Developing Students’ Attitudes toward Convergence and Creative Problem Solving through Multidisciplinary Education in Korea

Abstract

Given the rapid speed at which digital transformation has progressed, social or scientific problems that are difficult to solve using knowledge gained from the existing segmented academic paradigm have emerged. To solve these problems, the need for talent convergence has increased, and Korea has begun to provide convergence education, starting with science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) education. Convergence education is defined as “education to cultivate knowledge that can solve problems creatively and comprehensively by raising interest and understanding of convergence knowledge, processes, and the nature of various fields related to science and technology”. However, STEAM education faces several difficulties. To overcome these limitations, science, mathematics, and informatics convergence education (SMICE) has been studied, but verifying the effectiveness of SMICE has been difficult. Consequently, this study analyzes the effects of SMICE on middle-school students’ attitudes toward convergence (ATC) and creative problem-solving (CPS) abilities. The subjects of the study were 50 middle-school students who received SMICE and general software (SW) education, and students’ subsequent changes in attitude are analyzed. The results show that students who received SMICE improved their ATC and CPS abilities. In particular, participants’ ATC and CPS scores were higher than those of students who received general SW education. Through this, a multidisciplinary education model is developed focusing on science, mathematics, and informatics, and proves the educational effect of the developed model when applied to classes.