The article is devoted to the problems and advantages of monitoring the implementation of STEAM-oriented educational environment in institutions of general secondary education; identifying criteria and indicators for its implementation; analysis of the state of development of STEAM-oriented educational environments in 2024 in Ukraine based on defined criteria. The approaches to monitoring the STEAM-oriented educational environment development for general secondary education are highlighted. The study showed that there is a significant interest of teachers, students, and other participants in the educational process in the implementation and development of a STEAM-oriented educational environment in general education institutions. The study identified gaps in the assessment of the efectiveness of the use of STEM education in Ukrainian schools through a series of surveys and studies, especially in the absence of a single approach to continuous monitoring. Therefore, the authors proposed criteria based on both international approaches and the peculiarities of the Ukrainian education system. The following problems were identified in the Ukrainian educational institutions: funding of STEAM projects; provision of general education institutions with modern laboratories, tools, means of virtual and augmented reality, and special classrooms; maintaining the motivation of teachers and students to participate in STEAMactivities. The article analyses the results of studies by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine as well as own studies carried out in 2022-2023 years. These studies have raised the issue of the efectiveness of the STEAM-oriented educational environment based on the point of view of Ukrainian teachers. The data revealed in the studies enhanced the identification of criteria that can be applied to the assessment of the influence of modern technologies on the educational process and the identification of the key factors contributing to the successful integration of STEM education in general secondary education institutions. The article aims to present the approaches and criteria for monitoring STEAM-oriented educational environments and analyse the challenges faced by Ukrainian secondary educational institutions nowadays.
In the modern educational landscape, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education has emerged as a crucial framework for preparing students for the requirements of the 21st century. Integrating these disciplines into school curricula equips students with a broad skill set, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. STEAM education is important for the education and training of students at school. This education is important for raising well-rounded innovative individuals who can contribute to the rapidly developing world. After all, to obtain a future profession, young people today need quality education, and the ability to adapt to rapid changes in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Therefore, monitoring the development of STEAM education is a key process for determining the quality of education.
The development of STEAM education in general secondary education institutions in Ukraine is
conducted by Ukrainian legislation, including the laws “On Education” [
By implementing the main tasks, the development of STEM education in Ukrainian educational
institutions is ensured at the following levels: elementary – stimulation of curiosity and support of
interest in learning and the search for knowledge, motivation for independent research, creation of
simple devices, constructions, scientific and technical creativity; basic – forming a stable interest
in natural and mathematical subjects, mastering technological literacy and problem-solving skills,
involvement in research, invention, project activities, which will make it possible to increase the
share of those who seek to choose scientific, technical, engineering professions; professional –
indepth mastery of the system of knowledge and skills of STEM education using methods of scientific
research, implementation of innovative projects; higher/professional – formation of specialists in
various scientific and technical, engineering professions on the basis of institutions of higher education,
as well as improving the professional skills of pedagogical workers in the implementation of new
teaching methods, relevant courses and implementation of innovative projects. For the development
of STEM education, it is important to create an appropriate environment and constant support and
evaluation of the efectiveness of functioning [
The research problem of this study is to find out the problems and gaps accompanying STEAM education in Ukrainian schools based on existing surveys, and also, guided by international approaches, to identify criteria for evaluating the efectiveness of STEAM education in Ukrainian educational institutions. Also, the tasks of the study are to analyse the views of Ukrainian teachers and foreign researchers on the issue of STEAM education, which will help to formulate a vision of monitoring the efectiveness of the STEM environment in Ukrainian schools in the future.
It should be noted that the issue of evaluating the efectiveness of the educational environment is part
of the processes related to monitoring the quality of education in general. According to the Decree of
the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 54 adopted on January 16, 2020, education quality
monitoring involves implementing consistent and systematic measures to identify and track trends
in educational quality across the country, specific regions, and educational institutions. It includes
assessing how well actual educational outcomes align with the stated objectives and identifying the
extent, direction, and causes of any deviations from these goals [
The problem of monitoring the quality of education was studied by Kondrashova [
Lukina [
Denysiuk and Tytarenko [
Kalogiannakis and Papadakis [
Also, the issues of the teachers’ attitudes toward the implementation of digital technologies and
their information literacy are revealed in the works of Ukrainian scholars. Lukianova and Ovcharuk
[
Gong and Wei [
Having reviewed the works of researchers on monitoring the quality of education, and the impact of STEM education on schooling and the learning environment, this study investigated the state, gaps and problems that exist in Ukrainian secondary education institutions, and based on this, there were criteria identified that can be used to determine the efectiveness of the STEM education environment.
To achieve the goal of our research, a review of Ukrainian and foreign research was carried out to identify common features regarding STEM education in educational institutions. The analysis of surveys carried out by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as well as other Ukrainian research institutions, made it possible to reveal the attitude of teachers to the use of STEAM laboratories and to ifnd out the extent of the spread of STEAM education in Ukraine. Such an analysis made it possible to outline the criteria for evaluating the efectiveness of the STEM environment in secondary education institutions, which can be used. Own research carried out by the authors in 2022-2023, namely, a survey of teachers, made it possible to identify several problems and gaps both in the technical support of schools and allowed to identify gaps in the readiness of teachers to use digital technologies for the implementation of STEM education. For these surveys, we used quantitative methods of calculating the obtained data. The generalization of the received problems, which were noted by the teachers, made it possible to single out problems common to many institutions in the implementation of STEAM education, which require further solutions at various levels of educational policy.
Monitoring a STEAM-oriented educational environment is a complex process that must cover different procedures and take into account the specifics of the educational and social environment. A STEAM-oriented educational environment incorporates computer, mobile, and cloud-based technologies, along with practical, interdisciplinary, and project-based learning methods in the study of natural and mathematical disciplines. It aims to encourage students’ creative thinking through the integration of various art forms in the learning process. This approach also enhances the digital and professional competencies of teachers, helping students to acquire essential 21st-century skills. It motivates students to explore scientific problems and efectively integrate knowledge across various subjects at national and international levels.
It should be noted that despite the many obstacles faced by teachers in Ukraine due to martial law, teachers actively participate in scientific and practical activities related to the development of STEM education, which is part of STEAM. This experience is reflected in the articles in the anthologies of several conferences devoted to this topic. Thus, the collection of materials “STEM school – 2022” contains 11 developments of practising teachers on various issues, in particular, virtual STEM laboratories for research and experiments in natural and mathematical subjects; modelling and research of physical phenomena using STEM education; involvement of parents in the implementation of the concept of development of science and mathematics education (STEM education); methodological cases of gender-sensitive STEM lessons, etc.
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the existing STEM centres began to work with IDP children who do not have the technical ability to get free access to education, as well as to support teachers in the organization of the educational process. This important process supported local communities and contributed to the continuity of the educational process. For example, as early as September 2022, the Educational Initiatives Foundation opened the educational hub “Skills of the Future” based on the STEM centre in Cherkasy with the support of the EU4Dialogue project of the European Union and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). By the beginning of summer 2022, more than 3.5 thousand teachers from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and other regions were able to improve their qualifications remotely based on such STEM centres.
Continuing the scientific search, the authors also turn to sources that reveal the importance of
having STEM laboratories in Ukrainian schools. The monitoring study, which was carried out as
part of the determination of the readiness of pedagogical workers for the implementation of the New
Ukrainian School by the Institute of Educational Analytics, confirmed that the directors of general
secondary education institutions in the majority (94.5%) indicate the absence of STEM laboratories in
the educational institution. Only 277 institutions out of 5,440 (5.1%) participating in the study have such
laboratories [
Many schools lack STEM laboratories due to insuficient funds, as noted by 85.4% of institution
directors. Other barriers mentioned include a shortage of qualified specialists (6.8%), methodical support
(2.7%), and adequate premises (0.5%) for schools. According to the directors, these factors hinder the
establishment of STEM laboratories. Additionally, some respondents indicated that they believe it is
unnecessary for their students (2.8%) or that they have no desire (0.2%) to address this issue [
Out of the 277 general secondary education institutions that have STEM laboratories, approximately
one-third (31.8%) have used or are currently using state funding, while 32.9% have received assistance
from their community or city. For the organisation and functioning of the laboratory activities,
methodological support is provided by institutes of postgraduate pedagogical education (15.5%) and methodical
ofices (12.3%). Postgraduate pedagogical education institutions usually receive support from multiple
sources, such as international donors and non-governmental organizations, or both postgraduate
education institutions and students’ parents. In cases where no specific assistance was mentioned, school
principals noted that teachers utilised available equipment, and local entrepreneurs provided support.
Almost 47.2% of surveyed principals in educational institutions with STEM laboratories report a general
lack of necessary equipment, while 31.8% say they have the required equipment [
A survey of teachers conducted by the authors of this study indicated that among the main problems
pointed out by respondents in 2020 and 2023 are the following: lack of high-quality Internet – 64.7%,
insuficient material and technical support for students – 56.8%, fan outages electricity – 49.1%; low
level of self-organization and motivation of students – 41.3%; lack of support from parents – 30%; lack
of time due to increased workload on the teacher – 25.9%; insuficient level of material and technical
support of educational institutions – 23.1%; psychological dificulties during distance learning – 14.5%;
dificulties with distance learning of elementary school students – 13.9%; decrease in the quality of
providing educational services – 6.3%; insuficient level of digital competence of the teacher – 5.1%; the
institution was destroyed or damaged during the war – 4.4% [
All these data indicate the existence of a number of problems with the functioning of the STEM environment in Ukrainian schools among which, for example, non-systematic use of STEM laboratories, insuficient equipment, lack of access, insuficient training of teachers and low level of digital competence and information literacy of teachers, etc.
Among the monitoring tools of the STEAM-oriented environment, the results of international
comparative studies of the quality of education can be used, For example, the International Comparative
Study of the Quality of Natural and Mathematical Education (Trends in International Mathematics and
Science Study, TIMSS), the International Study of the Quality of Education (PISA), etc. In particular,
the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was initiated over 23 years ago by the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) [
The results of the study demonstrated a significant decline in academic performance and quality of
education, as can be seen from the chart, especially in the average performance in mathematics, reading
and science in Ukraine and OECD countries between the 2018 and 2022 PISA cycles [
It should be noted that the elaborated volume of the presented research allowed us to single out
the criteria that are used to evaluate the efectiveness of the educational environment. In particular,
Laniado et al. [
Based on the mentioned studies, it is worth highlighting such a criterion as the resources of the educational environment. Indeed, an important criterion is the resources involved and available in the educational environment. Resources can be divided into software products, facilities and tools, as well as educational (teaching) and human (teachers, management staf, administrators).
Another important criterion should be the availability of innovative training and educational methods. Teacher training is critical because teachers need to be provided with regular learning opportunities to stay on top of innovation. STEM teacher training workshops should be aimed at creating an opportunity for secondary STEAM teachers to explore Science, Technology, Art, Engineering and Math (STEAM) as well as Computer Science training through technology-rich demonstrations, classroom presentations, hands-on activities and online connections.
The next criterion is the degree of government attention to the problem of organisation and functioning of the STEAM environment. This criterion is related to educational policy and the needs of education and society in STEAM competencies of students.It should be noted that the issue of the implementation of STEM education is declared in Ukrainian regulatory documents, partly also in schools where STEM laboratories are established. For example, the Institute for the Modernization of the Content of Education has a specialized department of STEM education, which has been experimenting in this area for many years. However, as a result of crisis situations in the state, in connection with the state of war, the wide distribution of STEM laboratories did not take place, and all this requires further support from the state.
After considering the aforementioned points, we can outline the following criteria for monitoring a STEAM-oriented educational environment: academic achievement (success in academics), resources and educational environment for the implementation of STEAM education, innovative teaching and learning methods, and government attention to the issue (table 1).
Analyzing the criterion “academic achievements (academic success)” for teachers, the authors of the article used information obtained during conferences, seminars, training, webinars, received applications and web resources of conferences, seminars, and training. The main interest of the participants is in the study of new digital tools and means for online education of students, in particular, the use of AI, augmented reality, the creation of virtual laboratories and their efective use in lessons and the STEAM environment. Today, teachers pay great attention to the safety and security of students and themselves in the environment and the opportunity to learn safe tools for learning.
The issue of implementation and development of a STEAM-oriented environment is important today
for Ukrainian education. The conducted research showed that today obtaining a quality education
is a challenge and a problem since a full-scale invasion is ongoing in the country. STEAM education
technologies make it possible to raise the educational process to another level and ensure accessibility
and continuity of education, creating opportunities to acquire the necessary skills for citizens of the
21st century. Turning to the issues related to the support of the STEAM environment in secondary
education institutions, it was found that today there are issues that should attract the attention of
educators, in particular, the insuficient level of information literacy and digital skills. This is also
evidenced by research conducted by both Ukrainian and foreign researchers [
The main emphasis was placed on the criteria by which the presence and needs of such categories as teachers and students should be considered, ensuring the functioning of the environment. We consider it expedient to pay attention to such urgent problems of the lack of STEM laboratories and the environment, which single out teachers, namely: lack of funds, lack of appropriate specialists, lack of familiarity with equipment, and lack and insuficiency of methodical support for teachers. These and other circumstances not only reduce the motivation of teachers to develop STEM and STEAM education and create the necessary environment at school but also cancel the opportunity for students to develop, and acquire the necessary skills and competencies for life and future work in a digital, information society.
The authors analysed the reports of state institutions and identified four important criteria that can be used to monitor the efectiveness of a STEAM-oriented environment, namely: academic achievement (success in academics), resources and educational environment for the implementation of STEAM education, innovative teaching and learning methods, and state (government) attention to the issue. These criteria and related indicators of the efectiveness of the STEAM environment take into account the interests of teachers and students.
It should be noted that our research is an attempt to systematize teachers’ attitudes toward such components of the environment as its software, content, and compliance with the interests of students. Therefore, the best practices of a STEAM-oriented educational environment, the role of such an environment in overcoming educational losses, and a method of evaluating the efectiveness of a STEAM-oriented educational environment taking into account the specified criteria can be perspectives for further scientific research.
Based on the presented study results several recommendations can be made to evaluate the STEAMoriented environment in secondary education institutions: state institutions and organisations should develop plans to support the STEAM environment in schools to support distance learning of students and education in general, especially in conditions of full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation; teacher training programs can be guided by developed criteria for teaching teachers to use STEAM tools in the classroom; educational administrations can conduct surveys of teachers and students, taking into account the proposed criteria, expanding them with other indicators to determine the state of use and efectiveness of STEAM environments and STEAM education in their regions.
The problems common to many institutions in the implementation of STEM education, which require further solutions at various levels of educational policy, should include insuficient funding and, as a result, insuficient equipment of STEM laboratories, unpreparedness of personnel and low level of information literacy of teachers, lack of systematic monitoring of the efectiveness of STEAM -oriented environment.
In the future, we see the expansion of tools for monitoring the quality of education due to the addition of developed criteria to the study of the state of use of new teaching aids. Studying the efectiveness of the STEAM environment for continuous education, starting from elementary grades, should become an important area of both research and practical experiments, as well as the exchange of experience from advanced educational practices of STEAM education.