Volume 15, Issue 8 · IJARST · ISSN 2319-1783 / 2320-1126

STEAM Education in Early Childhood Education: Research Trends, Approaches, and Research Gaps

STEAM Education in Early Childhood Education: Research Trends, Approaches, and Research Gaps is an open-access, peer-reviewed research paper by Hà Thị Thoan, published in Volume 15, Issue 8 of the International Journal of Advanced Research in Science and Technology (IJARST), a UGC-approved journal (Print ISSN 2319-1783, Online ISSN 2320-1126).

Author

Hà Thị Thoan

Abstract

This review synthesizes research trends, pedagogical approaches, and research gaps in STEAM education in early childhood settings. Nineteen eligible Scopus-indexed studies published between 2020 and 2026 were examined through a descriptive review and thematic analysis. Data were extracted on publication characteristics, contexts, participants, objectives, methods, forms of STEAM implementation, and major findings; recurring patterns were then coded and compared across studies. The results show that early childhood STEAM is implemented through diverse, developmentally situated approaches, including project-based and hands-on activities, science-arts integration, storytelling and coding, digital tools, outdoor education for sustainability, and food-based learning. These approaches offer different pedagogical strengths, but the evidence is too heterogeneous to rank their effectiveness across contexts. Teacher-related research constitutes a major strand, addressing readiness, beliefs, competence, professional development, implementation conditions, and intentions to sustain practice. However, these variables are usually investigated separately rather than as a connected pathway from preparation to high-quality and sustained implementation. Important gaps concern the degree of integration among STEAM domains, longitudinal evidence on the sustainability of professional development, comparable measures of child outcomes, cross-context influences, and the participation of families and other stakeholders. The review contributes an integrative account linking teacher preparation, implementation quality, sustainability, and child outcomes. It highlights the need for practice-based teacher education, continuing institutional support, context-sensitive implementation, and longitudinal, multi-level research.

Keywords: STEAM education; early childhood education; preschool teachers; STEAM approaches; research gaps.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62226/ijarst20262789

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DOI

10.62226/ijarst20262789

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How do you cite this paper?

Hà Thị Thoan — “STEAM Education in Early Childhood Education: Research Trends, Approaches, and Research Gaps.” International Journal of Advanced Research in Science and Technology (IJARST), Volume 15, Issue 8. DOI: 10.62226/ijarst20262789.

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