Prioritizing STEAM Education from the Start: The Path to Inclusive and Sustainable STEAM Education

Abstract

This study highlights the significance of prioritizing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education from the early stages of learning as a crucial step towards achieving inclusive and sustainable STEAM education. The study adopted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) and an allegory method entitled 'The Ancient Multi-Story Building'. The CDA focused on study reports and news on STEAM initiatives in Ghana. The findings revealed a substantial gap in early education STEAM initiatives, largely due to prevailing misconceptions about early childhood and primary education. The allegory of the 'Ancient Multi-Story Building' further explains the adverse impact of this gap by metaphorizing the flawed approach of initiating and investing heavily in upper-level STEAM education while neglecting these foundational years, much like a village constructing a multi-story building focusing on the higher floors without solidifying its base; the result is certain to be disastrous. Similarly, the findings show that previous STEM-related initiatives in Ghana have often been inclusively ineffective. The allegory further points out that the few students who thrive in these lopsided STEM-related pathways are typically those from affluent backgrounds with the necessary support. The study indicated that starting STEAM education in the early years of education has the potential to promote gender equity, cultivate critical thinking skills, and develop a positive attitude towards STEAM subjects among all young learners. This study, therefore, lays the groundwork to propose a strategic framework for early childhood and primary STEAM education in Ghana and other similar contexts