Abstract:

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education has established itself as a key educational approach for promoting interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking and complex problem solving. However, one of the current challenges is to develop pedagogical materials that allow these disciplines to be meaningfully integrated into learning contexts that motivate students. In this regard, the European STEAM&Sports project proposes the use of sport and physical activity as an educational context for the development of STEAM skills in secondary school students.

The aim of this paper is to present the pedagogical design and structural elements of the teaching units developed within the framework of the project, as well as to analyse the methodological principles that have guided their development. The materials have been designed as open educational resources aimed at secondary school teachers and are based on active pedagogical approaches such as challenge-based learning, scientific inquiry and interdisciplinary learning.

The teaching units are organised around a common instructional design framework that integrates STEAM content with problem situations related to the field of sport. Each unit is structured around an initial challenge that raises a question related to scientific phenomena present in sport. Based on this challenge, students carry out a series of activities that include experimentation, data analysis, solution design, and collaborative work. This process allows them to address concepts from different STEAM disciplines in a contextualised manner, promoting knowledge transfer and a deep understanding of the content.

The materials include teacher guides, structured activity sequences, complementary digital resources, and formative assessment proposals aimed at developing skills. The use of digital tools and mobile applications has also been incorporated to support the learning process and facilitate active student participation both inside and outside the classroom.

The design of the units is based on a collaborative development process between universities, educational centres, and STEAM education experts from different European countries. During the pilot phase, the materials were implemented in different educational contexts, which allowed evidence to be gathered on their applicability and on the potential of sport as an integrative context for interdisciplinary learning. In this sense, the STEAM&Sports project materials offer a transferable pedagogical framework for the design of innovative educational experiences that connect science, technology and sport in the school environment.

Keywords:

Education, STEAM, Sports, research.