Educação STEAM Outdoor

Perceções dos Docentes e Oportunidades de Formação

Abstract

STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/Humanities and Mathematics), combined with the outdoor environment, can promote the integral and harmonious development of children and youth, since significant learning is expected, and the adoption of healthy lifestyles is encouraged. The main aims of this study were to assess the perceptions of kindergarten and 1st and 2nd cycle teachers in a school cluster, in Portugal, about the pedagogical use of outdoor spaces, and to identify the skills and training needs that they consider essential for implementing the STEAM outdoor approach. Using a mixed methods approach, data was collected from an interview and a questionnaire, developed, and validated for this purpose. The results suggest that teachers perceive the outdoor spaces of their schools as places with pedagogical potential for implementing the STEAM approach, with the most prevalent dimensions being play, expression and well-being. However, there was a low frequency of curricular articulation activities involving two or more STEAM areas in these spaces, which can be explained by the length and rigidity of the curriculum and the reduced flexibility of subject timetables. Teachers emphasize the importance of training for using outdoor spaces, changing practices, and promoting interdisciplinarity. Although most teachers reported having no training for working in this context, they expressed a willingness to participate in training courses. Therefore, it is important to create training opportunities to fully leverage the pedagogical potential of outdoor spaces and STEAM education.