The A in STEAM
Susan McCullough, Floor Grootenhuis · 2025
This chapter explores the pivotal role of socially engaged artistic practice in fostering interdisciplinary learning between art and science. Integrating the arts into STEM fields has gained momentum, recognizing the value of creativity, imagination, and critical thinking in both fields. The incorporation of socially engaged artistic practices adds a new transformative dimension, emphasizing collaboration, empathy, and community engagement. Through a case study focused on a graduate-level course for art teachers, this chapter illustrates how socially engaged art projects can serve as dynamic platforms for interdisciplinary teaching. It examines how projects created as part of the course encourage students to explore authentic connections across disciplines, create community, and expand their own artistic practice. Finally, this chapter advocates for the integration of socially engaged art as a catalyst for holistic transdisciplinary education. When education is transdisciplinary, it is more than the sum of its parts; it is focused on bringing content together to create new meanings and knowledge.