STEAM APPROACH AND INQUIRY – BASED LEARNING: A TRANSDICIPLINARU EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING NATURAL SCIENCES TO CHILDREN

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of the STEAM approach combined with transdisciplinarity in teaching Natural Sciences and Geography in the early years of elementary education at the Maranhão Bilingual State Institute. A qualitative and exploratory methodology was adopted, with data collection through observation for the execution of activities. During the development of the project "The São Luís of My Future," which promoted integration between Science, Geography, Technology, Mathematics, and Arts, we stimulated students' creativity, critical thinking, and leadership. Our results indicate that the STEAM approach fosters meaningful and contextualized learning, enhancing students' ability to understand and solve complex problems. In this work, we present transdisciplinary teaching practices based on strategies aligned with the STEAM approach in 4th and 5th-grade classes of IEMA Bilingual’s early years. Thus, we understand how the STEAM approach promotes meaningful learning aligned with inquiry-based teaching.