Kanae Kato

11.25 The Development of STEAM-type Educational Training Subject: Report on “Noah’s Ark” Practice in Japan-Vietnam Exchange Teacher Training Program (Poster)

Kanae Kato – Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan

Mika Watanabe – Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan

Abstract:

This report presents the practice of the “Noah's Ark” workshop at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education during the “Japan-Vietnam STEAM-type Educational Experience Training 2024.” This workshop is a modelling activity to learn about buoyancy and the balance of a boat. Participants moulded boats from aluminium foil, floated them on water, and used PET bottle caps as cargo – challenging both the maximum load capacity and the aesthetic qualities of their designs.

Vietnam’s New Curriculum 2018 emphasizes “promoting learner autonomy, initiative, and creativity,” “integrating theory in practice and discussion,” and “emphasizing experiential education.” Similarly in Japan, STEAM education, which fosters problem-solving skills and creativity, is attracting increasing attention. In response to this new type of experiential education, we devised and implemented a booth-based workshop focused on educational content that teachers could easily adopt, that would engage children meaningfully, and that could be broadly applied to society and across subject areas.

We created an environment to spark participants’ curiosity while offering clear procedures and support accessible to all. By structuring the workshop to allow for completion within a short period, participants were able to experience a sense of accomplishment. One of the key outcomes of this micro-workshop was that it provided an instructional method to cultivate creativity and independent learning among participants. By experiencing multiple booth-based activities sequentially, participants not only gained understanding of each individual activity, but also reflected more abstractly on learner interests and learning styles—encouraging exploratory thinking about their own approaches to STEAM education. It also offered an opportunity for art education to become more open and connected to other subject areas.