Applying steam project to help students improve their english communication and soft skills at Nhu Thanh high school

 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION	 
 I. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
	Science and Technology have, over the last 50 years, become a major part of society and our individual lives. It has single-handedly changed the way we live and has opened up new possibilities for our future as a race that previously deemed impossible. Accompanying these subjects, other subjects such as Engineering and Maths have also become majorly important for private companies who are developing roles to complete certain jobs.
Traditional systems of teaching and learning are not necessarily providing young people with the skills they need to make it in the modern world. Many of the more traditional classroom forms of learning are ill-equipped to improve the skills needed for developing creative solutions to complex problems. Traditional schooling addresses problems of the past, not issues in the future.
How, therefore, do we adapt and prepare our students for the challenges they face in the future?
STEAM education has been developed, a term coined by the Rhode Island School of Design, to educate students in the practice of critical thinking. With the rapid advances in technology, the standard of education has to keep up with the changing and developing times so that students and young people are able to become qualified to a level in which they can fill jobs to continue this increasingly important sector.
 Probably one of the most important things about STEAM education is that it helps students develop critical thinking. It’s the critical thinking is so important to live in the modern world – after all, nowadays there are plenty of machines, technologies, and apps able to solve repetitive tasks. However, no machine or computer is yet skilled enough to solve problems that require creativity as well as critical thinking.
So, STEAM education teaches students that – how to be creative, how to solve problems effectively, how to think critically. It also helps them develop transferable skills, which is especially important considering that world continues to grow and change.
These changes will continue, but no one can predict exactly how. The students, however, need to be prepared to work in a growing world and take jobs that don’t exist at the moment and they’ll need transferable skills to do so.
The process of mastering these skills requires students to respond to changes quickly as well as to adapt to them. This also helps them become more flexible and, as the arts are included too, students can express their creativity and enjoy the process as well.
 	English learners develop science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) knowledge and language proficiency when they are engaged in meaningful interaction in the classroom and participate in the kinds of activities in which teachers or educators regularly engage.
Therefore, in this study I present a subject “Applying STEAM project to help students improve their English communication and soft skills at Nhu Thanh High School”
Language is experienced as sounds and wordings (words/phrases), but the primary function of language is to make sense of the world and share meanings with others. The use of language is to “make meanings” that fulfill goals in the social contexts where people interact (Schleppegrell, 2004). The meanings vary not only according to what is being done (the “content”), but also according to with whom the interactions take place (e.g., how many people are present, the status of the relationships, the roles taken on in the discourse, etc.) And it is not just in language that people interact. 
It is important to recognize that the content taught in STEAM subjects is not separable from the language through which the content is presented (Schleppegrell, 2007). There is no language-free content; language use always presents some content, and most representations of content require some language use, even with multimodal resources for meaning-making. This understanding of language means that to learn the language of STEAM subjects, students must participate in STEAM contexts and activities. For English learners, this means that they must be encouraged to draw on all of their multi-competencies, which include all of their languages and their different varieties, as well as gesture, drawing, and other modalities for meaning-making.
II. AIMS OF THE STUDY
 	 I do the research to know about the fact of teaching and learning communication skills in Nhu Thanh High School more clearly. This study also investigates whether the “STEAM Project” can have positive impact on process among students and can develop their communication and soft skills or not. Bearing in mind, I decide the research with title “Applying STEAM project to improve the students’ English communication and soft skills at Nhu Thanh High School”	 
III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS	
This study aims at finding answer to the following research question:
How can “STEAM project” help the students at Nhu Thanh High School improve their English communication and soft skills?
The question has been addressed to two of the classes (A1, A6) that I have been teaching in Nhu Thanh High School with the aim to examine how “STEAM project” affect the process of communication here.	 
IV. SCOPE OF THE STUDY 
This study does not aim to teach any skill in a systematic way, because it is experience not for teaching but for practice. The study investigates applying STEAM project to help students practice so that they can improve their communication skills.	
V. METHODS OF THE STUDY
In this study, I use some research tools to collect and analyze the needed data
Recording is used to record the process of using STEAM project
The second tool used in this study is interviews with students at the end of the research to study whether STEAM project is really suitable for them or not.
Surveying through the answer sheets is used to know the practical situation of teaching and learning English communication skills.
 PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT	
 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
I. The definition of STEAM
STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process.
II. The definition of soft skills
Soft skills are things like:
Communication: Written, listening, verbal, body language, and business etiquette
Strategies: Problem-solving skills, critical thinking, the ability to use information appropriately, creativity, and decision-making skills
Self-management: Emotional intelligence, time management, professionalism, being predictable, integrity, persistence, and attitude
Teamwork: Collaboration and empathy
Leadership: Conflict resolution, the ability to delegate effectively, and collaboration
Soft skills, essentially, are the social skills that a person learns to communicate effectively at school and in the workplace, show empathy to others, and to work independently as well as alongside others.
Although none of the above skills are a focus onto themselves in schools, the atmosphere of any STEM/STEAM instruction is rooted in learning essential soft skills through collaborative, hands-on project.
III. Benefits of STEAM 
Here are several reasons why STEAM learning should be a integral part of every educational program.
Once teachers explain the basic lessons, students operate largely by themselves or collaborate in small groups for their projects. It’s up to the students to examine their and their peers’ skills to determine how to best complete a project. In a STEAM curriculum, students work in learning environments which offer minimal risk, and reinforce the idea that making mistakes and failure can be productive.
Students are able to view the unique advantages of each discipline. It teaches students that they’re not limited to one particular subject, or must pick between a technical or artistic topic; their expertise can be formed through a combination of these. The equal representation of subjects promoted by STEAM makes it a truly well-rounded program that appeals to students’ evolving curiosity and range of interests.
A central feature of STEAM programs is hands-on, project-based learning. Learners are working on projects specific to what issues appeal to them. Students decide on a goal and choose which skills to achieve it, allowing them to explore and experiment with various methods. The addition of an artistic component makes complex topics such as math and programming more approachable and less mentally intimidating. Unlike traditional STEM projects, the emphasis isn’t on obtaining or analyzing facts or data. Projects are evaluated against a subjective criteria that values creativity, rather than whether the student has concluded a right or wrong answer. This method supports the individual’s educational journey and promotes creative expression.
While technical knowledge is a requirement in many industries, creative problem-solving remains one of the most sought-after skills within the job market. Creativity might seem like a skill that comes instinctually to certain individuals, but it’s actually one that can be fostered by a proper STEAM education.
Though STEAM is becoming increasingly common in elementary and secondary education, it’s equally critical to implement in higher education and beyond. As concepts become more advanced, students can make better, sophisticated connections to the real world.
STEAM programs expose students to “big picture” concepts seen in the real, physical environment. Projects like building a website or constructing a basic robot enables students to better interact with real-world problems on a smaller scale. This helps them identify and relate to their immediate physical and social environment, such as building software that analyzes statistics or designing architecture that can exist within a major city. This on-going relationship with learning is what makes STEAM stand out as an empowering initiative, and promotes the idea that a concrete education benefits from all academic areas.
	 CHAPTER 2: PRACTICAL SITUATIONS
I. METHODS OF THE STUDY
The research is done qualitatively in the context of two English classes (Class A1, A6. In this survey, I use the survey questionnaire for students. This survey is designed to collect information for the study on “An investigation into the Reality of teaching and learning English communication skill at Nhu Thanh High School” 
II. THE REALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL	
The whole procedure of teaching and learning is implemented similarly to all students of the class after all of them give consent to be part of the research. However, due to the limit of the study, I only focus to collect information from the learning engagement of two classes (A1, A6) during this process as the data for analysis. Below is the survey of the practical situation of learning English Communication skill at Nhu Thanh High School.
 Survey no.1
 Practical Situation of learning English comminication Skill at Nhu Thanh High School.
Questions for students
A
B
C
D
1. How difficult is the English communication skill in new curriculum?
Too easy
5%
Not difficult 
10%
Difficult 
30%
Really difficult
55%
2. What is your idea about improving English communication skill at your school?
Very essential
12%
Essential
16%
 Not really essential
47%
Not essential at all
25%
3. What do you think of your skill classes at Nhu Thanh High School?
Really interesting
3%
Interesting
7%
Boring
41%
Really boring
49%
4. What do you think of the materials used for teaching skills at Nhu Thanh High School?
Difficult and boring
51%
Difficult but interesting
8%
C. Interesting and stimulating
9%
Easy and boring
32%
5. Does your teacher give you any projects related to real-world to improve your communication skills?
Always
2%
Sometimes
4%
Rarely
22%
Never
72%
From the survey number 1, we can see that communication skills are rarely improved at Nhu Thanh High School, this may not make it attractive to learners as a classroom activity. The students often see communication as hard work, boring, unrewarding. Moreover, students don’t know how to learn English and improve communication skills effectively. 
This could cause major problems in the future, especially for rapidly expanding and developing companies that will be driving forward and progressing technology in the future. 
CHAPTER 3:
 RECOMMENDATIONS
TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ ENGISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS
I. RECOMMENDATIONS 
According to the data analysis from the survey, it can be personally concluded that the most important feature that makes my students to engage more in the real world is the kind of learning activities which forces them to learn through the meaningfulness of tasks.
The question remains, how can schools and governments get students, especially children, more involved in STEAM courses that will result in a more rounded, well-educated and empowered workforce in the future?
As mentioned before, STEAM in the past was known as STEM and with the inclusion of the Arts part of the program, governments and learning institutions are hoping that this will be enough to entice new students into becoming part of the program. Younger children love to be engaged in learning, especially through interactive projects that they can really get involved and be hands on with.
Therefore, I have applied STEAM project to improve my students’ English communication and soft skills
STEAM is based on the understanding that innovation is often found where different subjects intersect. By learning these subjects at the same time, students consider a wider range of perspectives when solving a particular problem. Whereas traditional learning develops fact-based knowledge, our STEAM programme will develop the skills needed to thrive – flexibility, critical thinking, creativity and communication.
STEAM no longer refers to science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics as stand-alone subjects, but as an integrated approach to teaching the general capabilities on which STEM education is founded
II. PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS 
 	Communication is vital to thriving workplace communities, and it’s essential for effective collaborative classrooms as well. Knowing when and how to express ideas, recognizing nonverbal cues, and being able to discern what's important when someone speaks can be key factors in building interpersonal relationships. By practicing communication skills, students will get better at asking for help and expressing what they need, and over time they will develop the skills and confidence to tell teachers more clearly what they've learned in class.
STEAM
ACTIVITIES OF STEAM EDUCATION
1. S is for Science
Children are natural scientists. They try to figure out just how the world works by engaging in a series of steps called the scientific method. The scientific method includes observing, forming questions, making predictions, designing and carrying out experiments, and discussing. 
2. T is for Technology
When we think of technology, cell phones and computers often come to mind. But the “T” in technology also stands for any type of man-made object. Technology includes simple tools such as pulleys, wheels, levers, scissors, and ramps. These simpler technologies allow students to understand how tools help us accomplish tasks. 
3. E is for Engineering
Engineering applies science, math, and technology to solving problems. Engineering is using materials, designing, crafting, and building – it helps us understand how and why things work. When students design and build with blocks or put together railroad tracks, they are acting as engineers. When children construct a fort of snow, pillows, or cardboard, they are solving structural problems. When they figure out how to pile sticks and rocks to block a stream of water or how objects fit together, they are engineering.
4. A is for Arts
A creative mindset is critical for STEM subjects. That is why the arts was added to STEM to become STEAM. Scientists, technology developers, engineers, and mathematicians need to innovate and solve problems creatively. The subjects in STEAM are similar in their approach to learning. Active and self-guided discovery is core to the arts and to STEAM learning. Students engage in painting, pretend play, music, and drawing. Art is sensory exploration. Drawing and play-acting allow them to express what they know and feel. Music is also linked to STEAM skills such as pattern recognition and numeration. Research shows that early experience with creative arts supports cognitive development and increases self-esteem.
5. M is for Math
Math is number and operations, measurement, patterns, geometry and spatial sense. From birth until age five, children explore everyday mathematics, including informal knowledge of “more” and “less,” shape, size, sequencing, volume, and distance. Math is a tool children use every day! They make math concepts visible when they connect them to objects and actions. 
III. SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AFTER APPLYING STEAM PROJECT AT NHU THANH HIGH SCHOOL.
In STEM fields, empathetic communication is a fundamental ingredient for success. Teachers must be able to take highly technical knowledge and describe it in a clear and simple way for others. If students learn to express ideas in a persuasive way and respond gracefully to reactions to their opinions, they’ll be able to promote innovation and social change through fields like bioengineering or video game design. Teachers may not be able to see the outcomes of bolstering students' communication right away, but the transfer to real-world situations will one day be undeniable.
Teaching establishments will need to implement technologies such as social media, online platforms such as YouTube and other systems that can make learning more fun and interesting to their students
Teacher asks students to participate in practical semester examinations including making videos, giving presentation, role-playing, singing a song, ect, after an applying STEAM project - period to practice English so that they can improve their communication skills
 The practical semester examination
 Class 10A1 and 10A6 
A is for Arts
Role-playing/ singing/ designing 
The tenth graders (10 A1, school year: 2014-2015) were roleplaying “ Tam and Cam nowadays” 
The tenth graders (10 A6, school year: 2014-2015) were roleplaying “ Superstitions”
The tenth graders (10 A1, school year: 2014-2015) were roleplaying “ The Voice”
(Thuy Trang, Pham Ly, Trung Kien and Ngoc Huyen, 10 A1, were singing in English.
S is for Science
 The practical semester exammination
Students study about carbon dioxide and oxygen, the components causing pollution
The tenth graders (10 A6, school year: 2014-2015) were making a presentation about the causes of pollution
( Tran Thu Thao, 10 A6, was giving a presentation about “Pollution”
The practical semester exammination
T is for Technology
Making videos
( Students, 10 A6, were making videos about “Beautiful places in Nhu Thanh such as: Ben En national park, Duc Ong Church, ..”
(the tenth graders make videos about the environmental problems in Nhu Thanh district)
CHAPTER 4: RESULT
We aim to inspire our students through excellence by challenging them to reach for their dreams and to be active participants in the world around them. We encourage ambition and curiosity and prioritise the development of real-world skills so that they will go into the world, ready to learn and discover, keen to be challenged, able to thrive.  
By helping our students to develop crucial transferable skills that build on and