The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies,

Issues and Ideas

ISSN: 0009-8655 (Print) 1939-912X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vtch20

A Journey from STEM to STEAM: A Middle School

Case Study

Tracey Hunter-Doniger & Lindsey Sydow

To cite this article: Tracey Hunter-Doniger & Lindsey Sydow (2016): A Journey from STEM to
STEAM: A Middle School Case Study, The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies,
Issues and Ideas, DOI: 10.1080/00098655.2016.1170461

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2016.1170461

Published online: 23 Jun 2016.

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 THE CLEARING HOUSE
http://dx.doi.org/./..

A Journey from STEM to STEAM: A Middle School Case Study

Tracey Hunter-Donigera and Lindsey Sydowb
a
Department of Teacher Education, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina; b School of Education, Health, and Human Performance,
College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
This article examines the initial journey of a middle school in South Carolina from a STEM (science, STEAM; middle school;
technology, engineering, and math) curriculum to a STEAM (STEM + art) curriculum. This is the first of perception
a three-year longitudinal study that investigated the perceptions of the effectiveness, relative impor-
tance, and sustainability of a STEAM curriculum in which the arts animated learning on a daily basis
for both teachers and administrators during the first year of implementation beginning in the fall 2014.
The article also investigates the response that the faculty of a STEM-oriented middle school had to the
induction of STEAM curriculum training.
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creative ability is a key skill in a technology driven

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagi-
nation. After a certain level of technical skill is achieved,
science and art tend to coalesce into esthetics, plasticity,
and form. The greatest scientists are artists as well. (Albert
Einstein)
Introduction
The United States appears to be losing competitive
ground with other first world nations in the areas of
science and math (OECD 2012; White 2010). This
has sparked a directive in the advancement of science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) peda-
gogy, especially at the secondary level (Beal 2013).
School systems have thus focused on STEM subjects
intently for the past six to eight years (Beal 2013).
However, a recent study has shown that a residual
effect of the STEM initiative has resulted in decreased
creativity (Merryman and Bronson 2010). In a con-
troversial article, “The Creative Crisis,” Merryman
and Bronson (2010) state that IQ scores are rising
while creativity scores are falling. This is problematic
because employers are looking for creative problem
solvers for a twenty-first century workforce. Indeed,
Darling-Hammond (2010) has pointed out that
twenty-first century economy, and the current educa-
tional system leaves American students performing
less creatively when compared to their international
peers. While STEM concepts are vital to learning, it has
become increasingly evident that creative components
are equally important in the learning process to engage
students, increase comprehension, and advance profi-
ciency in innovation. Purposeful connections through
STEM and the arts strengthen skills in all areas and
students gain a richer learning experience (Riley
2012). Arts provide the missing component necessary
to pique student interest and creativity in subjects like
science, technology, engineering and math and thus,
STEM becomes STEAM.
STEM to STEAM
Our rapidly evolving economy demands divergent
thinkers whose cognition is both flexible and origi-
nal and who possess the ability to generate a large
number of ideas and detailed observations to expand
and enrich ideas (Moses and Cobb 2001). The arts
develop “twenty-first century skills,” including creativ-
ity, problem solving, critical thinking, communica-
tion, self-direction, initiative, and collaboration, which

CONTACT Tracey Hunter-Doniger hunterdonigertl@cofc.edu Department of Teacher Education, College of Charleston, Charleston,  George Street,
Charleston, SC , USA.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/vtch.
This manuscript has not been published nor has it been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.
©  Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
 2 T. HUNTER-DONIGER AND L. SYDOW
every student needs to survive successfully as an adult
in an increasingly complex and technologically driven
world (Sousa and Pilecki 2013). Research continues to
prove that intelligence is not monolithic, but consists of
infinite capacities and dimensions (Peterson 2013).
Educators now have a responsibility to recognize and
cultivate multiple intelligences in order to prepare stu-
dents for their lives after high school (Sousa and Pilecki
2013; Darling-Hammond 2010).
Since the career paths of students are unknown, stu-
dents need the ability to understand and make connec-
tions between a variety of disciplines (Madden et al.
2013; Riley 2012; Hetland 2013). Current methods pro-
vide students with a foundation of facts, but educa-
tion rarely addresses how to foster effective creative
and critical thinking skills. The STEAM approach pro-
vides this opportunity by introducing creativity and
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divergent thinking into traditional STEM disciplines. A
STEAM curriculum has the power to enhance partici-
pants’ creating, inventing, innovating, and engineering
capacities (Watson and Watson 2013).
Divergent thinking involves seeking multiple solu-
tions to problems and is the essence of creativity (Mad-
den et al. 2013; Richard and Treichel 2013). Research
shows that students engaged in creative programs that
foster divergent thinking display more advanced think-
ing skills, deal with stress better, and have enhanced
self-awareness and social skills (Madden et al. 2013).
Consequently, creating multiple solutions teaches chil-
dren to simultaneously learn the advantages of reflec-
tion and reiteration as they take ownership of their
individual growth.
STEAM curricula should focus on interdisciplinary
and inquiry-based learning in which educators play
a facilitative role to promote student-directed learn-
ing and autonomy, while providing nonjudgmental and
constructive feedback (Madden et al. 2013; Ming 2012).
Teachers should model the design process and self-
reflection, while guiding students to see problems as
opportunities (Madden et al. 2013; Robinson 2006).
Cultivating creative thinking requires students to be
willing to take risks. As Sir Ken Robinson (2006) stated,
“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you will never
come up with anything original.” For this reason, failure
is a necessary and normal part of the creative process.
Mistakes should not be punished, but viewed as oppor-
tunities for growth.
In order to foster true creativity, educators must cul-
tivate a safe environment for growth. Young people
today experience more stimulation than any previous
generation (Robinson, 2006). To engage young minds,
teachers must earn the respect of students by provid-
ing curricula that are engaging and relevant to stu-
dents’ lives (Moses and Cobb 2001). Students should
not be thought of as passive recipients of knowledge.
Instead, educators should provide arts-infused instruc-
tion through collaborative and active student-centered
learning. One effective way of incorporating creativity
and the arts is through the use of projects. Through a
creative and interdisciplinary approach to STEM stan-
dards, projects can be designed to have useful applica-
tion and address real-life situations and issues. Thus,
successful arts integration programs offer students and
educators more enjoyable curricula, increased personal
investment in education, and better emotional fulfill-
ment in the classroom (Overland 2013).
Teaching STEAM is a pedagogical approach that
involves “intentional identification of naturally aligned
standards, taught authentically alongside meaningful
assessments which take both content areas [i.e. art and
non-art] to a whole new level” (Riley 2012). Strategies
for implementation include collaboration between core
and art teachers, while teaching and assessing multiple
content areas equally (Riley 2012; Beal 2013). Stake-
holders involved in the STEM to STEAM transition
must be aware that learning is a dynamic process that
is reflective and continuously evolving.
Artistic learning strategies can help students over-
come existing limitations in traditional subjects. Ulti-
mately, an education that follows developmentally
appropriate, research-based arts integration strategies
will cultivate personal traits such as self-motivation;
self-efficacy; reflective and flexible thinking; life-long
learning; personal, professional, and social responsibil-
ity; and a willingness to address diverse ethical issues
(Madden et al. 2013; Moses and Cobb 2001). Bridging
the gap between STEM teaching and artistic pedagogi-
cal practice is essential for a successful twenty-first cen-
tury education. The design process is a natural conduit
that connects STEM to art. Pink (2006) argues that in
today’s world it will not suffice to just create a product,
service or experience. It must be beautiful, emotion-
ally engaging, tell a story and maintain an interconnec-
tion to the human spirit through laughter, empathy, and
seeing the big picture of how pieces fit into the whole
(Pink 2006). Likewise, Gardner (2007) contends that
in order to thrive in the world in the future one must
maintain five “Minds.” These minds are built upon his

previous work in multiple intelligences and are as fol-
lows: The Disciplined Mind, mastering a craft or schol-
arly discipline; The Synthesizing Mind, making mean-
ing from dissimilar sources; The Creating Mind, design-
ing original solutions to problems; The Respectful Mind,
welcoming ideas from all walks of life; and The Eth-
ical Mind, working unselfishly to improve the world.
Through multiple aspects of artistic learning strategies,
existing limitations of the mind can be overcome and
education can be transported into the future.
Hetland et al.’s study, Studio Thinking Two (2013),
provides a framework that has made pedagogical con-
nections between the arts and traditional academic
subjects. The researchers studied the practices of exem-
plary art teachers to identify the ways the arts are
taught, what children learn, and the pedagogical deci-
sions that art teachers make. Analysis of extensive field
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notes and observations suggest that there are eight dis-
positions or categories of learning that lead to student
success in a studio classroom: develop craft; engage
and persist; envision; express; observe; reflect; stretch
and explore; and understand the art community (Het-
land et al. 2013). Developing craft is learning to use
and take proper care of tools, materials, and working
space. Engage and persist is defined by the researchers
as learning to take on problems and conduct ongo-
ing investigation of the inquiry. Envision is imagin-
ing the possibilities and next steps needed to com-
plete a task. The disposition of express is creating and
designing works of art that convey a meaning, feel-
ing or idea. When students attend to visual context
specifically looking for details, it demonstrates the dis-
position of observe. Reflect is defined as learning to
think and talk about artwork or the process of mak-
ing art in regards to art made by others or yourself.
The disposition of stretch and explore demonstrates a
student’s ability to learn from mistakes and reaching
beyond his/her capacity. The final disposition found
by the researchers is, understanding the art commu-
nity. This disposition simply states that all areas of the
curriculum are connected. This framework was found
to be an effective method of observation and could be
used as an assessment tool to examine studio thinking
in arts education. While the studio thinking framework
is abundant in the arts, it is not exclusive, as it can be
applied in many areas of a STEM curriculum. Hetland
(2013) states that the arts are a means for engagement in
academic classes and that they can spark intrinsic moti-
vation and turn any subject into a creative undertaking.
In this paper, we use the framework of studio thinking
THE CLEARING HOUSE 3
as a lens to identify how arts integration influences
teacher practices and student engagement during the
process of the initial transition from STEM to STEAM
within a school year.
About the school
In 2011, the newly hired principal of Lily Island Mid-
dle School (pseudonym chosen by the authors of this
article, hereafter referred to as LIMS) adopted a STEM
curriculum for the 776 students in grades six through
eight. According to the South Carolina Department of
Education report card, the racial makeup of LIMS is
45.2 percent African American, 45.2 percent White,
6.6 percent Hispanic, 1.2 biracial, 0.3 percent Native
American, and 0.8 percent Asian with 60.6 percent
of the students receiving free or reduced lunch. LIMS
employs 48 full-time teachers with a student/teacher
ratio of 16:1, which is approximately the average for
middle schools in South Carolina. Prior to the STEM
initiative, LIMS scored “average” on the statewide rat-
ing system of “excellent,” “good,” “average,” “below aver-
age,” or “at-risk.” By 2014, LIMS ranked lower than
59.5 percent of middle schools in South Carolina, and
fourth out of six middle schools in the district. After
completing the third year of a STEM curriculum and
not improving from an average rating, LIMS decided
to move towards infusing the “A” for art to become a
STEAM school. LIMS received a grant from a statewide
arts initiative that aims to ensure access to quality arts
education for every child in the state. This grant pro-
vides funds for the development of innovative arts
programs that ensure proper usage and assessment
of the Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Stan-
dards. Using these funds, LIMS was able to provide pro-
fessional development for their core STEAM leader-
ship team. The core STEAM leadership team consisted
of seven faculty members, including four arts educa-
tors, two non-arts teachers, and an administrator. They
attended up to six training sessions on STEAM cur-
riculum and implementation. This leadership team was
charged with finding appropriate professional devel-
opment opportunities of three additional training ses-
sionsfor the entire staff of LIMS in the first year.
Methods
This research article provides data from the first year
of a longitudinal study of a middle school in South
Carolina and its transformation from STEM to
 4 T. HUNTER-DONIGER AND L. SYDOW

STEAM. The case study will be an in-depth inves-
tigation of all stakeholders (students, parents, teachers,
and administrators) through a period of three years.
In this paper, we discuss the first phase of inquiry,
which focused on teachers’ and the administration’s
perceptions, beliefs, and responses to the idea of a
STEAM curriculum and the integration of arts in their
classrooms. Surveys to collect data early in the trans-
formation process of STEM to STEAM were given to all
teachers and administration during both semesters of
the initial year and again after a year of arts integration.
Interviews were conducted with five teachers who vol-
unteered to provide data. Field notes and observations
of teachers in class and during professional devel-
opment exercises were used to triangulate the data.
Using mixed methods (Yin 2003), this case study was
driven by the following research questions: (1) How
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the purpose of comparison. The online survey con-
sisted of ten questions, two to collect demographic data
and eight using a Likert scale. The survey asked ques-
tions regarding what subject and grade level the faculty
members taught, how many professional development
seminars they attended, and a self-appraisal of their
efficacy infusing the arts into their curriculum and
assessing its impact. All questions were modified from
research of an arts integration program in Texas called
Big Thought (Wolf, Bransom, and Denson 2007). (See
Table 1.) Studies show that teacher effectiveness is a
critical factor driving variation in student achievement
(Darling-Hammond 2010). Some questions assessed
challenges and successes they experienced during the
STEM to STEAM process, while others enquired about
how the teachers perceived the arts integrations mak-
ing a difference in student performance. After the ini-

do stakeholders of a STEM middle school respond
to the initial induction of STEAM curriculum train-
ing? (2) What are the perceptions of the effectiveness,
relative importance and sustainability of a STEAM
curriculum? The theoretical framework driving this
investigation is derived from Studio Thinking Two and
is focused on examining the practices of teachers to
better understand the ways in which the arts are taught,
what children learn, and the pedagogical decisions that
art teachers make (Hetland 2013; Hetland et al. 2013).
The inquiry instruments found in the eight studio
habits of mind articulated in that study were used to
collect data through teacher/administrator interviews,
surveys, field notes, and observations.
Data results
To date, data have been collected during the fall of
2014 with a 76.5 percent response rate and the late
spring of 2015 with a 68.3 percent response rate. Sur-
veys were given to teachers and administrators for
tial survey, five teachers volunteered to participate in a
follow-up interview. These interviews asked eight in-
depth questions addressing quality and effectiveness
of STEAM education at LIMS, assessment strategies,
and limitations to implementation of STEAM curric-
ula. Specific questions are listed in Table 2.
The central focus of the STEM to STEAM intro-
ductory year was to begin to infuse the arts success-
fully into every classroom. In the fall of 2014, 29 per-
cent of the faculty stated that they never or almost
never integrated the arts into their classrooms. In the
spring 2015, this figure decreased significantly to 11
percent. Faculty at LIMS who almost always or always
integrate the arts increased from 28 percent to 60 per-
cent (see Figure 1). During an interview, one teacher
stated that most of her colleagues had dedicated two
lessons to an art project and daily used drama and
dance for assignments such as vocabulary lists. These
lessons included tableaus to recreate pivotal scenes
in history, and movement vocabulary where students
created dance movements to remember vocabulary

Table . Initial survey questions. Modified from the Big Thought Study (Wolf, Bransom, and Denson ).

. What do you teach at LIMS?

. How many STEAM professional development trainings have you attended?
. At what rate do you feel your STEAM training has been sufficient to help you provide high quality STEAM lessons?
. At what rate have you had success implementing STEAM in your class?
. At what rate have there been obstacles or challenges to implementing STEAM in your class?
. At what rate do you currently integrate the arts/academics in STEAM lessons?
. At what rate are the students engaged with the STEAM lessons in your class?
. How often do you assess the arts learning in your classroom when you teach STEAM lessons?
. Please indicate you feel about the following statement: “The arts can be used to assist student learning in the academic subjects.”
. Please indicate how you feel about the following statement: “STEAM has had a high impact in student learning outcomes in my class?”
 THE CLEARING HOUSE 5

Table . In-depth interview questions. Modified from the Big Thought Study (Wolf, Bransom, and Denson ).

. What is your definition of quality STEAM education?

. Given your ideas about quality STEAM teaching and learning, what do you think the focus or purpose of STEAM education should be?
. How have your ideas about quality in STEAM teaching and learning evolved? Are there ideas theories and/or experiences that have strongly influenced
you?
. Given your experience what are some of the challenges of STEAM education?
. Are there particular art forms (dance, drama, visual, etc.) that you use? Do your ideas about quality in STEAM education differ across art forms and/or
contexts?
. With our experience with STEAM, what do you think is especially important to keep in mind about assessing arts learning and assessing arts teaching?
. What social, political or cultural factors, if any do you think are important to keep in mind when we think about quality in STEAM education?
. How have the students responded to the implementation of STEAM? Have the students been more or less engaged in the lessons? How are the
students’ grades?

words. An initial concern from another teacher was

that “the students cannot handle the distraction of the
arts in an academic setting.” She stated that she would
incorporate the arts when students learn to not be
disruptive.
According to the South Carolina Arts in Basic Cur-
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riculum (2005) Art Continuum, effective arts integra-

tion requires that the arts be assessed equally with core
material. In the fall of 2014, 54 percent of the fac-
ulty stated that they almost never or never assessed the
arts; however, by spring of 2015, that decreased to just
11 percent. Similarly, the faculty members who stated
they always or almost always assessed the arts increased
from 31 percent to 43 percent (see Figure 2). When
addressing this with interviewees, some equated the
increase to professional development that was provided
for faculty in arts integration and assessment. Several
teachers stated that the arts are assessed using a variety
of methods from a quick informal checklist to an exten-
sive rubric that includes standards and objectives. One
teacher stated that others do not assess the arts, and use
the arts only as a hook to get students interested in a
lesson or project.
When implementing any new curriculum, there are
obstacles to achieving a high level of success. In the fall,
Figure . How often do you assess the arts in your classroom?
the faculty faced challenges with the integration of arts
into their classrooms. The concern most faculty artic-
ulated, at 62 percent of respondents, was a lack of time
to work with both the arts and academic subjects. This
concern remained throughout the school year, as the
results in the spring show a one percent increase to 63
percent (see Figure 3). Funding for projects and stu-
dent engagement also hindered these educators. Per-
haps more importantly, getting all teachers to “buy-in”
to the STEAM curriculum and the increased demand
for technology in the classroom to achieve STEAM
goals was an unforeseen obstruction. During inter-
views, one teacher stated that infusing the arts would

Figure . At what level do you integrate the arts into your class- Figure . What are some challenges to implementing a STEAM cur-
room? riculum?
 6 T. HUNTER-DONIGER AND L. SYDOW
Figure . To what level to you believe the arts can assist academic
subjects?
take too much time to plan, implement, and grade
with little to no improvement in student outcomes.
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Some faculty members stated that some teachers were
refusing to cooperate with the STEAM curriculum
and causing problems with collaboration and consis-
tency for the students. Others were concerned that a
large portion of the new digital tablets purchased as a
part of this initiative needed updating and were pre-
venting the technology portion of STEAM from being
successful.
From the initial inception of the STEM to STEAM
plan for LIMS, the majority of the faculty (89 percent)
agreed or strongly agreed that infusing the arts into the
classroom could assist with learning in non-arts subject
areas. In the spring, the percentage increased to 93 per-
cent (see Figure 4). In the fall, six percent of the teach-
ers strongly disagreed that infusing the arts through
STEAM could make a difference; however zero percent
disagreed or strongly disagreed at the end of the year.
In the interviews, one teacher stated she was skeptical
because she had yet to see student test scores rise due
to the addition of artistic lessons. Most teachers, how-
ever, attributed learning and engagement in the class-
room to the addition of the arts. One teacher stated,
“The arts bring creative enjoyment to my class while
engaging through other methods of learning.” Another
teacher commented, “Using the arts shows mastery
of content in a different way.” A third mentioned,
“[The arts] address multiple learning modalities and
interests.”
STEAM education has the power to increase partic-
ipants’ creating, inventing, innovating, and engineer-
ing capacities (Watson and Watson 2013). When asked
in the fall of 2014, 54 percent of the faculty at LIMS
Figure . At what level to you believe that STEAM makes a differ-
ence in student performance?
strongly agreed that art integration could make a dif-
ference in learning other areas and 37 percent agreed,
three percent were neutral, and six percent strongly dis-
agreed. In the spring of 2015, the percentage of faculty
who strongly agreed decreased by 22 percent, while the
faculty who agreed increased 17 percent (see Figure 5).
Those who remained neutral increased 11 percent and
no faculty member disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Results from the interviews revealed that infusing the
arts allowed better differentiation of the curriculum
and students became more academically engaged, took
ownership, and gained self-efficacy. Teachers stated
that during the STEAM lessons, better learning envi-
ronments were created for the students who enjoyed
hands-on learning. One teacher maintained, “[The]
students were motivated in engaging, unique lessons
where they were able to apply their knowledge in a way
that was not a written exam.”
Discussion
The concept of “stretch and explore,” one of Het-
land et al.’s (2013) eight studio habits of mind, was
used as a lens for analyses. “Stretch and explore” is
described as being able to reach beyond one’s capacities,
to explore without a preconceived plan, and to embrace
the opportunity to learn from mistakes (Hetland et al.
2013). As stakeholders in the STEM to STEAM pro-
cess, most of the LIMS faculty have embraced the con-
cept and have begun to implement the STEAM curricu-
lum into their classrooms. The training they received
during multiple professional development sessions has
allowed non-arts teachers to reach beyond their per-
ceived capabilities in teaching and assessing the arts
in their classrooms. The apprehension and lack of

self-efficacy with the arts in the classroom seemed to
dissipate as the faculty began to stretch and explore the
various possibilities and realize that making mistakes
can present original opportunities for students and
teachers. Some teachers who were resistant to the idea
of infusing the arts became less opposed to STEAM,
yet remained skeptical without comparative standard-
ized test results that will be revealed in the fall of 2015.
This resistance is palpable among the staff as others
have noticed this negativity as a challenge to the suc-
cess of the STEAM program. However, providing pro-
fessional development and continual guidance through
the first year has created a studio-like environment
for STEAM. This environment encourages students to
learn from experiences, make mistakes, explore mul-
tiple iterations of a problem, and realize the practi-
cal rationale behind the process. Ironically, this type of
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stretching and exploring is the same process the faculty
at LIMS is going through as they journey from STEM
to STEAM.
Conclusion
Over fifteen years ago, Elliott Eisner (1999) argued that
the arts help students learn to use an aesthetic frame of
reference to experience the learning process. The arts
give students a deeper frame of reference to compre-
hend how and why they enjoy learning. By no means
should the arts be used as a mere tool for learning
the tested subject areas. Justifying the arts this way
decreases the value of what the arts can bring to a cur-
riculum (Eisner 1999; Hetland et al. 2013). Instead,
embracing the arts and integrating them in the STEM
curriculum at LIMS as an equally valuable component
has led to increased faculty satisfaction, as 93 percent
believed that infusing the arts benefits student learn-
ing. Over the next years of the longitudinal study, the
STEM to STEAM process will continue to be scruti-
nized. The first year consisted of inquiring about fac-
ulty perceptions of the effectiveness of STEAM. In
2015, the standardized test results show an improve-
ment of eight percent from 40 percent in 2014, to 48
percent in 2015. While correlation does not imply cau-
sation, there is no denying that these are significant
results in a single year after multiple years of stag-
nant scores and must be investigated further. In the
years to come, focus will be on the students’ experience
of STEAM through surveys, focus groups and more
THE CLEARING HOUSE 7
comparison of standardized test results. Additionally,
other stakeholders, including family and community
members, will be brought into the framework of this
study to further gauge the impact of the STEM to
STEAM journey at Lily Island Middle School.
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