The Impact of STEAM Approach Integration on the Development of Cognitive and Communication Skills among Primary School Pupils

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of integration of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) approach on the development of cognitive skills and communication skills among primary school pupils. In the context of engineering 21st Century Education, the STEAM approach is seen as an integrated method that can promote creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. However, its implementation still faces challenges, particularly in designing learning experiences that can effectively enhance communication among students. This study uses a qualitative case study design and involves 76 Year 4 and Year 5 students from one of primary school in Malaysia. Participants were divided into 10 groups, each consisting of seven to eight students. The research instruments include document analysis and semi-structured interviews conducted after a STEAM-based project problem-solving activity was carried out. The findings of the study show that the integration of STEAM helps improve students' ability to communicate more creatively and critically, particularly in written contexts. However, weaknesses were still identified in oral communication, including language usage errors, inaccurate pronunciation, and unclear sentence structure. In written communication, students were found to make mistakes such as spelling errors, the use of mixed languages, and ungrammatical sentences. This study suggests that structured training and pedagogical support be added to strengthen the use of the language for communication skills in the STEAM approach as a whole.