An Examination of Pre-Service Visual Arts Teachers’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the STEAM Approach

Abstract

The traditional STEM model, which is primarily centered on engineering, mathematics, and technology, has gradually expanded over time to incorporate the arts, evolving into the STEAM approach. Accordingly, this study aims to examine prospective visual arts teachers’ perceptions of the STEAM approach through metaphor analysis. A phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research approaches, was adopted in the study. The participants consisted of 64 prospective teachers enrolled at a public university located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye, all of whom completed a four-week STEAM training program and microteaching practices. The data were collected using a metaphor form and analyzed through content analysis. The prospective teachers developed 33 different metaphors regarding the STEAM approach. These metaphors were categorized under six main themes. The prospective teachers described STEAM as a holistic structure in which different components complement one another, using metaphors such as “tree,” “rainbow,” and “weaving loom.” In addition, they emphasized the process-oriented nature of the approach through metaphors like “path,” “workshop,” and “puzzle”; its capacity to stimulate creativity through “invention” and “dreams”; and its curiosity-arousing character through analogies such as “circus” and “illusionist.” In conclusion, it was determined that prospective visual arts teachers perceive STEAM as a bridging model that integrates scientific thinking with the aesthetic and constructive power of art, actively engages students in the learning process, and fosters curiosity. This study provides a significant contribution to STEAM research from the perspective of arts education as well as to the teacher education literature.