Michail Kalogiannakis

Work place: Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, Greece

E-mail: mkalogian@uth.gr

Website: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-2245

Research Interests:

Biography

Michael Kalogiannakis, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the Department of Special Education at the University of Thellay in Greece. He is also associate tutor at School of Humanities at the Hellenic Open University. He graduated from the Physics Department at the University of Crete and continued his post-graduate studies in France. His field of specialization is science education at early childhood.

Author Articles
Igniting Curiosity: The Role of STEAM Education in Enhancing Early Academic, Language Skills and Motivation for Science

By Ozgun Uyanik Aktulun Umit Unsal Kaya Ali Ibrahim Can Gozum Michail Kalogiannakis Stamatios Papadakis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.05.01, Pub. Date: 8 Oct. 2024

The "Igniting Curiosity: A STEAM Journey for Young Minds" (IC-SJYM) program integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) into early childhood education to enhance linguistic and scientific engagement among 5 to 6-year-olds. This study uses a mixed-methods design to evaluate the program's effectiveness, utilizing the Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills (K-SEALS) and the Teacher Rating Scale of Children's Motivation for Science (TRS-CMS), alongside qualitative feedback from educators. Results show that the experimental group, following the IC-SJYM program, demonstrated significant improvements in academic performance and motivation towards science compared to a control group with a traditional curriculum. Additionally, qualitative analyses highlight the program's positive impact on expressive language skills, innovative thinking, and a sustained interest in scientific inquiry. These findings suggest that an integrative STEAM curriculum can significantly enhance early learning experiences, advocating for its broader adoption. The IC-SJYM program's success in fostering intellectual curiosity and academic excellence underscores the critical role of STEAM in early childhood education and calls for further research into its potential to revolutionize educational paradigms for young learners.

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