Steam curriculum: Arts Education As An Integral Part Of Interdisciplinary Learning

Inquiry-based Learning 
Several of the STEAM literature reiterated common themes of problem solving, 

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inquiry-based thinking, collaboration, and incorporation of student choice as key 
elements to a STEAM based curriculum. Sharapan (2012) claimed that STEAM should 
be about, “…facilitating inquiry-based thinking and discovery” instead of facts (p. 37). 
According to research, inquiry-based learning increases students’ content knowledge in 
science, students are able to transfer knowledge, and it promotes success in math and 
engineering (Keane & Keane, 2016, p. 62; Grinnell & Angal, 2016, p. 54; Quiggley & 
Herro, 2016, p. 412; Ghanbari, 2015, p. 3). Another study found that art coursework that 
was combined with an engineering program allowed the engineering students to 
capitalize on inquiry-based thinking (Ghabari, 2015, p. 3). Ghanbari (2015) stated that, 
“Artistic inquiry promotes rigor and creativity while also enabling an instructor to teach 
in multiple ways which in turn creates …a higher probability of retaining knowledge” (p. 
5). Liao (2016) states that one of the signs of transdisciplinary learning is the students’ 
ability to apply knowledge or skills in new areas (p. 45).
Problem Solving Practices 
In addition to inquiry-based learning, STEAM is also founded on problem 
solving. According to Glass and Wilson (2016), “Many STEAM programs are designed 
around Project Based Learning (PBL), which features student choice in creatively and 
collaborative solving relevant problems…” p. 10). Quiggley and Herro (2016) state that 
active, investigative thinking requires problem solving, creativity, and innovation (p. 
413). They define transdisciplinary teaching as starting with a problem that needs to be 
solved and going, “beyond the disciplines” to promote finding different solutions 
(Quiggley & Herro, 2016, p. 412). The inclusion of the arts, design, and humanities is 
intended to create a balance in the curriculum, “…to promote students to solve the 

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world’s pressing issues through innovation, creativity, critical thinking, effective 
communication, collaboration, and ultimately new knowledge” (Quiggley & Herro, 2016, 
p. 410). Liao (2016) emphasizes that creative problem solving through creation and 
production needs to be the center of a STEAM approach (p. 46).