How STEAM can inspire the innovators of tomorrow

In the modern age, technology is changing rapidly and so are the frontiers of collective knowledge.

Interdisciplinary research is driving important innovation, and in the job market, demand is greatest for workers who can think flexibly, use important soft skills and problem solve in many different domains.

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This context has driven the rise of STEAM as a school subject. Weaving together science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, STEAM inspires and engages students using real world contexts. By encouraging students to think outside of the sometimes-dry academic context, STEAM brings concepts off the page and catalyses deep learning as ākonga make connections between subjects.

From STEM to STEAM

The recent inclusion of the “A” for “arts” is a vital upgrade from STEM pedagogies. It’s an acknowledgement of the importance of an arts perspective on all fields, including maths and science. Integration of the arts expands STEAM to cover additional interdisciplinary fields such as architecture, data science and visualisation. In any STEAM project, an arts view encourages students to approach problems in unconventional ways.

Additionally, including an arts focus in a STEAM project may engage students who otherwise struggle with maths, technology and science as individual subjects. STEAM approaches, then, can be inclusive and can encourage underrepresented demographics into STEM fields. To ensure STEAM projects create engagement for students, kaiako should consider the context of each student and ensure projects remain relevant for them in some way. 

For instance, the Pasifika Education Community website offers resources aimed at engaging Pacific children with STEAM. The posters and resources explain how Pacific people utilise STEAM within traditional culture and practices. Linking STEAM activities and inquiries to a child’s background or context ensures children can see themselves represented in STEAM. This is important to improve engagement and maximise the benefits of STEAM learning. 

According to Te Kete Ipurangi, STEAM encourages flexible thinking, provides opportunities for hands-on learning, and builds teamwork. Teaching STEAM projects is also effective pedagogical practice—students have demonstrated improved application and understanding of science and maths following STEAM teaching. One New Zealand study found that an open-ended, project-based STEAM curriculum improved engagement for students. As STEAM teaching focuses on the learning process rather than set outcomes, students discovered intrinsic motivation to engage in the inquiry process.

STEAM in your classroom 

Kaiako interested in implementing a STEAM based project in their classroom can find a wealth of resources online, including pre-prepared STEAM activities on Te Kete Ipurangi and other sites with resources aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum. External providers can also offer STEAM programmes, activities and projects aligned to the curriculum.

Teachers who are new to STEAM might wish to begin with a project-based module as this has proven a popular and accessible entry to the field. Teachers should carefully consider the connections they want ākonga to make, and the learning outcomes they would like to achieve. At least two of the subjects of STEAM should be incorporated into the project.

Assessment design is also important when creating a STEAM module. What modes and methods of assessment are appropriate and will aromatawai demonstrate the desired learning outcomes? Teachers wanting to develop teamwork and bonding in their classes could also consider placing students in groups.

Designing a STEAM project

For any given topic, educators can consider the following basic steps when outlining lesson plans for a STEAM project: question, context, identification, application, presentation and reflection.

Questioning involves coming up with a specific question related to the chosen topic. Teachers may wish to present background information to the class, perhaps beginning to outline the connections between the subject and fields of learning. Allowing children to lead the direction of inquiry can be an important way to create buy-in from learners. One method may be setting a broad category for students to choose from, for example, modes of transport, modern and historical; technologies; the natural world, and more. 

Following the initial question, students should be guided to seek more context that may lead them to possible solutions. This section enables students to draw on skills learned in other parts of the curriculum and encourages connected, whole learning. 

With context, students can identify potential solutions that already exist for their question. With this knowledge, students can be guided to see gaps where there is potential for innovation. 

Applying their findings, students can attempt to find their own solutions, analysing what works and what doesn’t. Students can then present and share their findings, evaluating outcomes and reflecting on the project to encourage deeper learning.

Of course, this is just one model and there are many other entry points into STEAM. Another way kaiako can access STEAM may be to use existing school resources such as school gardens or school grounds. 

STEAM activities can also emerge organically from real problems. Inquiries into waste processes or designing products for the school is one way to link learning to real world contexts, strengthening student engagement. 

Integrating school computer rooms and other technology into STEAM lessons could be another way to increase engagement for students and bring concepts alive. The latest technology such as 3D printing, laser cutting, coding programmes and more enrich the STEAM learning experience. If your school or kura has access to these resources, students can experience the wonder of bringing their designs to life. Being able to design and execute a concept can do wonders for ākonga, encouraging experimentation and creative thinking. With these technologies, students can create prototypes of a final design, unlocking endless opportunities and directions for STEAM enquiries.

For teachers looking for some external support on their STEAM journey, School News spoke to some providers who have developed their own STEAM opportunities for schools.

The Innovation Forge is a new education programme launching this year at MOTAT. Focused on nurturing the talents of New Zealand’s emergent innovators, the programme brings students into a unique space onsite at MOTAT to develop innovation projects, explore workshop tools and digital technologies, and build design thinking and problem-solving skills. 

In collaboration with schools, MOTAT will host selected students in a series of workshops over multiple weeks  and builds authentic learning relationships with schools 

Developed by Head of Education Julie Baker and Lead Educator – Innovation, Damon Kahi, the Innovation Forge programme follows a tiered structure, supporting   students to develop from novice to emergent innovators. In the “Tool Room” (a STEAM-equipped workshop), students begin by learning best practice for using tools and workshop machinery. The Innovation Practice module focuses on design thinking, guiding students from ideation to product evaluation. In the final module, students become emerging innovators, receiving advanced support from industry mentors to take their product into production.

Engraving Supplies and Universal Lasers has been working with schools in NZ for more than 20 years.

With their ongoing support, the team have enabled thousands of students throughout the country to be inspired, motivated and rewarded using the latest technology to bring their imaginations and creations to life.

Engraving Supplies and Universal Lasers offer new and second-hand machines, in depth training and support, and offer a wide range of supplies and materials to experiment and turn designs from fantasy into reality.

The Wonder Project is on a mission to get ākonga excited about STEM. Since 2018, it has reached almost 140,000 Kiwi kids with free programmes that seamlessly blend curriculum-aligned STEM learning with hands-on activities like launching rockets, supporting kaiako across Aotearoa to make STEM lessons a blast. 

Backed by years of research and refinement, Wonder Project programmes are carefully curated to deliver sustained engagement with STEM across the most impressionable years of Kiwi kids’ school experience, reinventing their perceptions when it matters most. To achieve this, each offering is fun, engaging, accessible and designed to resonate with all ākonga, and especially girls, Māori and Pacific Peoples. 

After their 2024 experience, over 95 percent of kaiako reported their confidence teaching STEM increased. That’s down to the free, child-centred resources the Wonder Project supplies, including ākonga activities, videos, a challenge guide, and high-value challenge kit. Where possible, classes are also supported by volunteer industry professionals who impart their wisdom, passion and excitement for STEM across the learning journey, raising ākonga aspirations so they believe they can do anything they set their mind to.