STEAM and the Innovation of Art Teacher Education in Vietnamese Pedagogical Universities in the Digital EraSTEAM and the Innovation of Art Teacher Education in Vietnamese Pedagogical Universities in the Digital Era

This study investigates the integration of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) into art teacher education in Vietnamese universities with arts programs, aiming to enhance creativity and teaching effectiveness through digital transformation. The research objectives are to evaluate the perceptions of students and educators regarding STEAM’s benefits, identify barriers to its implementation, and propose strategies for curriculum reform to align with 21st-century educational demands. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving 195 participants (150 students and 45 lecturers/managers) from the Military University of Culture and Arts and Hanoi National University of Education. Data were collected via surveys with Likert-scale and open-ended questions, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, and analyzed using SPSS for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative insights. The findings indicate strong support for STEAM’s role in fostering creativity (M = 4.2 for students, M = 4.5 for lecturers/managers, p = 0.03) and enhancing teaching effectiveness through digital tools (M = 4.0 and 4.3, p = 0.04). However, significant challenges, including resource constraints (M = 4.1 and 4.4) and inadequate faculty training (M = 2.8 and 3.1), were identified, with qualitative data highlighting issues such as outdated technology and limited digital literacy. The study concludes by advocating for curriculum reform, increased investment in digital tools, and targeted faculty training to prepare art teachers for innovative, technology-driven pedagogy, with recommendations for future research to explore longitudinal impacts and scalability of STEAM practices in Vietnamese higher education.