Application of the STEAM Learning Model to Improve the Creativity of Elementary School Teachers in Designing Interactive Media

Abstract

The development of education in the 21st century requires elementary school teachers to have creative skills in designing interactive and contextual learning media. However, the reality in the field shows that most teachers still use conventional media that are less interesting and have not effectively integrated the science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) approach. This community service program aims to enhance the creativity of elementary school teachers through training in the application of the STEAM learning model in designing interactive media that is relevant to the learning needs of the digital age. The theoretical basis for this activity refers to the concept of project-based integrative learning (Yakman & Lee, 2012) and Vygotsky's constructivism theory (1978), which emphasizes the importance of collaborative and contextual learning. The implementation method was carried out through the stages of needs analysis, workshop-based training, media creation assistance, and evaluation of participants' work. The findings show a significant increase in teacher creativity, with an average pre-test score of 63.4 increasing to 88.7 on the post-test. In addition, 92% of participants were able to produce STEAM-based interactive media with a very good rating. The conclusion shows that the application of the STEAM model can be an effective strategy in developing the creativity of elementary school teachers and supporting the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum.