Development and Impact of an Intercultural STEAM Program on Science Classroom Creativity

Abstract

As collaboration among scientists from diverse backgrounds can help generate theories and foster the discovery of natural phenomena, the importance of creativity via collaboration in science learning has been widely recognized. This study aimed to investigate the science classroom creativity of Korean high school students who participated in an Australia-Korea intercultural STEAM program (ISP). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, data was only collected from Korean students. The Revised Science Classroom Creativity Questionnaire (R-SCCQ) was administered to 25 Korean students, and interviews were conducted with 10 students to explore creative behavior. The results showed a significant increase in students' science classroom creativity following their participation in the ISP. This study shows that the intercultural experience provided by the program can help induce a more flexible mindset and encourage different perspectives, ultimately enhancing science classroom creativity. This finding is significant as it highlights the potential of the ISP as a new teaching method for promoting creativity in science education.