaging students in real-world citizen science projects that encourage cooperation between teachers, stakeholders, and students, thus allowing students’ personal and social development within the scope of educational intervention projects.

KEYWORDS:

• STEAM
• internet of things
• participatory citizenship
• citizen science
• community issues

Declarations

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to individual privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

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2. https://www.nextgenscience.org/.

3. http://www.corestandards.org/.

4. https://www.education.wa.edu.au/stem

5. https://steamit.eun. 2022 org/.

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7. https://portugaldigital.gov.pt/plano-de-acao-para-a-transicao-digital/.

8. http://www.etymonline.com/.

9. https://www.egn.pt/w2/ssl.html.

10. https://thingspeak.com/.

11. https://appinventor.mit.edu/.