STEAM: The New Way of Teaching and Learning - Málaga, Spain

In an increasingly technical and specialized world, the need of a scientific and technologically literate citizenship has never been greater. Understanding the principles underlying scientific and
technological knowledge and the practices and processes related to it is crucial to critical thinking and active collaboration in the problems of today's society.

Nevertheless, numerous reports warn
about the incapacity of the educational system to offer quality scientific and technological education
able to respond to such demands. (European Commission, 2015; OECD, 2005, 2006; Osborne y Dillon, 2008;UNESCO, 2008).

As a result, the European Union elaborates the report "Science education for a responsible
citizenship" (UE, 2015) emphasising the need to teach sciences from a multidisciplinary STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) that can contribute to our understanding and knowledge of problem solving as well as to guarantee equal opportunities for all
students to excel at science learning.

STEM Education implies:
1. Responding to economic challenges present in all nations,
2. Identifying the evolving needs of workers towards a more flexible knowledge and new skills to adjust to today's work and social requirements, and
3. Emphasizing the need to resolve technological and environmental problems through scientific education of students. (Bybee, 2013; NRC, 2014, EU, 2015).

That is, STEM education is a model aimed to collaborate with promote and improve the study of the
different disciplines its name stands for, specially focusing on their relevance and social responsibilities.

STEAM education guarantees the transversal aspects of education in order to achieve a greater contextualization and significant learning.