Didactic approaches to the engineering design of a prototype from a STEAM education perspective

Abstract

Modern research in education highlights the beneficial influence of the STEAM approach on the motivation, scientific knowledge and practical problem-solving skills of students in their daily lives. Any STEAM activity/project ends with a product, the realization of which often requires engineering design skills, a process that, according to researchers, can be integrated into the study of STEAM subjects in school. The article conceptualizes the “in-depth” engineering design of the prototype, based on the adaptation of the model proposed by Hynes et all, in the context of conducting research within the Moldovan-Turkish bilateral project “Global Issue-Oriented STEAM Teaching to Create a more Sustainable Future” and examining the global ecological problem of plastic waste.