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Implementing inquiry-based learning through STREAM activities in a cross-curricular approach: Benefits on student’s learning motivation in Maltese primary years setting.��Francesca Bugeja��

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Professional Background

Primary school teacher.
Graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Honours) Primary Education degree at the University of Malta in 2014.
This year I completed my Master’s degree in education (Science Education) at the University of Malta.
Currently teaching Year 4 at Siġġiewi Primary School.

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Objectives of this study

Science is becoming more important, and it also formed part of my School Development Plan (SDP).

The school that this study was carried out in, was also participating in an Erasmus project across all classes, which also included Science and Robotics. Also, Science was being given more importance when implementing new pedagogies in our educational system.

When attending SDP meetings and CoPe (Community of Professional Educators) professional development sessions, teachers often raise concerns about how they are going to implement all these new ideas and pedagogies in the limited time they have in class.

With the aim of this study, I wanted to explore how Science can be implemented in a cross-curricular way, without the need to increase Science slots in the current school timetable. The project was also implemented in my class to allow me to acquire first-hand experience.

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Objectives of this study

• Identify the teachers’ perceptions of Science, STREAM education and the concept of cross-curricular teaching.

• Identify common goals and challenges with regards to the teaching of Science.

• Identify topics that Year 1 and Year 4 primary state school teachers wish to work on.

• Create a project which promotes STREAM education in a cross-curricular approach.

• Merge the project with the schools’ development plan and the schools’ Erasmus project which is based on teaching robotics.

• Examine the implementation of the project and evaluate the students’ and teachers’ opinions after carrying out all the lessons.

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Is it possible to take an inquiry-based learning approach through a STREAM approach?
Would inquiry-based learning through STREAM activities enhance the students’ learning experience in Science in a cross-curricular approach?
Can teachers, with support, learn to implement inquiry-based learning through STREAM effectively?

Research Questions

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Qualitative approach
Case study- To provide a focused scenario of the implementation of the project, by using different kinds of data collection to collect views and experiences of participants.
The research questions were studied through the interaction between the researcher and the subjects. Individual perceptions and ideas were the basis of how the project was developed.
Seven primary classes from 1 state school- 3 Year 1 classes, 4 Year 4 classes (Year 1 is the first obligatory year of the primary school while Year 4 is the first year in which students officially sit for exams. Also, both year groups are implementing the newly introduced learning outcomes framework).

Methods and Methodology

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Initial Questionnaire with Year 1 and Year 4 teachers.
Initial Focus Group with teachers.
Development of inquiry-based STREAM activities ( Year 1- Planet Earth & Year 4- Light and Electricity.
Implementation of the STREAM projects (observations and reflective diary).
Focus group with seven Year 1 and Year 4 students.
Teachers’ Evaluation focus group.

Methods and Methodology

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Year 1 project- Planet Earth

The main topic outlined during the Focus group was Planet Earth.
Four lessons were developed by the researcher after discussions with the other participants.
This Science topic was delivered in a cross-curricular approach in a Maltese shared reading lesson, two English shared reading lessons and a Mathematics lesson on shapes. The topic on Planet Earth was subdivided into Living and Non-Living things, Electricity and Habitats.

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Year 1 project- Planet Earth

STREAM Activities in Year 1
Science	Habitats, Electricity, Living & Non-Living Things, Planet Earth
Technology	Programming the Bee Bot, Qobo and Matatalab Robot
Reading and Writing	Literacy via story-telling and reading and writing of words related to the theme. Enhancing vocabulary on the theme.
Engineering	Creating a desert habitat scene using play dough and programming the robots.
Arts	Playing charades to guess the object found in the desert.
Mathematics	Build a pyramid using LEGO. Designing a triangle using Matatalab robot. Finding shapes.

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Year 4 project- Light & Electricity

The main topic outlined during the Focus group was Light and Electricity.
Four lessons were developed by the researcher after discussions with the other participants. This Science topic was delivered in a cross-curricular approach in an English Reading, English Writing, Mathematics & Art and Maltese Writing lesson.
The topic on Light and Electricity was subdivided into Light, Electricity and Renewable Energy.

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Year 4 project- Light & Electricity

STREAM Activities in Year 4
Science	All about Light, Electricity and Renewable Energy.
Technology	Programming the Robo Wunderkind robot, Programming the LEGO We Do windmill and the Matatalab Robot. Using the tablet for research.
Reading and Writing	Literacy via reading texts, researching, writing ideas, speaking and discussing on the topic.
Engineering	Building a windmill. Creating a smart flashlight.
Arts	Designing a poster.
Mathematics	Measuring shadows, calculating how many hours of daylight in different countries. Using tally marks and graphs to present data.

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Findings

Data from questionnaire, focus groups and reflective diary was analysed through a thematic approach.

This article focused on the students’ level of learning motivation after implementing the Science project .

Year 1 and Year 4 Participating Teachers
Most students are interested and love Science. Students associate Science with experiments and discovery. Students participate more in Science lessons when compared to other subjects. Teachers concluded that students participate more when presented with engaging and meaningful activities.

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Findings

Year 1 and Year 4 Participating Teachers
After implementing the project, both year 1 and year 4 participating teachers stated that their students’ motivational level was greatly enhanced during the activities presented. Participants concluded that this was because their students were actively involved in their learning journey. Participants acknowledged that group work and discussions enhanced their students’ motivational level. Teachers pointed out that the project targeted all their students, motivating them to participate in different aspects of the activities presented. Teachers commented that technology was appealing to their students and promoted participation.

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Findings

Year 1 and Year 4 Participating Students
Year 1 participants- Favourite activity- Qobo Robot. Year 1 students loved the hands-on experiences that enhanced their creativity and technological skills. They concluded that they really enjoyed participating in this project. Fully engaged in their learning process. Remembered all the activities in detail. Students shared what they learnt in each activity. Year 1 participants commented that they wanted more lessons like the ones presented in the project.

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Findings

Year 1 and Year 4 Participating Students
All Year 4 participants stated that they loved this project. Some of their comments highlighted that the project was very interesting and fun to do. “It was not like the lessons we did before”. Favourite activity: Year 4 students all mentioned the technological aspect of the project – loved the fact that it was very hands-on. Participants shared that they were motivated to learn more and to work in groups for a common goal.

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Findings

General findings from both Year 1 and Year 4 participating students.
This study highlights how both year 1 and year 4 students love to learn and discover new knowledge related to Science. Students demonstrated interest in what they were learning, and the researcher witnessed this firsthand when implementing the project. The students made connections which led to new learning which sometimes was not planned or linked to the syllabus. The students in this study stated that they prefer this style of learning and that they are not used to learning in this way. This suggests that our educational system needs to provide more opportunities for STREAM activities, IBL and cross-curricular teaching.

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Conclusion

Findings from this study suggest that participating teachers can effectively implement IBL through STREAM in their classrooms and this pedagogy makes a positive impact on the students’ learning experience, thinking skills and knowledge acquired.
Both participating teachers and students acknowledged that the level of motivation to learn and discover new knowledge was greatly enhanced when lessons were based on an inquiry-based approach, when merging other subjects in one project and when implementing STREAM activities.

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Recommendations

Practical support needs to be given to all educators by providing first hand examples in their own classrooms of IBL, STREAM education and cross-curricular teaching.
Planned projects which promote IBL, STREAM and cross-curricular teaching, are to offer educators relevant examples and ideas of how these can be implemented.
More Science related resources are needed in each classroom to promote such activities and smaller classrooms can encourage educators to implement this way of teaching.

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Recommendations

Students need to experience more opportunities that help them acquire 21st century skills that promote problem solving and thinking skills., From my own personal experience, students are losing these skills along their primary years, and they are not using their creativity as much as they wish to.
Primary Educational Officers need to work together in providing common goals and learning outcomes in the syllabus provided, to promote this pedagogy. Moreover, examinations and assessment formats need to be changed to reflect such practices.
Practical professional development on the teaching of Science and inquiry-based learning is required for teachers to always be up to date with innovative ideas and pedagogies that promote 21st century skills.