Abstract:

Science, Technology, Reading and Writing of Scientific Texts, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STREAM) education must start at a young age, through the gradual development of moral emotions, attitudes, values and skills. It contributes to the development of 21st century skills and is based on an integrated approach in the teaching and learning. This approach allows students to apply their learning to life situations, to explore real facts, phenomena and processes.

Psychologist Howard Gardner shows in his theory of multiple intelligence (TIM) that human beings have eight relatively autonomous intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence. Subsequently, existential intelligence was added to them. TIM requires educators to recognize and educate talents and abilities, which is also possible with the help of STREAM education.

Through this study we aim to investigate how future teachers for primary and preschool education understand the integrated STREAM approach and how they implement it in their classroom activities. An evaluation grid developed by the authors was used to analyze the STREAM integrated activity plans, following four aspects:
(a) which is the main field underlying an integrated STREAM approach;
(b) which domains are poorly or superficially integrated into a STREAM approach;
(c) what integrative concepts, transferable skills and life behaviors are set to be developed through the STREAM approaches;
(d) the link between STREAM education and TIM.

In connection with the last criterion, we took into account the fact that MI are related to the fields in which individuals perform. As a result, we were interested in identifying, for each lesson plan, the types of intelligence valued by the author, considering representative in this regard the depth of the didactic treatment of each STREAM field.

The results show that research participants carried out projects based mainly on science, while engineering and technology raised issues in terms of didactic treatment, often being confused. Environmental protection is the most mentioned transferable behavior, and analysis, inquiry, synthesis and group work are interdisciplinary skills frequently named by students.

Keywords:

STREAM education, Theory of multiple intelligence, integrated approach, lesson plans, preschool and primary school.