Evaluating Technology-Enhanced, STEAM-Based Remote Teaching With Parental Support in Luxembourgish Early Childhood Education

Abstract

During COVID-19 confinement, we observed numerous challenges in using educational technology in early childhood Science–Technology–Engineering–Arts–Mathematics (STEAM) education in Luxembourg. Thus, we designed a conceptual framework on parent-assisted remote teaching with active uses of educational technology supported by cycles of design-based research. After a previous study utilizing computer-aided design (CAD) software and three-dimensional (3D) printing in primary education, we used our initial findings to work with 12 early childhood students (ages 4–6), together with their teachers and parents in the second remote teaching period in Luxembourg. We created a STEAM modeling task with CAD software on robots and collected data through chat responses, messageboards, and online communication channels during a 3-week period. Here, we observed new roles in the parent–child relationship while learning STEAM in remote teaching with technology, and new opportunities in using educational technology overall in early childhood education. In this article, we have described findings that are likely to influence students’ learning and parent-assisted teaching, in particular parents and students’ perceptions and motivations, together with the way in which parents provide technical knowledge and support in remote early childhood STEAM education.

Zoom-ing with Padlet: Overcoming challenges to deliver emergency remote teaching to young learners in Trinidad

“…Another study conducted by Haas et al (2022) on remote early childhood STEAM education for 4- to 6-year-old students in Luxembourg was designed to develop a conceptual framework on parent-assisted remote teaching using educational technology supported by cycles of design-based research. Findings included that interactions between parents and children were comparable to interactions between teachers and students.…”

Designing and implementing maker curriculum for promoting 7th graders’ maker competence

“…In this dynamic and fast-paced era, everyone must possess adequate knowledge and capabilities in science, technology, engi-neering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Carnevale et al, 2011;Honey et al, 2014;National Research Council, 2014;Milner-Bolotin, 2018;Han et al, 2022). By adding the "art (A)" category into STEM education (Yakman and Lee, 2012), the interdisciplinary approach of STEAM education benefits students' performance where they can employ various aspects of knowledge, experience and skills while learning and gain a better understanding of the content from separate subjects (Burnard et al, 2018;El Bedewy et al, 2022;Haas et al, 2022;Sun et al, 2023). STEAM education is considered feasible for equipping all students with problem-solving skills in various real-world situations and complicated challenges (Banks and Barlex, 2021;Han et al, 2022), as well as for nurturing them 21st century skills and competencies (e.g., critical and system thinking, creativity, innovation, collaboration, inquiry, communication, and self-direction) (Honey et al, 2014;Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2018;Hallström and Schönborn, 2019;Banks and Barlex, 2021;Han et al, 2022).…”

“…STEAM education focuses on the development of students' humanistic and artistic capabilities, which are vital for nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills (Dana-Picard et al, 2021;Haas et al, 2022;Sun et al, 2023). Compared to the traditional "subject-matter" approach, this interdisciplinary nature is essential for enhancing students' multi-faceted skills and competencies where they can work in the context of complicated phenomena on targeted learning tasks that require them to apply what is learned in real-life situations (Colucci-Gray et al, 2019;Khine and Areepattamannil, 2019;Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro, 2019;Li and Wong, 2020).…”