Integration of Art into STEM Education at Primary Schools: an Action Research Study with Primary School Teachers

This is an action research study conducted with primary school teachers defining the interdisciplinary integration of art with science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) during their planning and implementation. The research focused on integrated science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) activities conducted by the teachers in their classes, fourth-grade in primary schools, in Osmaniye province, Turkey, in the 2017-2018 school year. The teachers, inside researcher, and evaluators observed and reflected on the integration in four phases, the planning and implementation of the activities. The study defined the possible interdisciplinary flow models of art integration with other disciplines in the process, along with the appropriate flow models of art integration in planning and implementation. In conclusion, it is reasonable and useful to position the A (art) with technology at the beginning, with engineering at the end and after Science and Maths (TA > SM > EA model) in the planning phase. Appropriate integration with the other STEAM disciplines in primary school settings were to found be in the implementation stage, at the beginning, together with technology after engineering and at the end, and together with engineering after Science and Maths (E > TA > SM > EA model).