VMU STEAM Didactics Centre: Science, Creativity, and New Horizons

“Research shows that as few as 8 lessons per year based on the STEAM education model can improve student learning outcomes. This is all it takes to bring about positive change. We can no longer progress by relying solely on conventional subject-based teaching, as it simply is no longer sufficient. Modern companies and future employers are seeking employees who not only have a deep understanding of their specific specialisation but are also capable of offering creative solutions to emerging challenges,” says Assoc. Prof. Judita Žukauskienė, Head of the Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) STEAM Didactics Centre.

According to the researcher, the primary aim of the STEAM education model, which integrates science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, is not merely to popularise exact and technological sciences. Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė asserts that STEAM education, by integrating various subjects simultaneously through creativity and team activities, primarily provides pupils with opportunities to learn more about themselves.

“For instance, during mathematics lessons, the arts are integrated not just through drawing but through creativity, viewing science from a different angle, presenting information through the visual arts, and combining and applying these subjects. All this can also be learned through conducting research or experiments during biology, chemistry, and physics lessons. This facilitates an understanding of where and how these subjects are applied, while learning how to integrate knowledge through practice also provides a better understanding of the problem on a global scale,” says Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė.

Aiming to create a unified system

Although STEAM education in Lithuania is still in its infancy, this educational practice has been applied for decades in many countries across Europe and the world.

“Currently, what we lack most is a unified system, as there are quite a few teachers carrying out individual STEAM activities who have already earned a reputable name for applying this educational method. At this point, it becomes crucial whether these individual teachers are supported by the school administration and leadership. After all, STEAM is a philosophy, not just an integration of several subjects. For the educational process to proceed successfully and smoothly, this philosophy needs to be fully integrated into the school curriculum. For change to occur, it is essential not only to revise the curriculum but also to involve the teachers in this process. In simple terms, the school’s approach to integrating this educational model must be comprehensive,” the researcher explains.

Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė points out that there are already examples of such cooperation in Lithuania. In several engineering-oriented schools where STEAM education has been applied for almost a decade, changes are already noticeable. To accelerate change in education, VMU has also established a network of schools with science-oriented classes. Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė highlights that the application of the STEAM educational philosophy draws on the examples of countries that experience a similar shortage of specialists, akin to our situation. The education expert assures that both economic and educational processes are changing dynamically, and along with them, STEAM is evolving as well. She also adds that this educational philosophy appeals to students because of its practicality and the opportunity to make their own decisions.

“Students truly look forward to STEAM lessons, enjoying the responsibility given to them during experiments, tests, or when tackling challenges. Ideally, the teacher acts merely as a coordinator. At this juncture, teachers face a challenge, as it not only takes time to understand or learn certain processes anew but also frequently requires them to further enhance their skills. I can assure you that those who commit to learning something new not only grasp new teaching methodologies more quickly, but the added value is also noticeable very early on,” says Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė.

The desire to bring changes to the educational process motivated VMU scientists to establish the STEAM Didactics Centre at the University. This initiative also aims to address one of the university’s focus areas: teacher training and retraining. Currently, the VMU Education Academy is preparing not only various subject teachers but also STEAM educators.

“First and foremost, we want to offer teachers the necessary support from the scientific side. Through scientific research, project activities, training, methodology development, and professional development conducted at the Centre, we aim to contribute to the quality preparation of competent teachers,” the Head of the Centre emphasises.

Encouraging teachers not to fear change

Currently, the Didactics Centre’s initiatives are implemented through the network of partner schools of the University, where University representatives already share their knowledge. During meetings, academics and scientists not only provide consultations to teachers but also ascertain their needs.

Speaking about the process of teacher retraining, the specialist notes that one of the main factors for success in this area is the teacher’s own willingness to change. “It’s natural that having taught a single discipline for a long time, it can be really difficult to embrace changes, especially if one doesn’t see the need or value in implementing them. However, when they are personally interested, the change will occur naturally,” Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė states.

According to her, retraining is primarily necessary to supplement missing subject knowledge. Nevertheless, the VMU associate professor notes that it is important to understand that the aim is not to retrain all teachers into STEAM education or to discard subject-specific teachers. “The more knowledge you have, the more you can combine it and see it differently. A subject-specific teacher remains just as necessary; they are not replaceable. For pupils to successfully integrate knowledge from various subjects, they must first have a strong foundation in subject-specific knowledge. The same applies to teachers. Of course, there are already some who teach multiple subjects. So those who are naturally receptive and find it interesting to connect various activities can become excellent STEAM teachers,” the expert is convinced.

A distinctive feature of the VMU STEAM Didactics Centre is that each letter of the word STEAM, representing a different discipline, is linked by a tandem of university and school teachers who are well-versed in these disciplines. “In this way, we work to counter the recurring observations that universities are detached from reality and do not understand what pupils learn in school. To avoid this, we have assembled a team of lecturers-scientists and educators, aiming to determine whether the methods we are implementing will be appropriately adapted in schools and, most importantly, effective,” explains the associate professor.

Another advantage of this Centre lies in the interdisciplinary nature of the University. VMU studies cover social, humanities, natural, exact, engineering, agricultural sciences, and arts. “In the STEAM lab, we carry out projects that combine several study areas, thus creating conditions for lecturers and teachers from various disciplines to work together simultaneously, providing them with all the necessary equipment and tools. Our lab contains everything necessary for educational activities: from construction tools and a 3D printer to computer equipment for drawing and a fume cupboard. If additional tools are needed for extra activities, we provide all the possibilities to use the resources offered by the University,” says the Head of the VMU STEAM Centre.

Exclusive focus on pupils and future teachers

According to Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė, the Centre’s activities are also oriented towards pupils. “We hold the view that STEAM education should begin not halfway through secondary school but from primary or even preschool education. Children show very early on what interests them or what they want to be when they grow up. Therefore, we need to guide them as early as possible and show them that science is not daunting but rather fun. We conduct separate trainings for preschool educators, after which we receive a lot of positive feedback about the new knowledge acquired,” notes the VMU associate professor.

She explains that one of the Centre’s objectives is to showcase the attractiveness of the teaching profession to pupils. “We hope that through the Centre’s activities, pupils will be encouraged to pursue careers as natural and exact sciences teachers, which are currently the fields with the greatest shortage of specialists in schools. We must take steps to ensure that our country’s educational system does not collapse and that Lithuania is supplied with teachers. We want to help pupils see how fascinating, interesting, and engaging the world of sciences is,” the associate professor asserts while immediately debunking the myth that STEAM activities are only aimed at gifted pupils. According to Assoc. Prof. Žukauskienė, this is not true as the STEAM philosophy is also intended for those pupils who face learning challenges.

“When it comes to the exclusion of schools in the regions, it is often highlighted that not only is there a shortage of teachers, but the pupils are also less well-prepared. Meanwhile, global practice shows that STEAM can help reduce the disparity between cities and regions.

Another important aspect of STEAM education philosophy is that it helps to dismantle stereotypes. As an example, consider the shortage of engineering specialists. Women can be just as good engineers as men, yet from a young age, they are exposed to stereotypes and societal attitudes that these sciences are too difficult, uninteresting, or unfeminine for girls, leading them to undervalue themselves. Thus, through the activities of the VMU STEAM Didactics Centre, we aim to prove that exact and technological sciences are for everyone who not only wants to master specific subjects better but also wishes to use creativity to find appropriate solutions and better understand themselves,” says the Head of the VMU STEAM Didactics Centre.

Although the VMU STEAM Didactics Centre has been successfully operating and fostering creative individuals open to scientific innovation for some time now, the official opening of the Centre will take place on 11 October. During the opening event, attendees will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the activities of the VMU STEAM Didactics Centre, explore the modern laboratories, hear success stories, and meet the people who helped make this Centre a reality. The event is aimed at teacher methodologists, lecturers, pupils, and everyone interested in STEAM. 

The event will take place on October 11, at 10 a.m. at Vytautas Magnus University (Universiteto g. 10, Akademija, Kaunas District).