On March 18 at 4:00 p.m., a new session of the ISEP Webinars will take place, organized by Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP).
This webinar, presented by Laura Frentescu Tordai, will focus on the topic “Integrating STEAM into Teacher Education: Lessons from a STEAM Teacher Education Programme.”
To access the webinar, please click here.
Abstract
Innovative teaching methodologies such as STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), project-based learning, and interdisciplinary teaching are increasingly promoted in teacher education. However, future teachers often face difficulties in turning these ideas into concrete classroom practices.
This presentation shares key lessons from the design and implementation of a STEAM-focused teacher education programme developed using a Design-Based Research approach. Over three academic years, pre-service teachers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds participated in project-based activities, collaborative design tasks, and reflective practices while creating and publishing STEAM learning activities.
The experience provided relevant insights into how teachers develop their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), how their attitudes toward interdisciplinary teaching evolve, and which forms of pedagogical support are most effective in sustaining the design of innovative educational practices.
In addition, the presentation highlights practical strategies for integrating technology, fostering creativity and collaboration, and bringing initial teacher education closer to non-formal learning contexts, such as museums and science centres.
Biography
Laura Frentescu Tordai is a guest lecturer at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, in the Department of Teacher Education. Her work focuses on innovative teaching methodologies, particularly the integration of STEAM education through project-based learning and transdisciplinary teacher education with a non-formal approach.
Her doctoral research examines the development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in pre-service teachers, their attitudes toward STEAM education, and their ability to design educational artefacts as open educational resources.
Laura also coordinates initiatives within a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to promoting culture and education, including the CERC Experimentis club, which develops STEAM activities for students and serves as a pedagogical laboratory, bringing schools closer to museums and other non-formal learning environments.