The Impact of Integrated STEAM Education on Arts Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Integrated Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Mathematics (STEAM) education, an educational approach that is steadily expanding and bringing positive results within various scenarios, is successfully implemented and promoted in various countries. However, it has often been noted in the specialized literature that the incorporation of the arts into STEAM proposals is often at the service of the other disciplines, in that authentic artistic content is scarce or non-existent. It is therefore necessary to ascertain the place of the arts within this approach, so as to move towards their inclusion in an authentic manner. Thus, with the aim of knowing the characteristics of STEAM educational proposals and determining the impact of integrated STEAM education on the development of artistic competencies, this study presents a systematic review of STEAM proposals within Primary and Secondary Education. The results show the very limited impact of this approach on arts education; although the evaluation of artistic competency development has had positive impacts, it has been contemplated in very few studies. Our conclusions reflect on some necessary considerations with which to achieve an authentic and meaningful integration of the arts within STEAM education, opening the door to a conversation on what was previously a gap in the literature.