CT integration in STEAM learning: Fostering students’ creativity by making Batik stamp pattern

Abstract

Creativity and problem-solving are 21st-century skills that we need to develop in our students. Research on computational thinking (CT) integration in school subjects and STEAM activities has shown a positive effect on students’ problem-solving skills and creativity. Our study extends our previous work from the integration of CT in a mathematics lesson into a STEAM lesson to develop students’ creativity. Our Math + CT activities have been developed through educational design research (EDR), and now we have added the context of arts (Batik), science (beeswax and coloring), and engineering (3D modeling and printing). Online learning was conducted with pre-service teachers and high school students. We facilitated digital fabrication by asking students and pre-service teachers to create their Batik stamp pattern from 2D to 3D to be printed. Data were collected from participants’ GeoGebra and 3D files they had created. We analyzed the data descriptively and presented participants’ creations. The result showed that students could extend their limited coding and programming knowledge to create the Batik patterns. Moreover, within a limited time, the artwork they designed significantly differs from the initial figure introduced to them. We also presented the realistic 3D-printed Batik stamp and how it worked and our limitations.