Perspectives on STEAM Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic at an Underprivileged Elementary School in Thailand

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on every aspect of human life. One of the educational challenges has been the transition of teaching from onsite locations to distance learning, as schools with online facility gaps must do the same as well. In this context, STEAM education has widely been accepted as an approach for developing creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ and students’ perspectives on STEAM education through distance learning in underprivileged elementary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample group consisted of 6 teachers and 47 students from an underprivileged primary school in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. A structured interview was used as the research instrument, and the data were then analyzed by using the content analysis method. The findings revealed that distance learning provided teachers and students with both advantageous and challenging perspectives on the STEAM-centric curriculum. The main benefits were that STEAM education might assist students in achieving mastery in science and mathematics, as well as applying their learning experiences to real-life situations. On the other hand, students faced a hurdle when it came to using digital gadgets, and they also needed to improve their reading and writing skills.