TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM OF STEAM IN PRIMARY EDUCATION AS A 21ST CENTURY SKILL

The integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education hasemerged as a transformative approach to equipping students with essential 21st-century skills, includingcreativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and digital literacy. This study, grounded inconstructivist theories, investigates the effectiveness of STEAM-based hands-on activities—such asdesigning bridges, robotic hands, and water purification models—among primary school students,particularly those in Grade 5. The activities were tailored to young learners, emphasizing the role ofexperiential learning in fostering engagement, problem-solving, and teamwork. Observations revealedthat these activities successfully combined technical knowledge with creative expression, empoweringstudents to address real-world challenges. While the findings reaffirm STEAM’s potential to enhanceholistic learning, they also identify challenges related to resource accessibility and scalability. Futureresearch should focus on adapting STEAM activities for under-resourced contexts and integratingemerging technologies such as AI and XR to further enrich learning environments. This studyunderscores the importance of embedding STEAM into early education curricula to prepare a future-ready generation capable of navigating global complexities.