Using the family resemblance approach to inform STEAM education

Sibel ERDURAN, Ka Ching CHEUNG

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

Abstract

In this article, we use the family resemblance approach as a framework to contribute to the debate about the similarities and differences between the constituent disciplines of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and to explore the implications for education. The family resemblance approach has been used in science education in various ways, for instance, in teacher education and undergraduate teaching and as an analytical tool for examining science curricula and assessments. The relevant sense of application of the family resemblance approach for our purposes in this article is that it is a framework that has the potential to differentiate the disciplines underpinning STEAM. We explore the utility of the family resemblance approach for clarifying what is meant by the nature of STEAM and, subsequently, we elaborate on some practical examples drawn from a project conducted in Hong Kong with Year 7 (12–13-year-old) students to illustrate how the use of the family resemblance approach can help articulate a contrast of nature of science and the arts in school activities. Copyright © 2024 Sibel Erduran and Kason Ka Ching Cheung.

Original languageEnglish
Article number10
JournalLondon Review of Education
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2024

Citation

Erduran, S., & Cheung, K. K. C. (2024). Using the family resemblance approach to inform STEAM education. London Review of Education, 22(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.22.1.10

Keywords

  • STEAM
  • Family resemblance approach
  • Nature of science

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