A Case Study of the Perceptions of Education Stakeholders of STEAM Integration in a K–8 Setting

As schools shift from STEM to STEAM schools, there is little research about STEAM school implementation to provide insight into the barriers, challenges and successes for educators. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of K–8 education stakeholders of implementation of STEAM integration in their schools. The research sought to answer the question: how do K–8 educators in Oregon, perceive the implementation of STEAM integration in their schools. Convenience sampling was used to select three schools for this study. Eight educators were selected to provide maximum diversity in the sample. Through data collection that included questionnaires, interviews, and research notes, information was gathered to describe how administrators, teachers, and instructional specialists perceive the barriers and successes of implementing STEAM integration in K–8 settings. The case study for the participants selects revealed seven themes through data analysis. Education stakeholders have varied experiences first learning about STEAM integration. Administrators, teachers, and instructional specialists have different definitions of STEAM integration and similar components of high-quality STEAM integration. Education stakeholders share the perception STEAM integration provides many benefits for students and share a core set of beliefs about the value of integrating STEAM. Educators perceive similar challenges with STEAM integration and used similar strategies to begin implementing STEAM integration