UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS STEAM VIA A THEMATIC 3D DESIGN PROJECT

Abstract

The development of STEAM education has captured researchers’ attention due to its advantages for students’ learning and interest in related subjects, specifically in kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) educational settings. However, there is limited research on the inclusion of STEAM in higher education, and what university students think as they are on the professional training track. This study aimed to examine university students’ attitudes towards STEAM via a 3D design project. Twenty-seven college students participated in this study. A questionnaire and focus group interviews were administered at the end of the course to uncover the students’ learning enjoyment, conceptions of STEAM learning, and intentions of STEAM future design/work involvement. The results show that the students enjoyed the 3D STEAM project regardless of their performance. High-performance students had higher conceptions of STEAM learning after the project. All of the students highly agreed that they could integrate interdisciplinary knowledge into their 3D designs. With regard to future intentions, they generally did not show an active attitude towards STEAM involvement. The students’ learning enjoyment in the STEAM project did not have a strong positive correlation with their future intentions. Findings from this study could offer inspiration for art-oriented courses that look for potential interdisciplinary integration and expression in STEAM. Keywords: attitudes towards STEAM, university students, STEM, 3D design