This systematic literature review provides a critical overview of peer-reviewed research on
parents as important facilitators of young children’s early engagement with STEAM. The aim
of the review is to inform the development of educational resources to support parents
engage in STEAM learning activities at home. The objective of the review is to identify
evidence-based components of an effective STEAM educational programme to support
parents of children aged 6-8 in their STEAM learning.
The literature review adopts a systematic approach to literature searches to answer
two pre-specified research questions. Searches of scholarly databases were undertaken to
answer the following major research questions: (1) How do parents view early STEAM
learning and engagement and how confident are parents in supporting young children in
STEAM activities; and (2) What educational approaches have been found to support
parental engagement in STEAM learning with young children?
The literature review provides a brief background on the concept of STEAM, how it is
currently defined and why it is considered important in Early Childhood Education.
Background context as to why parents are particularly important in supporting early STEAM
learning is also provided. A brief methodology section outlines the systematic approach
taken to searches and databases used.
The findings section outlines the results of these searches as they pertain specifically
to each of the two research questions. Findings are discussed through narrative synthesis.
The report concludes with a brief summary of the key findings that will inform the
development of educational resources for supporting parents in STEAM learning at home.
Metadata
Item Type:
Monograph (Technical Report)
Refereed:
No
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Early Childhood Education, STEAM education, Parental Involvement